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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 …

You can now specify Street Furniture Australia’s popular Earthy Pastels colour range with the assurance of brilliant colour for years to come. That’s because the UV resistance currently applied to the Durabright Range has been added to Earthy Pastels as standard. The Earthy Pastels range was introduced in July 2022 to meet popular demand for contemporary muted hues. As Earthy Pastels were increasingly specified across a wide range of landscape design projects, it was important to ensure the full range of colours would retain their brilliance in the harsh Australian climate. The Earthy Pastels range includes eight colours inspired by the Australian landscape. Muted shades in Mustard, Dusty Pink and Pale Eucalypt green are inspired by the desert. The blue ocean and sky are represented by the hues Horizon Blue …

Street Furniture Australia has a long history of design and research collaborations with the University of NSW. Francis McArdle, our Head of Product Design is a Casual Tutor at UNSW – a role which is valuable in maintaining strong ties between our industry and the University. Most recently the Industrial Design teaching staff together with Francis ran a competition for a group of 2nd year students. StreetChat asked Francis to tell us all about it. How did this Street Furniture Australia/UNSW collaboration come about? The competition was held during Term 1 this year, with students from Industrial Design Studio 2A, which I was a casual tutor in supporting the course convenor. Their Studio project was centred on “Design for Public Space,” with students asked to design a new bike rack. …

Successful products are often followed by copycats. Over the past year we have become aware of an increase in reproductions of the Linea range attempting to create a similar aesthetic at a lower price. This can compromise the overall durability and environmental credentials of projects being delivered, affect ongoing maintenance requirements, and in some instances pose a risk of injury to the public. The design of Linea is deceptively simple while delivering exceptional attention to detail. Details matter not only for beauty, but also for providing durability, and safety, that will last decades. Linea strictly uses the highest quality and sustainable materials, has passed rigorous strength tests, and is designed for longevity, with easily replaceable parts. The product range is the result of hundreds of hours of research and development …

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 …

StreetChat interviewed Ellen Naismith, Access Consultant with Architecture & Access to find out the latest recommendations around the DDA and accessibility for street furniture products. Naismith says accessibility is a high-priority design consideration for public spaces in Australia, but it is also often misunderstood, and the needs of users may differ widely between projects. Architecture & Access is the largest access consultancy in Australia. The practice refers to the principles of universal design, which aim to make the built environment usable by all people in the community, regardless of their age or ability. 1. What is the main key to designing accessible spaces? ‘Spaces’ include existing infrastructure (indoor and outdoor), and temporary infrastructure provided for festivals and events. For any space to be truly inclusive, it should be designed with …