Shelter symbols explained

Have you noticed symbols popping up across our feed over the last few months? Curious about what they signify?

When we partnered with Malley Design back in 2016 to refresh Shelter’s brand look and feel, a new system of patterns and textures naturally emerged from the design process. What started out as a collection of symbols the Malley team felt added visual interest to our story has now become a core element of the Shelter brand.

These “Shelter symbols” are a set of simple, architectural representations that naturally connect our brand with the work we do everyday. Graphic symbols in the architectural world are nothing new and certainly not something we or the Malley team invented. Design firms will typically adopt their own unique symbolic variations. Although there is no graphic standard across the industry, the convention and intent behind the symbols is largely the same. Pretty cool, huh?!

After launching our refreshed branding in 2016, we decided to formally incorporate the Shelter symbols into our construction documents.

The Shelter symbol code:

  • Diamond = Wall type
  • L-Shape = Exterior elevation
  • Hash = Earth or soil
  • Circle = Detail callout
  • Triangle = Revision
  • Crescent = Interior elevation

See if you can pick out some of the Shelter symbols in one of our floor plans