With the ongoing uncertainty and upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 was another tough year for us all. Outdoor public spaces continue to be vitally important, offering communities a reprieve from living and working indoors.
Street Furniture Australia is proud to have contributed to many inspiring and caring places in 2021. Here are 10 of our subscribers’ most-read StreetChat e-newsletter stories for the year.
Street Furniture Australia employee Ari Zaharopoulos celebrated 25 years working with the company. Throughout his career, he has processed an impressive estimated 1.5 million battens. Read more
A pop-up project by North Sydney Council, designed by Turf Design Studio and Studio Garbett, has transformed newly pedestrianised Kirribilli streets. Part of the ‘Streets as Shared Spaces’ and Kirribilli Masterplan Pilot Projects, the project has reinvigorated the street with eye-catching colour and greenery, supported by customised round Frame Planters powder coated in Bondi Blue. Read more
Moreton Bay Regional Council has upgraded the Albany Creek Community Centre in South East Queensland, with a new entrance and landscape designed by Mode Design. The welcoming space encourages the community to gather and rest. Mode specified Linea Seats for their durability and ability to plinth-fix to concrete. Read more
ChillOUT Hubs, a collaboration between Georges River Council, the University of NSW, the University of Sydney and Street Furniture Australia, won a 2021 PIA National Award for Best Planning Ideas – Small Project. The prototype Hubs provide open-air smart community spaces at three Georges River sites and are in development for launch in early 2022. Read more
A $25 million project from Glenview, HESTA, Social Ventures Australia and the Australian Government, Korongee in Derwent Park, Tasmania, offers a home-based model for residents that mimics ordinary life. Lead designers ThomsonAdsett architects worked with landscape architects Papworth Davies, Cykel Architecture, SMG, Gandy & Roberts, Equality Building and Pitt & Sherry. An easy-to-navigate landscape inspired by the local neighbourhood offers a sense of community and familiarity, featuring Park DDA Seats. Read more
A world-class outdoor museum, Houston Botanic Garden in Texas, designed in collaboration with West 8, offers an inspiring reprieve with plants from across the world. Indoor and outdoor cafe areas feature highly-durable Cafe Tables, customised with a solid table top. StreetChat interviewed President and General Counsel Claudia Gee Vassar about opening during the pandemic, and future ambitions for the garden – see the case study and In Profile piece.
A revitalisation project by Cullen Bay Marina Management Corporation, designed by Clark & Granger, connects and enhances the public space between the ocean and marina in Darwin, Northern Territory. Aria Seats and Benches were specified in the ultimate low-maintenance materials and finishes, Wood Without Worry aluminium woodgrain battens and Textura frames, offering longevity in a marine environment. Read more
Jensen PLUS has designed a waterfront park for the community to enjoy the Murray River in Renmark, South Australia. Renmark Paringa Council have praised the precinct for encouraging families to spend time outside. It features a river deck with sheltered area including an extra-long 5.2 metre Classic Plaza Back-to-Back Seat. Read more
The design by NBRS Architecture for this Sydney women’s prison expansion re-envisions the traditional institutional layout, with green spaces that foster a feeling of safety and promote therapy and positivity. Therapeutic gardens and landscaping are furnished with curved and straight Mall Slim Benches. Read more
At Lake Tyrrell in rural Victoria lies the Sky Lounge, designed by Thomson Hay Landscape Architects for Buloke Shire Council. The designers reviewed our report on how heat interacts with various batten materials, selecting anodised aluminium to make the seating as cool and comfortable as possible. Visiting tourists are invited to lie back in Mall Sun Lounges to soak up surreal sunsets and gaze at the stars. Read more
Photo: Thomson Hay Landscape Architects.
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The Street Furniture Australia factory, in Regents Park, Western Sydney, is both a manufacturing hub and R&D studio for our Australian-designed and made street furniture products. We run fun and informative group events for customers throughout the year, to share how products are designed, tested and built, and the latest products and projects. Director of Tract Julie Lee said: “It was a great opportunity for our team to look behind the scenes and understand the innovation, research and climate positive outcomes Street Furniture Australia is focusing on. Thank you for having us!” Place Design Group Associate, Liam Isaksen, said: “The factory tour is a fun experience to learn about the design and manufacturing process of public furniture we use in landscape architecture design. Seeing the work behind the scenes and …
Did you catch these most-read case studies, furnishing tips, new product announcements and special industry events in your StreetChat updates in 2023? Each month our StreetChat enewsletter publishes new projects, products and trends from the public domain; subscribe to receive it in your inbox. 10. Which design firm can see Longhorn Cattle from their office window? 2 countries. 9 cities. 300 landscape architects. Street Furniture Australia and USA partner Spruce & Gander visited offices in Australia and Texas. There were key similarities and some notable standouts. 9. Jazz at The Mint: Product and Book Launch Sydney landscape architects gathered at the iconic Mint Courtyard to launch a design book by our founding directors Darrel Conybeare and Bill Morrison, and expansions to the Linea collection. 8. 2023 Good Cause Giveaway goes to …
Street Furniture Australia has designed and built prototype charging stands as part of a Transport for NSW program to deliver free phone chargers at 15 Sydney train stations. Developed by Street Furniture Australia’s inhouse industrial designers in collaboration with Transport for NSW, the prototypes offer wireless, USB-A and USB-C charging, and can power 7 devices at once. They were built at the Street Furniture Australia factory in Western Sydney. Two Power Spots are now installed at Liverpool and Campbelltown stations. The $1 million Power Spots Project rollout to 15 transport hubs including Bankstown, Hurstville, Lidcombe, Penrith, Wynyard, Central, Town Hall and Bondi Junction will be completed by late 2024. NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the Power Spots provide peace of mind: “In the modern world, our phones are our …
