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

Piatto Chair receives Good Design Award

Piatto Chair has been recognised in Australia’s International Good Design Awards for Excellence in Design and Innovation. Sydney, Friday 20 September 2024 – The 2024 Australian Good Design Awards were unveiled, showcasing the pinnacle of design excellence in a grand ceremony at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney. This year’s theme, “The Design Effect” underscored the crucial role design plays in shaping better products, services, spaces, and experiences while driving the transition to a more sustainable, less carbon-intensive future. Piatto Chair received a prestigious Good Design Award in the Product Design category for exceptional design and innovation. The Jury praised Piatto Chair commenting: The Piatto Chair offers a robust and aesthetically pleasing solution for public domain seating. Its ability to withstand outdoor conditions while remaining movable and adaptable showcases a thoughtful approach …

  • 23 sep 2024
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Trend Watch September 2024

How the humble bollard can add to the social life of communities Writer Fred Kent and Kathy Madden from Social Life Project share how bollards, an often overlooked amenity, can be multifunctional when done right, creating community connection through seating, gathering, artistic statement or as a gentle “nudge” for drivers to behave better. It is the small elements that change the whole character of a street and bollards are the simplest element that encourage social life to an often boring crosswalk. “At their best, they are places to lean on, perch, or strike up a conversation.”  There are many different types of bollards, different shapes and different sizes. Bollards are used in different ways, even for greenery. The most successful ones support social activity.  Kent and Madden write, “This is …

  • 24 sep 2024
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Wicking beds keep plants healthy and save water and labour

Linea Planters and Frame Planters are keeping plants healthy while reducing maintenance costs, thanks to wicking beds. Wicking beds by WaterUps save up to 80% of water when compared with traditional drip irrigation. According to WaterUps, watering is only necessary every two weeks in summer, decreasing to four weeks in autumn and six weeks in winter.  Wollongong City Council first installed wicking beds in their planters in 2019. Before installation the Council’s gardeners were watering their plants two to three times a week.  “Now, when it gets warm, we’re probably just doing it once a week, depending on what’s in there and how big the pot is,” says Wollongong Council horticulturist Peter Parsons. There are currently 240 planters across Wollongong CBD maintained by the council, with about 90% watered with …

  • 24 jul 2024
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