Challenge – Expanding a firm’s reach to win work in new geographies

A Milan-based firm with little built work outside of Italy asked Future–Future to help them expand outside of Europe to win work. To do so, we had to identify strong niches that would give the firm a competitive edge in new geographies.

Strategy

Future–Future identified waterfront regeneration projects as one niche for the firm and developed target market reports identifying where these projects would be coming in the next 6 to 18 months. These reports were based on our analyses of news, city capital plans, government funding requests, political developments, and other data.

We worked to elevate the firm’s waterfront work in target markets through thought-leadership that gets them across the table with potential clients and stakeholders.

Execution

Future–Future identified an upcoming competition for a cultural project on a pier in Busan, South Korea, and advised the firm on the submission, including the site history and context, their competitive edges, the culture of winning business in East Asia, the client’s unstated goals, and ways this project could advance initiatives of the government of South Korea.

During this process, we recommended that they make a crucial but counterintuitive decision to choose a young up-start firm as local architects-of-record rather than a well-established South Korean one. We provided them with a vetted list of options.

Results

The Italian firm was awarded the project in May 2025, marking their first commission in the region. The win serves as a foundation for their ongoing global expansion.

Challenge – Positioning a primarily residential firm to compete for public projects

A six-person studio in Tucson, Arizona, with a portfolio of private residences, approached us with the ambition to win institutional and civic work in the region. They had only completed one public building: a small birdwatching pavilion in Southern Arizona.

Strategy

Future–Future developed a communications strategy to position them for larger-scale work, target public clients, and speak to their focused priorities like advancing institutional missions, stakeholder engagement, capability to deliver high-quality projects, and cost-and-schedule control.

We leveraged the firm Principals’ legacy projects, installed processes to chase public work such as RFQ/RFP response and interview presentation templates, and identified opportunities to promote their birdwatching pavilion.

Execution

Future–Future prepared the firm’s submission for the US Pavilion’s call for entries for PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity at the 2025 Venice Biennale, which frames their birdwatching pavilion as a porch that brings communities together.

Our narrative focused on the pavilion’s civic impact and spirit of generosity. It described how the project replaced a temporary birdwatching tent built by the Paton family in their backyard, turning it into a permanent public porch.

Results

The firm’s project was selected for exhibition at the US Pavilion—an opportunity we capitalized on to launch communications campaigns and generate new business opportunities.

We fielded an RFQ for a birdwatching center in Henderson, Nevada, released shortly after, focusing the content on their inclusion in the Venice Biennale for their birdwatching pavilion, resulting in them being the only out-of-state firm shortlisted.

Challenge – Framing a Landmark Project for Domestic and International Audiences

With the opening of the Beijing Library in December 2023, the world’s largest reading space and a landmark in Beijing’s newly established sub-center, an Oslo-headquartered firm with international renown faced the dual task of promoting the project as a symbol of global design excellence and regional specificity.

Strategy

Future–Future led a press strategy that positioned the building as a new vision for the relevance of libraries in the digital age—a message that would resonate with both domestic and international audiences. 

Our full PR plan—including regional media outreach, crisis planning, and release coordination—successfully shaped the project narrative to remain true to the firm’s global voice while aligning with the expectations of multiple government stakeholders.  

Execution

We managed the rollout across international and domestic media, coordinating embargoed exclusives and official announcements. 

To build domestic visibility, Future–Future created a WeChat-focused social media campaign to boost engagement and support coverage across both official and independent media channels.

Results

The campaign resulted in over 200 articles and features. Our messaging framework guided all communications, from press kits to interviews, enabling consistent positioning throughout.

The Beijing Library was named “Public Library of the Year” by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in 2024. Future–Future helped ensure the successful launch of one of the firm’s most high-profile projects in Asia and reinforced their position as a regional voice in cultural architecture.