McDonough + Partners is a premier architectural firm founded by internationally-renowned architect William McDonough, former dean of the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, McDonough + Partners has designed some of the world’s most iconic modern buildings, and is known worldwide as a leader in sustainable building and product development.
Snapshot
| Lead Agency | Taupecat Studios |
|---|---|
| Role | WordPress Developer |
| URL | https://mcdonoughpartners.com |
The Problem
Despite the firm’s acclaimed reputation in large-scale, sustainable architecture, their website was stuck in a rigidly laid-out aughts-era grid of tiny images and hard-to-read text, that didn’t represent the powerful design aesthetic the firm was known for. Additionally, the site was not responsive, so the McDonough + Partners team could not properly present their work to potential clients when at conferences or on-the-go.
The Process
Working in partnership with the firm’s internal design team, we built a modern, easy-to-update website using all of WordPress’ most modern features and tools. We worked with McDonough + Partners’ team to ensure that their new branding shone through, yet remained accessible and performant. Weekly status emails were sent to keep the client fully apprised of the project’s progress, along with regular video check-ins.
The Results
We built a fully-responsive website that looked as great on a smartphone as it did on a full-color desktop display. Images were now larger and more prominent, allowing the work of the firm to shine through to future potential clients. The custom theme developed proved to be so successful that we later repurposed it for two more McDonough-affiliated businesses, MBDC and McDonough Innovation, providing a coherent brand that extended through multiple website properties.