It all started with a cup of coffee. Tony, Founder of Kambujaya, reached out to Nataly Lee from SAAT Studio, to discuss his vision for creating a new boutique lifestyle development firm focused on providing more design and nature oriented living spaces for the middle class market.
The naming process was pretty quick. Tony always wanted a sanskrit-based name and loved the word Kambuja (a reference to the official name of the united Khmer Empire), but couldn't register the name legally in the past due to its heritage lineage. A few other sanskrit based names were explored, but the portmanteau name KAMBUJAYA was the clear favorite. It represented an amalgamation of the previously mentioned word: Kambuja + Jaya (Jayavarman VII or “victory” in sanskrit) — thus, providing a tribute to to our Khmer ancestors and heritage.
Nataly proposed some visual identity concepts centered around the sugar palm tree, Khmer roof architecture, and nature-inspired themes. The final Kambujaya logo, a palm leaf visual motif, was selected as it honored the New Khmer architecture while simultaneously connecting the brand back to its Khmer roots/identity and integrated with nature. The branding and communication is warm, welcoming, nurturing, and sophisticated — conveying Kambujaya’s aspirations to be an inspirational, informative, and progressive real estate developer.
Kambujaya’s mission is to create beautiful and functional homes that encourage social interaction and a stronger connection to nature, setting a new standard of boutique housing in Cambodia.
Our logo concept—a nod to Vann Molyvann, Cambodia’s most famous architect—takes visual cues from one of his masterpieces, the Chaktamouk Theatre. When seen from above the Chaktamouk Theatre resembles a palm leaf, one of the most illustrious examples of New Khmer Architecture. Palms are incredible important in Cambodia, in fact, so much so that the sugar palm is the national tree.
In Cambodia the sugar palm is considered to be a multi-purpose tree and aside from its uses as a food product, many Cambodian homes are constructed using the leaves, leaf branches and trunk of the palm. By adopting a palm leaf as a visual motif we’re not just honouring Khmer architecture, but we’re also connecting the brand back to nature.
As we dive deeper into the history of Cambodia, we had discovered that resins from a Gamboge tree were used to dye Buddhist monks' robes because it resembles the traditional colour used for the robes of Theravada Buddhist monks.
The brand logo is inspired by the shape of the palm leaf as well as a nod to Chaktomouk Theatre. The modern and contemporary symbol not only reflects Kambujaya’s mission and vision but also takes cues from our culture and context; commemorating the heritage of the country. The construction of the logo signifies a sense of community, illustrating the connections and relationships that are made whilst living in a Kambujaya home.
Paired along the logo is a customized wordmark. Giving Kambujaya a solid foundation, this modern and elegant typography is designed using the idea of balance furthermore visualising open spaces which reflect the layouts of every Kambujaya home.
Inspired by the colors found mostly in Cambodia, our color palette is a set of familiar and recognizable colors that is vibrant and robust rooted with an imbued sense of heritage. They are used for all internal and external visual applications of the Kambujaya identity.