SHV Bouwsector was the construction division of the Dutch Steenkolen-Handelsvereeniging (SHV) concern, which was active in project development, promotion and realization, focused on buildings for healthcare, education, industry and trade, as well as housing and urban renewal.[1] The parent SHV concern commissioned the Dutch design agency Total Design to develop its visual identity in the 1960s, a relationship documented in the agency’s archive, which lists SHV as a client from 1963 to 1975.[2]
Design and History
Total Design, founded in 1963 by partners including Wim Crouwel, Benno Wissing and Friso Kramer, created the visual identity for the SHV concern.[3] Under the direction of partner Benno Wissing, Total Design conceived a red right-angled triangle as the abstract logo for SHV’s energy division PAM.[4] This same abstract triangle was later developed into a second logo for SHV’s heating company Warmtecentrum, which featured the triangle in a 2×2 arrangement.[4]
The SHV Bouwsector division operated within this broader Total Design identity system developed for the SHV concern during the 1960s and early 1970s.[2] The NAGO archive of Total Design materials documents the agency’s work for the Steenkolen Handels Vereeniging SHV across this period.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The red right-angled triangle developed by Benno Wissing for SHV’s PAM division served as the abstract foundation for related SHV sub-brand logos, including the Warmtecentrum mark that arranged the triangle in a 2×2 grid.[4] The geometric abstraction reflects the modernist design principles that defined Total Design’s approach to corporate identity work in the Netherlands during the 1960s.[3]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
