ChillOUT Tree, our first modular shade system, has won a prestigious Good Design Award – at Gold level – for outstanding innovation in the Product Design, Commercial and Industrial category.
The award is shared by Street Furniture Australia with ChillOUT Hub collaborators – Georges River Council, UNSW and the University of Sydney – partners in prototyping, installing, testing and researching these smart outdoor community spaces as part of a pilot project for the federal Smart Social Spaces program.
The Good Design Awards are the highest honour for design and innovation in the country. Entries are evaluated by Australian and international Jurors – including designers, engineers, architects and thought leaders – according to a strict set of criteria including Good Design, Design Innovation and Design Impact.
Recognition at the Gold level means ChillOUT Tree exceeded the judging criteria.
The Good Design Awards Jury said: “The ChillOUT Tree is a great example of the benefits of collaborative effort and good research. From designers spending time in outdoor community areas, to referencing evidence-based university research and using full scale study models to consult with councils, the design delivers a well-considered shade structure for people to gather.
“Taking inspiration from real trees, the modular connecting roof struts mount to a single pole structure, that when installed in a group, can create a real place of gathering. Various shade types, varying heights, adaptable LED lighting and device charging are all easily serviceable and upgradeable. Congratulations.”
Dr. Brandon Gien, CEO of Good Design Australia and Chair of the Australian Good Design Awards said: “To be recognised with an Australian Good Design Award is a significant achievement, given the incredibly high standard of projects submitted in this year’s Awards. The Good Design Award is a valuable independent endorsement of professional design quality. It tells the world this project not only represents design excellence, but it also surpasses the criteria for design innovation and design impact.”
“We know that good design, when used effectively, can improve our quality of life and make the world around us better, safer, more efficient and more beautiful. It is clear from this year’s winning projects that investment in professional design delivers real impact – be it at a commercial, environmental or societal level. As our world transitions to a less-carbon intensive future, a design-led approach to solving problems and delivering meaningful impact is going to become more critical.”
Head of New Product Design with Street Furniture Australia, Francis McArdle, said: “Our team is delighted and humbled to receive this award – especially at Gold level – which is so highly respected and sought-after in the industrial design community.
“ChillOUT Tree breaks new ground in industrial design in a number of ways – through cross-sector collaboration, rapid prototyping, additive manufacturing and challenging what castings can do.
“The response to this product has been amazing, even exceeding expectations. We are excited to see where ChillOUT Tree can go and how it can help improve public spaces for communities.”
The 2022 Good Design Award ‘Tick’ trophy is made from one kilogram of compressed Australian post-consumer plastic, with an Australian-sourced extruded aluminium tick.
Prototypes tested since 2019 with partners Georges River Council, University of Sydney and UNSW.
Optional powered version includes LED lighting ring.
Optional powered version includes device charging.
Configures seamlessly with Street Furniture Australia seating, tables and planters. See technical sheet.
To celebrate the unveiling of the Piatto Chair at our annual product launch party with AILA NSW in Sydney, Jazz at The Mint, clients were invited to enter this quirky contest. The competition called for teams to incorporate Piatto Chairs into an ‘Awkward Family Photo’ portrait, for a chance to win Piatto Chairs of their very own. Congratulations to the creative crew from Yerrabingin, who delivered the strongest awkward family vibes on the night. Highly commended goes to the entrants below, and the full photo gallery from the event is available for viewing. Please contact marketing@streetfurniture.com if you would like to request a high res file to print and frame for your best room.
Clients from Sydney, Adelaide, California and Texas joined Street Furniture Australia and AILA NSW to celebrate the unveiling of new products on March 14, 2024, with margaritas and live music. Jazz at The Mint is an annual product launch held at The Mint, an iconic site in the heart of the Sydney CBD. It is an elegant affair and a unique opportunity to connect with landscape architects and built environment professionals at a global scale. This year’s party featured the new Linea Planter System and upcoming Piatto Chair, a single-seater hybrid between cafe and robust public space furniture – available now for specifications. The gathering was opened by Uncle Allan Murray, representing the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council, with speeches from: Ben Stockwin, AILA CEO, acknowledged the 10 year relationship with …
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. This tour is open to design specifiers such as landscape architects and architects, and place custodians including Councils, government agencies, developers and other place managers. 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 …
ChillOUT Hubs: Smart Social Spaces Creating Connected Green Places has won a National Award for Best Planning Ideas – Small Project from the PIA (Planning Institute of Australia), the national body representing planning and the planning profession. Collaborators UNSW, Street Furniture Australia, Georges River Council and University of Sydney have received recognition for an “outstanding planning idea” in the smart open-air community ChillOUT Hubs that offer shelter, furniture, greenery, public WiFi and power for devices. ChillOUT Hub prototypes were installed in 2020 at three sites in the Georges River Council area – a busy streetscape in Kogarah, town centre in Mortdale, and suburban park in Hurstville. They were co-developed by the collaborative team initially formed in 2018 for the Australian Smart Cities and Suburbs program. Street Furniture Australia thanks CM+ …
Georges River Council’s partnership with UNSW and Street Furniture Australia has received a Highly Commended Award for Cross Sectoral Collaboration at the 2019 Smart City Awards by the Committee for Sydney. The awards celebrate projects and partnerships that address the fundamental challenges faced by cities, governments, industry and communities in Greater Sydney. The three partners were recognised for their collaboration on creating smart social spaces that improve the amenity and user experience of public open spaces, as well as helping to mitigate urban heat island effects at the micro level. The trio is one of the few teams to win both Round 1 and Round 2 grants from the Australian Government’s $50m Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. The Round 1 project, Smart Social Spaces, investigated how smart furniture can be …
Australia’s first locally designed and made smart bench, with outdoor device charging and provision for WiFi and sensors, has received a prestigious Good Design Award Winner Accolade for outstanding design and innovation. The Aria Smart Bench is Street Furniture Australia’s first foray into the smart cities movement, says Head of Innovation June Lee Boxsell. “For us, smart cities has two aspects. First, human-centred: we aim to bring enjoyment to public spaces and create meaningful experiences for the community. One way Aria Smart Bench answers this need is through modularity,” says Boxsell. “Site specific solutions are important for activating public spaces. Each place has its own identity, community, history. Just as at Nike you can design your own shoe, with Aria you can design your own bench without having to build …
