A Home for Generations to Come
Submitted by Eusra Hussain
My first impression of Timbergrove Manor was at about 7:00 p.m. on a Wednesday night with my best friend in my passenger seat. My first impression was not entirely a great one. I saw many older-looking homes and that was about it. I went to class the following day and presented my findings from the night before. After we all presented our neighborhoods, my professor asked if I wanted to change my given neighborhood. “Yes please!” instantly flew out of my mouth. The next week, I had planned on researching my new neighborhood but decided to stay with Timbergrove. I realized that if I were given this project in the real world and not in a senior graphic design class at the University of Houston, I would not have the option to choose which neighborhood I wanted.
Over the weekend, my friend and I went to rediscover this neighborhood. I decided to do my research beforehand and make a list of spots that I wanted to visit. The first spot was Jaycee Park. I immediately noticed many groups of friendly faces that I knew would be helpful to speak to about their personal experience living in Timbergrove.
Every person I spoke to was welcoming, happy, family oriented and active. A kind man told me all about the history of the neighborhood and how active they are in every child’s future and education. Many people had lived in this neighborhood for generations, from kids to grandkids—there was not just one age group that made up Timbergrove. Instead, I heard of people who had lived here since the area was developed, young couples, those who had moved back after college and many more. I knew in that moment that this is where I found my inspiration for the branding. This was not just a suburban neighborhood in the middle of the city, rather it was a home for generations to come.
The branding process was not easy, it never is. I had many ideas shot down, many times I was lost, and times that I really did not know how to brand this place. This made me really question my decision to choose a different neighborhood. After four long months of critique and reworks, I came up with this: a system that did show the mid-century architecture in the middle of the city like it appeared to many, but recognizing that these houses were not just houses, rather it was a home for generations to come. My color palette was inspired by the rush of activity I saw when I first visited Jaycee Park. Timbergrove is a bright, charismatic and energizing neighborhood. I chose colors that would resemble that, while also touching back into one of the popular color palettes from the 50s, when this neighborhood was created. Your neighborhood inspired me and made me realize it was not just a project; instead Timbergrove is a home for generations to come.
