A rebrand built one story at a time.
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has officially changed its name to the Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU). After more than 50 years as the world’s preeminent authority on tall buildings, this isn’t just a name change — it’s a fundamental repositioning that addresses an existential challenge facing the organization and the industry it serves. Multiple, Inc. is proud to have been their strategic partner through this transformation.
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has officially changed its name to the Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU). After more than 50 years as the world’s preeminent authority on tall buildings, this isn’t just a name change — it’s a fundamental repositioning that addresses an existential challenge facing the organization and the industry it serves. Multiple, Inc. is proud to have been their strategic partner through this transformation.
Strategic vision meets perfect timing
In 2023, we began working with CTBUH on what seemed like a straightforward project: branding their international conference in Singapore. We’d worked with their director of marketing before, and when new leadership joined that year with an expanded vision, what began as a conference branding exercise quickly became something much bigger.
The organization recognized a significant opportunity.
For 50 years, CTBUH had built unparalleled expertise on tall buildings, defining height standards, certifying records, and advancing skyscraper design, engineering, and construction. But new leadership saw that the world was asking bigger questions. With 70 percent of the global population projected to live in cities by 2050, the conversation shifted from “how can we build taller?” to “how do we build cities that are sustainable, equitable, and livable?”
“Multiple has a remarkable way of bringing order to complexity. They helped us navigate a deeply layered conversation — balancing legacy, ambition, and global perspectives — with clarity and confidence. What could have been overwhelming became an inspiring, focused process.”
Charles Mutscheller — Marketing Director, Council on Vertical Urbanism
The insight that emerged: vertical urbanism. Rather than viewing tall buildings as isolated icons, vertical urbanism recognizes them as integral components of comprehensive urban ecosystems, woven together with infrastructure, public spaces, transit, and policy.
As CVU CEO Francisco Javier Quintana de Uña stated in their rebrand announcement: “Vertical urbanism isn’t just about height; it’s about designing upward in smarter, more integrated ways to deliver sustainable, connected and human-centered cities.”
This wasn’t about abandoning the organization’s legacy, but about fulfilling it in broader ways.
Comprehensive transformation
Our engagement grew to include:
- Strategic positioning and naming exploration
- Member research and stakeholder engagement
- Complete visual identity system
- Website redesign with a new backend platform
- Conference experience design
- Publication templates and communications systems
- A versatile visual language framework built for global implementation
The new brand debuted at CVU’s international conference in Toronto this past week, demonstrating that the system works across diverse touchpoints while maintaining a coherent expression.
“The level of engagement among such a passionate global community of architects, engineers, and urban thinkers was extraordinary,” said Kelly Komp, Principal and Creative Director at Multiple Inc. “At Multiple, we believe good design isn’t defined by how something looks — it’s defined by how it works, what it represents, and how effectively it advances a shared vision. This project exemplifies that belief. It was about aligning strategy with creativity to help an organization not only reimagine its identity but redefine its role in shaping the future of cities.”
Leading the future of urban development
CVU now champions four tenets shaping tomorrow’s cities: verticality, sustainability, livability, and innovation. The rebrand positions the organization to lead global discourse on “building tall better,” recognizing that responsible density is integral to creating sustainable, equitable urban systems.
This is the kind of project that energizes us: helping organizations articulate expanded vision and position themselves to lead at critical moments. CTBUH saw an opportunity to broaden its impact and seized it.
Congratulations to Javier Quintana de Uña, Charles Mutscheller, and the entire CVU team for the vision and trust that made this possible.
Learn more about the Council on Vertical Urbanism at VerticalUrbanism.org.
About Multiple Inc.
Multiple is an independent design agency that works with our clients to create brand and corporate communications that deliver strategic advantages by reinforcing positive attributes and enhancing every interaction. We partner with them to research, visualize, and understand their unique challenges and opportunities, and to help them define, articulate, and communicate what sets them apart.