From Builders to Foundation Builders
Project Insights
After 40 years and 350+ affordable housing projects across BC, Terra faced a positioning problem. The addition of "Social Purpose Real Estate" to their name a few years earlier, while well-meaning, was causing confusion. Potential clients mistook this to mean product rather than purpose. Combine this with communications that heavily featured building photography, it was easy to understand why most thought of them as a developer of affordable housing.
The Impact
No major operational changes required. What made Terra special was already there. Our work helped them see it, focus on it and make it the foundation of how they engage their community.
Yes, we improved the quality of Terra's identity and communications, but more importantly, we helped them clarify what business they're actually in.
Our Strategic Shift
We repositioned Terra from "builders" to "foundation builders," shifting focus from what they help develop to who they empower.
We clarified their role as development consultants: cultural translators who help mission-driven organizations hold their own in complex development markets without losing their collaborative culture or compromising their mission.
This was much more about clarification and alignment than about reinvention.
Our approach returned them to their roots as Terra Housing with a new tagline: "Your Foundation for Community Development." The logo reinforces this positioning, appearing embedded in a foundation, a visual echo of Terra's role.
Strategic positioning, visual identity, and messaging frameworks aligned to tell one cohesive story of support, values alignment and sector expertise.
