Services: Brand Strategy, Collateral Materials, Copyediting, Environmental Design, Logo & Identity, Messaging, Naming, Signage & Wayfinding, Website
The Frankie
Putting the art in apartments
The Frankie, a new multi-family property in SE Portland’s Brooklyn neighborhood, blends affordable and market rate housing with innovative art installations from ArtLifting, a social enterprise representing artists with disabilities.
The project aims to highlight and support underrepresented artists while reflecting and enriching the cultural fabric of the surrounding neighborhood.
Collaborators
ArtLifting
Greystar
Development Team
High Street Residential
Trammell Crow Company
Geolo Capital
Design/Build
Works Progress Architecture (W.PA)
MHD Studio
Truebeck Construction
Naming and Branding
Positioned at the intersection of Franklin and Milwaukie, the name “The Frankie” is a playful nod to the location and infuses the property with a fun and spunky personality that feels fresh and authentic.
Collaborating with ArtLifting, Think Joule curated a selection of impactful art installations, including US veteran Yvette’s "Leave the Lights On, Communities Will Recover" — a colorful and hopeful reflection on resilience and community unity. The work was reproduced as a large-scale wallcovering and is also incorporated into The Frankie branding and marketing materials, intentionally infusing art into every touchpoint of the project.
Other featured artists include:
Local Portland artists Lindsey Holcomb and Denali Brooke; Boston-based Lisa Murphy; and Rochester-based Laural Hartman.
Marketing Materials
The artwork is used through the materials to reinforce the brand story and reflect The Frankie’s distinctive identity. By allowing the art to come to life through every touchpoint, the resulting suite of materials feels like an extension of the art itself — colorful, impactful, and inspiring.
Signage and Wayfinding
From eye-catching property banners and marquee signage to floor numbering and unit signage as well as artist plaques that share heartfelt backstories, Joule’s designs take an artful approach to wayfinding and invites a deeper connection to the art. This emphasis on artful expression enhances the presence of the artwork and makes it feel integral to the building itself.
result
The Frankie's unique personality shines through at every touchpoint for a holistic expression of branding, art, signage, and marketing, resulting in a strong early-leasing, even in a slow and saturated market.
