About

awards and media

Accolades for furniture design and smart city research projects.

Street Furniture Australia is an award-winning company, featured in the press for our activation projects in collaboration with government, universities and landscape architects.

Good Design Award Trophy and Certificate, Street Furniture Australia

awards

Good Design Award Gold 2022
ChillOUT Tree received the highest honour for design and innovation in the country, at prestigious Gold level. The award is shared by Street Furniture Australia with ChillOUT Hub collaborators Georges River Council, UNSW and the University of Sydney.

National Planning Institute of Australia Awards for Planning Excellence 2021
UNSW, Georges River Council, the University of Sydney and Street Furniture Australia together received a National Award for Best Planning Ideas – Small Project for the ChillOUT HubsSmart Social Spaces Creating Connected Green Places project.

Planning Institute of Australia Awards for Planning Excellence 2020, NSW
UNSW, Georges River Council, the University of Sydney and Street Furniture Australia were awarded an Award of Excellence in the Best Planning Ideas (Small Projects) category for the ChillOUT HubsSmart Social Spaces Creating Connected Green Places project in the NSW state awards.

Highly Commended, Cross Sectoral Collaboration – 2019 Smart City Awards
The smart cities partnership between Georges River Council, the UNSW Built Environment Team and Street Furniture Australia was highly commended by the Committee for Sydney.

Smart City Awards 2019, Committee for Sydney

2019 Good Design Award – Furniture and Lighting Category
The Aria Smart Bench received a prestigious Good Design Award Winner Accolade for outstanding design and innovation.

Good Design Award, Street Furniture Australia

2018 Smart Cities Award – Built Environment
Street Furniture Australia’s #BackyardExperiment white paper was named winner of the Built Environment category at the inaugural Australian Smart Cities Awards in October 2018.

Smart Cities Council ANZ, Built Environment Award - #BackyardExperiment Report.

2017 NSW and ACT Parks and Leisure Award – Research Project
#BackyardExperiment won the Research Project Award at Parks and Leisure Australia’s 2017 NSW and ACT Regional Awards of Excellence.

Parks and Leisure PLA Australia, Research Project Award - #BackyardExperiment Report.

Community Contribution Landscape Architecture Award – Australian Institute of Landscape Architects ACT Awards 2018
The #BackyardExperiment Garema Place Pop-Up Park, designed by Context Landscape Architects, received the state Landscape Architecture Award.

media

“Streetwise and sustainable” – review by Architecture & Design
9 February, 2020

World Bank Report: The Hidden Wealth of Cities – Creating, Financing, and Managing Public Spaces
World Bank Group, by Jon Kher Kaw, Hyunji Lee and Sameh Wahba, 2020

Street Furniture Australia is proud to have been mentioned in the report as an example of innovation in measuring the public realm with our Smart Social Spaces and ChillOUT research in collaboration with Georges River Council and the University of New South Wales and University of Sydney (p102).

‘There Are Park Benches. And Then There are Smart Park Benches.’
Mike Cherney, The Wall Street Journal, 26 June 2018

‘Georges River Gets Modern Touch With Smart City Innovations’
Jennifer O’Brien, CIO, 19 February 2019

‘This Urban Space Designer Attributes 3 Factors to Its 30-Year Success’
Jessica Muddit, Company Director Magazine, July 2018

‘Turning a Dull Park Into a Place People Actually Enjoy’
Adam Sneed, CityLab by The Atlantic, 1 March 2017

6 Low-Cost Techniques to Activate Underused Urban Space’
Ariana Zilliacus, ArchDaily, 23 February 2017

‘Study Proves Improved Landscape Design Attracts More Visitors’
The Real Estate Conversation, 20 February 2017



recent news

Designing for Density – And Liveability: West Fest 2025

More than 200 built environment professionals from government, landscape architecture, planning and research gathered for West Fest 2025 in Parramatta NSW and online to discuss one of Western Sydney’s biggest challenges: how to design density that enhances liveability. Hosted by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Cumberland City Council and Street Furniture Australia, this third annual event delivered fast-paced keynotes and two panels led by Joshua French, CEO, Greater Sydney Parklands – all focused on shaping a more connected, high-amenity future for the region. The conversation opened with insights from Jeremy Gill, Head of Policy, Committee for Sydney, who challenged the city to move beyond housing targets and instead focus on “density done well.” He emphasised that great density is defined by thriving neighbourhoods where public space, mobility, services and …

  • 27 nov 2025
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Trend Watch: Immersive Gardens Redefine Healthcare

For almost three decades the cancer support charity Maggie’s in the UK has provided patients an alternative to windowless, sterile oncology facilities. Their 27 major hospital sites offer respite, solace and practical support, ranging from nutritional specialists to breathing classes in a calming sanctuary. Gardener, designer and writer, Maggie Keswick Jencks started the charity in 1995, feeling a need for support beyond the clinical hospital wards. Unfortunately she didn’t live to see the first doors open the following year. Today, each landscaped garden highlights the changing seasons, from a shrub shedding its leaves in autumn to flowers blooming in spring. Observing seasonality can help patients adjust to the changes they’re experiencing over time. In each location the proximity of the garden to the Oncology department is crucial to its success. …

  • 9 dec 2025
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‘Win a Trip to Sydney’ 2025 Winners Announced!

Congratulations to the winners of our ‘Win a Trip to Sydney’ promotion! A few lucky landscape architects from Australia and the US will experience the best of Sydney over several days in March 2026. Events include Street Furniture Australia’s VIP 40th Birthday Party, a factory tour, fine dining and more. The prize also includes return flights and 5-star hotel accommodation. US winners are hosted in collaboration with our distributor partner Spruce and Gander and will be announced soon. The 2025 Australian winners are: South AustraliaKiri BowmerJPE Design QueenslandCindy Pester Urbis VictoriaEmma BickerdikeTract Western AustraliaRose BaileyFour Landscape Studio Northern TerritoryAndrea Bleakley Bennett Architecture Northern TerritoryLanson IpBennett Architecture How did they win? All our Studio Workshops include a quick and fun game. The winning team are individually entered into a grand prize …

  • 27 nov 2025
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