(01) — Case StudySelf-initiated study · 2026

Atelier Grain.

Warm architectural portfolio with full-bleed mask reveals, three typographic voices, and a quiet luxury pace.

Atelier Grain
(02) — Context
[ Brief ]

A contemporary architecture studio's portfolio. Restraint is the brand — the architecture has to speak, the site has to hold space. Every design decision filtered through a single question: does this compete with the photography?

[ Role ]

Brand direction, art direction, and implementation. Photography direction in collaboration with the studio's archivist.

[ Scope ]
  • 01. Brand direction
  • 02. Art direction
  • 03. Motion design
  • 04. Implementation
(03) — Process
01

Research

Studied Swiss architectural monographs, print-first publishing from ABC Architecture and 2G. Restraint over ornament, always.

02

Typography

Three voices. Serif display for project names. Grotesque body for briefs. Monospace for project metadata. All three quiet — none competing with the imagery.

03

Motion language

Full-bleed clip-path mask reveals on architectural photography. Everything fades up with generous power-easing — no sharp transitions, no performative pinned hero scene. The work is the moment.

04

Build

Next.js + GSAP + Lenis. Images optimized via next/image AVIF. LCP under 1.8s on 4G. Accessibility treated as a design constraint, not an afterthought.

(04) — Design Details[ 05 frames · scroll to advance ]
Homepage
[01 / 05]
[01] — Detail

Homepage

A single photograph and project name. The work introduces itself before any navigation surfaces. Restraint as greeting.

Projects grid
[02 / 05]
[02] — Detail

Projects grid

Hybrid grid + list layout. Study phase uses grid view; deep-reading switches to list. Toggle is a single mono-typed button.

Project detail
[03 / 05]
[03] — Detail

Project detail

Chapters of architectural photography with minimal captions. Typographic dividers between design phases — research, concept, construction.

About
[04 / 05]
[04] — Detail

About

Long-form studio philosophy with a print-serial feel. Pull-quotes, running heads, page-number glyphs in the margins.

Contact
[05 / 05]
[05] — Detail

Contact

A single line, a single form field. Restraint carried through to the last interaction — the closing note of the visit.

(05) — Outcome

Warm editorial restraint — architectural photography let to speak for itself, typography in service of the work. A portfolio that feels more like a quarterly journal than a website.

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