A regeneration initiative in South London's Stockwell area identified street nameplates as being both neglected and unexceptional. Could street nameplates be improved and enhance the community?

When Ian, one of our Atelier partners, was asked his opinion he remembered his first job as a designer at the publishers Faber & Faber. Here, he often caught fleeting glimpses of the famous émigré designer Berthold Wolpe. As a book designer, head of the Faber & Faber design department, and creator of the typeface Albertus, Wolpe deployed his distinctive lettering at every opportunity. His beautiful typographic covers became inextricably linked to Faber & Faber and the great authors and poets of the twentieth century.

Here is Wolpe standing outside the Faber & Faber offices and one of his 1,500 jacket designs for the publishing company.

Ian was aware that the Wolpe family had lived close by for many years. Atelier prepared some street nameplates using Wolpe's Albertus typeface and we provided a supporting rationale that described Albertus as being 'indigenous' to this part of South London. Lambeth Council enjoyed our typographic tutorial and immediately adopted our proposals for a pilot roll-out across Stockwell.

When a new street nameplate was installed on Wolpe's old road it seemed to us that his much-cherished typeface had finally come home.

It wasn't long before a bemused Council official was receiving telephone calls from other Lambeth residents, asking when they were going to get their new street nameplates. The Council then adopted the design borough-wide.

Postscript: Ian also happens to be a Lambeth resident. He described himself as "pretty chuffed" on finding out that his own road was going to get a new nameplate. Although Wolpe is sadly no longer with us, his beautiful font is now part of Ian's daily commute to our Atelier studio.

Other Lambeth projects: Triangulating a Circle, Street Collaboration, In van Gogh's Footsteps, Hand Lettering Revival, Lost and found