Aria Seat (CMA1) with aluminium woodgrain battens in Spotted Gum, Textura Monument frame.
Aluminium woodgrain, also known as ‘Wood Without Worry,’ provides the warm look of timber – retained over time – with the minimal maintenance requirements of powder coated aluminium.
Where timber requires oiling every three months to keep it at its best, simply wipe down woodgrain aluminium with a clean, damp cloth every few months as required.
Wood Without Worry is UV and salt resistant for peace of mind.
Splash ‘n’ Play Water Park, designed by Cardno Landscape. Mall Sun Lounge (CMM-S) in Bush Cherry aluminium woodgrain battens Sable Core Ten end caps and Nigh Sky frames.
The Aria Seating System, in Wood Without Worry, encourages people to stop, linger and gather on a busy streetscape.
Belgrave Street, Kogarah by Georges River Council. Aria Seat (CMA1) and Simple Bin (LB4) in Spotted Gum aluminium woodgrain battens and Textura Monument frames.
Wood Without Worry has proven durability and vandal-resistance in high traffic conditions across Sydney’s train stations since 2015.
100+ stations for Sydney Trains and Transport for NSW. Mall DDA seat (CMM705) with Bush Cherry aluminium woodgrain battens with Palladium Silver end caps, and Palladium Silver frames.
“People keep touching it, they can’t believe it’s not timber.”
– Jennifer Spratling, Centre Manager Big Top, Kippa Ring and Upper Mt Gravatt
Aria Seat (CMA1) with aluminium woodgrain battens in Spotted Gum and Textura Monument frames.
Forum Seat (FS7) with aluminium woodgrain battens and Textura Dark Bronze frames. Left: Spotted Gum. Right: Wenge.
frequently asked questions
What is Wood Without Worry? Wood Without Worry refers to aluminium woodgrain battens that offer a premium timber look with minimal maintenance. Compared to timber, aluminium woodgrain is stronger, more durable, fade-resistant, and only requires the occasional soapy water wash down.
How is it made? Wood Without Worry uses a sublimation process, which embeds high-res imagery of a timber species into the powder coat, which is then baked onto the aluminium. Each batten is then coated with a super durable matte powder for further weathering, salt and humidity resistance.
What about graffiti and scratching? Wood Without Worry is an anti-graffiti coating, which means surface scratches can be polished out and marker pen can be removed with a suitable cleaner. Deeper scratches can be remedied using colour-matched touch up paint. Spare battens are also readily available direct from the factory.
Does Wood Without Worry get hot? No, on the contrary, Wood Without Worry battens, with the exception of Wenge, are cooler than the surrounding temperature in the summer months. It is the ideal batten choice for hot summers and locations where the urban island heat effect is a concern.
What products offer Wood Without Worry? Wood Without Worry is available for all Street Furniture Australia products that offer battens. These include seats, benches, tables, bins and planters.
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 …
New experimental open-air smart hubs, created by Street Furniture Australia at our studio and factory in Western Sydney, have been officially launched by Georges River Council Mayor Kevin Greene on Thursday February 20, 2020. “ChillOUT Hubs aim to offer some relief in our densifying cities by providing opportunities to meet, work or rest, and spend more time outdoors,” says Street Furniture Australia Head of Innovation June Lee Boxsell. “Each hub packs a punch – integrating shade, seats and tables, charging stations, solar power, sensors, lighting, public WiFi, greenery, smart fountains and smart bins – a big feat combining tech, industrial design and placemaking,” she says. Three hubs are already installed in the Georges River Council region in south Sydney as part of a pilot study for the Australian Government’s Smart …
Configure Aria seats and benches with the new desktop Build Aria app – simply drag and drop the modules into place, change the colours and switch up the arms and legs. 1. Select your base Aria. Add 1, 2 or 3 seater sections, or connector panels. 2. Experiment with colours and materials for the frames and battens. Apply to the whole seat, or just one section – including the backrest. 3. Add arms. Change the legs between Post, Splay or a combination of both. 4. Take a photo of your masterpiece. Download the image, or email it to yourself. The email will include a code for ordering your Aria configuration. Build Aria is also available with augmented reality on iPhone and iPad, free to download on the App Store.
Timber? Aluminium? The answer may surprise you. Comfort sitting outdoors can depend on many factors: position, view, shelter, microclimate, social comfort and more – see our Gehl cheatsheet on how to place seats in the city. The temperature of the seat under you can also contribute. Metal, for example, is commonly thought to be hottest in summer and coldest in winter. Street Furniture Australia’s inhouse engineers ran a study, dubbed the Goldilocks Batten Project, to get to the truth. Access the full Goldilocks Report (730KB). They tested anodised, powdercoated and woodgrain aluminium, and oiled hardwood (Jarrah) battens. For comparison, they also looked at raw aluminium – a material we do not use in seats. The battens were placed in the sun, and the temperature recorded regularly. The engineers noted how …
