John Wells-Thorpe
Book design & print
John Wells-Thorpe is an internationally successful architect based in Brighton. As well as designing major projects in Malaysia, Africa and Saudi Arabia, his local work includes Hove Town Hall, major buildings at Lancing College and Brighthelm Church and Community Centre. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and was elected President of the Commonwealth Association of Architects in 1985. He was appointed OBE for services to architecture in 1995.
Brief
John and his wife Meta visited us in our Preston Park office to ask us to design and print a book cataloguing his life’s work. This book was to be distributed among a small circle of friends, family and associates. He was happy for us to be creative with the brief and supplied us with a selection of images of projects spanning his career.
Solution
We looked at previous publication of his “Behind the Facade” for inspiration and sought to replicate the sleek, structural lines detailed in the cover design. We emanated the colour palette used on the cover and echoed the cover styling throughout the text pages, seeking creative ways to layout the page content whilst maintaining a clean and uncluttered design.
Result
The printed copies were approved almost instantly. We opted for a digital print with a bound spine, as only a small quantity were required. We met the deadline comfortably and we enjoyed getting to know John & his wife, as well as learning about the work behind some familiar local buildings.
I was impressed by the speed and accuracy with which Nexus interpreted instructions. They knew instinctively what was required and effortlessly delivered a creative solution which captured the essence of the project.