First, we needed to learn more about the building’s past. Since it was first constructed, the site has been home to makers of everything from corsets and oak barrels to cigars and locks. Our interest was piqued when we found out that it was a manufacturing facility that built airplane propellers for the F4U Corsair—a remarkable WWII-era fighter plane with folding wings and a massive, roaring engine.

Taking cues from heritage and workwear brands like Redwing and Levi’s, we created a brand identity system that celebrates over a hundred years of American craftsmanship. We designed a throwback newsprint brochure and hand-sketched logos for the building’s many former companies. We called the resident lounge the “Quittin’ Time Bar” and designed custom airplane propeller door handles and retro bottle openers. We even dug up an old quote from the Corsair’s chief engineer, which perfectly summed up our vision: “The difficult we do immediately. The impossible will take a week, ten days at most.”