5x5 shapes a bold, enduring identity for ONE’s urban practice

ONE is a long-standing architecture and urbanism practice that designs resilient cities for the long term. Through data, spatial design and policy, the studio helps places adapt to climate threats such as rising sea levels, flooding and extreme storms, while also responding to slower, long-term urban change. Its work balances nature, infrastructure and human life, turning complex challenges into practical, place-based plans. While ONE’s projects operate on a large scale, the practice also serves as a unifying force, bringing together diverse disciplines and perspectives. Local citizens are invited into workshops that help shape their own neighbourhoods; government offices, environmental experts, artists and storytellers all become part of the process. With offices in the Netherlands and the US, ONE was nearing the 10-year mark of its New York studio when it invited London-based agency 5x5 to review its brand and make the case for how the identity might evolve. Rather than completely overhaul the existing symbol-based identity, 5x5 chose to build on what was already there. The new identity was designed to distil the existing system into something much clearer, more recognisable, and easier to apply consistently. In short, as 5x5 explains, the aim was to create “a single visual mark and identity framework that could hold together the full scope of the practice while remaining simple, distinctive and adaptable.”