Forged from the Love: Colin Laird, Caribbean Architect

Graphic design of a book on the work of architect Colin Laird.

In 2012, I had the opportunity to work as a curator and designer on Public Spaces – an exhibition of some of the better-known public works of architect Colin Laird, and the first major architecture exhibition in Trinidad and Tobago. I enjoyed working on the project tremendously, in no small part because I had the opportunity to collaborate with respected architects, along with Colin’s family members. I was thrilled to be contacted a few years later, in 2017, to design Forged from the Love: Colin Laird, Caribbean Architect – a book on Colin and his work. For continuity, I applied several of the same design elements from Public Spaces to the book: The workhorse typeface, Franklin Gothic, was once again deployed, as was the bright yellow that Colin loved and utilised on wayfinding or transitional spaces in many of his buildings. There were a few new touches, too: I added a bold chapter numbering system inspired by Colin’s drawings, and a pattern based on his pavers for the Brian Lara Promenade.

One of the things I liked most about Colin was how concerned he was about democracy and designing public spaces for everyone’s enjoyment. This sense of accessibility was reflected through writer Robert Clarke’s brilliant text for the book, and I tried to honour that characteristic as well through the development of a straightforward grid system, incorporation of a selection of Colin’s notes and other ephemera, and the use of a more informal, uncoated bond paper for the interior. The book was published in May 2018, a few months after Colin’s death.

SUMMARY | Role: Graphic Designer
Included cover design and development of interior grid and layout. Also included print specifications and supervision
Published: May 2018 by The Colin Laird Project – book team Christopher Laird, Sebastien Paddington, Nicolette Laird-Paddington
Writer: Robert Clarke
Foreword by: Mark Raymond