Shumka x Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre

Shumka x Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre is an industry research project led by Priyanka Poulose and Sahil Mroke in partnership with Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre (SHSC), a development of Unite Capital Partners in BC’s Lower Mainland. This project explores how place-based branding and participatory design can support the transformation of a suburban shopping centre into a vibrant, community-oriented cultural destination.

This project brings together faculty, students, and industry partners to co-develop a new brand identity and visual system for Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre in Surrey, BC. Between June to October 2026, student research assistants (RAs) will work through phased research, community engagement, concept development, identity design, and application cycles; collaborating closely with the industry partner to investigate how branding can communicate local history, cultural identity, and community values.

This collaboration aims to contribute new applied knowledge to the fields of participatory branding, placemaking, and community-oriented visual identity design. Unite Capital Partners will receive a complete logo suite, visual identity system, brand guidelines, and application mockups for environmental, digital, and public-facing contexts for the shopping centre, while students will gain hands-on experience in research-driven branding and collaborative design practice.

Project Objectives

  • Investigate how participatory design and public engagement can inform place-based branding processes.
  • Develop a cohesive visual identity system that reflects the history, cultural significance, and future vision of Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre.
  • Explore how branding and environmental graphic applications can support community-oriented placemaking within suburban commercial environments.
  • Provide students with hands-on research experience in brand identity design, participatory design methods, and collaborative industry practice.
  • Deliver a complete identity package and visual system that Unite Capital Partners can continue to build upon in future activations and developments.

Project Team

Priyanka Poulose – Lead, Emily Carr University (ECU)
Sahil Mroke – Sessional Faculty Co-Lead, ECU
Mehdi Russel – CEO, Unite Capital Partners
Siraaj Shah – Operations & Marketing Lead, Unite Capital Partners

Project Partner

Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre is a major community shopping and gathering destination located at the intersection of Scott Road and 72nd Avenue in Surrey, British Columbia. Spanning over 30 acres with more than 35 retail, dining, entertainment, and service tenants, the centre serves as a key commercial and social hub for the surrounding Surrey and North Delta communities. Under new ownership by Unite Capital Partners, Strawberry Hill is focused on evolving beyond a traditional retail centre through community-oriented programming, placemaking initiatives, and long-term mixed-use visioning that reflects the area’s growing population and cultural diversity.

This project is generously supported by a Mobilize Grant from the NSERC College and Community Innovation Program and facilitated by ECU’s Shumka Centre for Creative Entrepreneurship. 

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