We've gotten a lot of good feedback and really, truly high marks on your work.
Client: Core Build
Year: 2025
Location: Chicago, USA
What we delivered:
Brand Identity
Static Renderings
Animations
Virtual Tours
Interactive Location Map
Core Build approached us with an ambitious brief: create a complete brand identity and visual system for Mosaic Chicago, an affordable housing initiative spanning 100 potential development sites across the city.
We developed the name and logo from the ground up, then produced photorealistic renderings, animations, and immersive VR tours for both single-family and multifamily typologies. Stylized floor plans communicated livability at a glance, while a custom-built interactive location map allowed buyers and investors to explore all 100 sites online. The result was a unified pre-construction marketing ecosystem that transformed a scattered portfolio of empty lots into an investable vision for Chicago’s housing future.
Align
We had a detailed onboarding call with Brittanye and Winston from CoreBuild. They had a general idea about how the floor plan would be and provided us with a few floor plans that had potential and resonated with the vision of the project. Along with that, the client also provided references for materials, furnishings, etc.
Visualize
For the visual assets, we created a full suite of marketing materials designed to make the pre-construction phase feel tangible. We produced photorealistic static renderings and high-energy animations for both single-family and multi-family unit types. These visuals were essential for communicating the livability of the spaces at a glance.
To go beyond static images, we developed immersive 360 virtual reality tours for both building typologies. These VR experiences allow potential buyers and investors to walk through the units before a single brick is laid. Every piece of media was built to humanize the data and transform a scattered portfolio of lots into a cohesive community vision.
The first step was to create a detailed 3D model from the given floor plan and make custom 3D models for all the furniture, fixtures, etc. that truly reflect the vision and the feeling of the project.
Single-Family Unit Images
Multi-Family Unit Images
Compose
We looked at four ways to nail the brand identity for this project. The winner was the MC Mosaic Tiles concept which builds the letters from rounded square tiles to give off a warm ceramic vibe that feels way more approachable than typical luxury real estate. This logo is all about distinct pieces coming together to form something whole.
Another idea was the Chicago Grid which is a super minimal take on the city streets using simple lines and Helvetica.
We also tried out a segmented version of the iconic six pointed Chicago star to suggest mosaic tiles with a bit of playful typography.
Lastly we developed 3D Letterforms for a heavier architectural feel that added dimensional depth while keeping everything scalable.
The selected Logo
The final color palette centers on a range of greens and teals paired with a soft coral accent . We chose these specific tones to create an approachable and warm look that fits the affordable housing mission. By moving away from typical luxury real estate colors, the brand feels more community-focused. The different shades help separate the letters to make them easy to read while echoing the varied tiles of a physical mosaic.
Custom Location Map
With 100 potential development sites to present, the client faced a unique challenge: they needed to communicate the geographic spread of available plots to prospective buyers without disclosing precise locations ahead of launch. The Render Unit devised an interactive, branded map that strategically obscured exact coordinates while still conveying a meaningful sense of scale and distribution across the region, giving viewers enough spatial context to understand the opportunity without compromising the client’s pre-launch confidentiality requirements.
