Angorfa –
A place of belonging, rooted in Cardiff

A contemporary build-to-rent development in the heart of Cardiff, Angorfa was created around the idea of connection, belonging and modern city living rooted in Welsh identity.

Working closely with the client team, we developed the name, brand strategy, visual identity and digital experience for the launch of the scheme. Angorfa means harbour or anchorage, inspired by Cardiff’s maritime heritage. The brand was designed to create a strong sense of place while positioning the development as a calm, contemporary destination for students, professionals and city residents.

The identity balances premium living with authenticity, community and a strong connection to Cardiff.

The challenge was to establish an entirely new residential development in a highly competitive market while making it feel instantly familiar, welcoming and connected to the local area. The ambition was to create an authentic lifestyle brand that residents could emotionally connect with before the development had even opened.

Alongside attracting an internationally-minded audience of students and young professionals, the brand also needed to feel authentically rooted in Cardiff and respectful of Welsh culture and language. Community, calmness and belonging became central principles throughout the project, influencing everything from the tone of voice and messaging strategy through to the visual identity and photography direction.

We created a bilingual identity system designed to give equal prominence and consideration to both Welsh and English. Rather than treating Welsh as a secondary translation layer, the brand was built from the ground up to work seamlessly across both languages, influencing typography, layouts, messaging structures and the wider digital experience.

Alongside the bilingual identity, we developed a comprehensive brand system spanning signage, social media, hoarding, campaign messaging, photography direction and the website experience. The visual language combines soft contemporary touches, calm editorial typography and expressive bilingual messaging to create a brand that feels both modern and unmistakably Welsh.

The result is a culturally grounded and strategically considered brand experience that establishes Angorfa as more than a place to live, but a place to belong.

Welsh, poetic and warm. By confronting the site’s history with honesty and placing the Welsh language and identity at the centre of the brand experience, Angorfa established a distinctive voice within Cardiff’s residential market that resonated with the local community.