Street Furniture Australia will proudly contribute furniture prototypes to the Future Street installation in Sydney this October, with ideas set to enliven your lunch break, outdoor meeting or commute.
The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), Internet of Things Alliance Australia (IOTAA) and Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand (SCCANZ) will build the street of the future at Circular Quay on Alfred Street, in front of Customs House, from October 12 to 15.
Place Design Group is leading the design and build of the project, which forms part of the 2017 International Festival of Landscape Architecture: The 3rd City.
A four-day celebration will showcase a range of street, landscape, IoT, utilities, transport, urban design and placemaking technologies and ideas, including self-driving vehicles, with the Australian Government recently announced as a major sponsor.
AILA CEO Tim Arnold said having the support of the Australian Government is confirmation of the importance of reimagining the role of important public spaces in our cities and towns.
“The digital transformation of the built environment is a key objective outlined in the Government’s Smart Cities Plan,” he says.
Street Furniture Australia will showcase its upcoming ARIA seating system featuring the PowerMe table, and debut the eBin.
PowerMe tables empower users to never be stranded without battery again. Phones and laptops can be powered up for free in parks and streetscapes.
Launched with the ARIA seating system, PowerMe tables can be integrated in a comfortable modular layout.
The ARIA seating system is more than a product, but a kit of parts flexible to the needs of the user. Designers can their configure own benches, seats and tables to support the activity of each site.
The contemporary style of ARIA is sleek yet comfortable, and features flat surfaces to place your takeaway coffee. A future-proof design makes for easy technology upgrades.
ARIA seating system with PowerMe tables
PowerMe symbols light up at night
Street Furniture Australia’s R&D team underwent a vigorous design thinking project to gain a better understanding of the users of urban parks in the development of ARIA.
Observation and in-depth empathy interviews gave interesting insights into how people wish to interact with the space, as well as the needs of asset managers and designers.
The team discovered that a modular system could better serve the needs of multiple users relaxing, working and socialising in public space.
Research uncovered a number of users who visit urban parks, with distinct and overlapping needs.
The eBin garbage and recycling prototypes will display fill levels. They are networked, geolocated and will send alerts in case of fire.
Street Furniture Australia joins WE-EF Lighting, Lawn Solutions, Andreasens Green, Playrope, Buddy, Utillix, Itron, BYKKO and Telstra to kit out Alfred Street in front of Customs House with a range of next generation conversation-starters.
Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation Angus Taylor says he is pleased to support such an exciting event, the first of its kind in Australia.
“The Future Street is an opportunity to showcase innovative ideas around landscape, infrastructure and technology to make our cities, suburbs and towns more liveable, productive and sustainable,” he says.
ARIA seating system with PowerMe table will officially launch in 2018. The eBin is available to order now.
To see Future Street, visit Alfred Street in front of Customs House, Circular Quay from October 12 to 15, 2017
