Practice
On an August afternoon we gathered at Marlowe in South Brisbane to celebrate a new chapter for Archway. Our Melbourne team came north to join Brisbane, bringing both studios together under one roof. Surrounded by the character of Marlowe’s heritage-listed Art Deco building, we shared our newly launched identity for the first time, created in collaboration with Melbourne-based practice Jac-AND.
But the afternoon was about more than unveiling a new identity. It was a chance to pause and recognise what had brought us here. To celebrate with the people who have shaped Archway, contributed to the practice and helped build it into what it is today and to look towards where we’re heading next. Marlowe felt like a fitting place for us. A building with a history of its own, adapted for a new chapter without losing the character that came before. There was a parallel in what we had set out to do with Archway: not to erase what existed and begin again, but to build upon it.
Because a brand doesn’t arrive fully formed. Then again, neither do we.
We grow. We change. We adapt. We develop new ambitions and new ideas. We leave some things behind and rediscover others we'd forgotten were important to us. A practice grows in much the same way. Over time, Archway has evolved from where it began. New people have joined us. Our Brisbane and Melbourne studios have grown. The work has changed, our perspective has broadened and our ambitions for the future have grown with us. At some point, we realised the way we were presenting ourselves no longer entirely reflected the practice we had become, or the one we were becoming.
A brand isn't made by a logo alone, nor does it belong solely to the people who design it. It accumulates over time. It's shaped by the people who work within it. By clients and collaborators. By projects and conversations. By successes, mistakes and lessons learned. By the things you become known for and the things you discover about yourself along the way.
We had a vision for where Archway was heading, but we needed the right creative partner to help us articulate it. Someone who could look at the practice from the outside, recognise what was already there, challenge some of our assumptions and ultimately help us give form to the next chapter. To bring that thinking into focus, we collaborated with Jac-AND. From the outset, we weren't interested in creating an identity that felt as though it had been invented overnight. We wanted something that felt like it had grown with us. An identity with a sense of history and intention. Through conversations, references, workshops, experimentation and plenty of back and forth, those ideas gradually began to take shape.
On that August afternoon at Marlowe we finally got to share what we had been shaping in the background. A launch can make a brand feel like a finished object. For us, it’s anything but. We wanted the launch to be an experience for our team, not only a chance to see the new Archway, but to feel it. Every detail was considered, from the playlist creating a sense of calm and anticipation, to the food, flowers and subtle touches throughout the space. Working with Marlowe’s lead bartender and sommelier, we curated a selection of wines and cocktails that reflected the diversity and flavour of Archway, alongside a thoughtful canapé menu. Elements of Marlowe’s Art Deco character were woven into our own brand details, creating a dialogue between the identity and the space. We also collaborated with a local maker to create a custom linen banner, with the new Archway logo embroidered in satin stitch, bringing a tactile, handmade quality to the identity.
At the center of the “Neighbour’s room”, 37 calla lilies filled the main table, one for each member of Archway. A simple gesture, but one that captured what the afternoon was really about: 37 individuals, each growing in their own way, together shaping what Archway is becoming.
What we've created with Jac-AND is an expression of Archway as it exists today, but also a framework for what comes next. We want it to be something others can participate in. Over time, collaborations with photographers, artists, designers, makers and other creative practices will bring new perspectives to the identity allowing it to accumulate different expressions, ideas and voices. Rather than protecting the brand from change, we want to give it room to change with us. Because Archway will keep changing too.
New people will join us. New projects will challenge us. Our ambitions will evolve.
For a few hours, the people who have helped shape Archway were together in one place. We could look back at what had been built, share what we had been quietly working towards, and raise a glass to whatever might come next. It wasn't a line drawn between an old Archway and a new one. It was simply another moment in its evolution.
Something is always taking shape at Archway.
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