Within architectural and urban landscapes, street furniture plays an important role in inviting communities to enjoy the public realm. Furniture selection can also contribute to establishing the character and identity of the locale. In a new book, ‘…creating a sense of place’ published by Piper Press, two architects, Darrel Conybeare and Bill Morrison, detail their lifelong mission to design and manufacture street furniture that brings a sense of belonging.
The duo created the archetypal Australian park bench in 1978 to furnish an urban design project: City Walk Public Domain in Canberra’s Civic, ACT. They explored universal design principles and durable materials to produce a seat to stand the test of time, with a design language attuned to the public space. The much-loved Classic Plaza Seat is still popular in the market and has been specified internationally.
Street Furniture Australia is now a thriving manufacturing business based in Western Sydney, Australia. The award-winning team continues to innovate with products that elevate the public space experience.
Launched today, ‘…creating a sense of place’, with a foreword by University of New South Wales former Dean of Built Environment Helen Lochhead, is a resource for architects, landscape architects, urban planners, industrial designers and design enthusiasts. Readers will find design guidelines within, illustrated with case studies and insights into the creative process.
Lochead writes, “This experimental Australian start-up generated a whole new industry, and has grown into a company with international reach. This would only have been possible with a range of quality furniture that responds to and enhances the local identity and character of each place.”
Australian architect Andrew Andersons AO said, “This excellent publication details the history of a company that has helped transform the public domain of Australian cities. Essential reading for architects, landscape architects and anyone interested in the public spaces of our cities.”
Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture former president, and Seoul National University professor Kyung Jin Zoh said, “As a landscape architect, I believe the perfection of public space design is in the detail of street furniture. The story of two master designers and their colleagues is informative, compelling and even touching.”
University of New South Wales industrial design senior lecturer Dr Mariano Ramirez said, “Their commitment to creating furniture that enhances the aesthetics, functionality and identity of public spaces is truly inspiring.”
Street Furniture Australia’s entire product range and manufacturing operation has received carbon neutral certification through Climate Active™. Achieving carbon neutral certification marks a significant milestone in our operation and the culmination of a four year long process of detailed measurement and analysis. Climate Active™ is the only Australian government-backed carbon neutral certification programme for businesses to measure, reduce, and offsets their carbon emissions. It is one of the most rigorous carbon-neutral programs in the world. An approved Emissions Reduction Strategy (ERS) is central to achieving certification through Climate Active. Street Furniture Australia has elected to use SBTi validated science-based targets to ensure their ERS is meaningful and aligns with the 2015 Paris Agreement – to limit global temperature rises to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. For those emissions that can’t be …
Linea Bin is the newest addition to Street Furniture Australia’s minimalist Linea range. Built from stainless steel for strength, durability and a refined aesthetic, it has been thoughtfully designed with input from landscape architects and waste managers to deliver hygiene, accessibility and sustainability in the public realm. Built to LastA robust stainless steel frame and panel system ensures Linea Bin performs in high-traffic environments. A full-height stainless steel 316 piano hinge and splash tray provide exceptional strength, hygiene and corrosion resistance, withstanding daily impacts from trolleys and cleaning equipment. “Durability was paramount,” says Pearson Bulmer, Senior Industrial Designer at Street Furniture Australia. “Every detail needed to perform in the public realm for years to come – but also be designed for disassembly so parts can be repaired, replaced or recycled …
With the look and feel of natural timber, backed by 12 months of performance testing for the public realm, engineered wood joins Street Furniture Australia’s selection of batten materials. Designers and place custodians can now choose from three batten options to achieve a timber look: natural Spotted Gum hardwood, low maintenance aluminium Wood Without Worry, and engineered wood known as Onewood HRT. See our Engineered Wood: Onewood HRT brochure or book a presentation. What is engineered wood?Onewood HRT (Homogeneous Reconstituted Timber) is a solid engineered timber, made from fast-growing FSC certified poplar and eucalyptus fibres that are compressed under heat and pressure with a resin binder. It is solid throughout with an organic grain and, like real hardwood, can be sanded to refresh. Street Furniture Australia partners with a Singapore-based …
Landscape architects are coming together around Australia in 2023 to celebrate Tract, one of Australia’s most seasoned leading firms. Established in 1973 by founders David Yencken and John Ridge, at a time when few landscape practices were on the scene, Tract looked to bring landscape architecture, planning and urban design under the one roof. As one of the early players it has fostered the careers of some of Australia’s most respected practitioners. Linda Corkery, founding director of the Landscape Foundation of Australia, and former Australian Institute of Landscape Architects president, worked with the Sydney office from 1988-1990. “At the time Tract already had an acknowledged signature and style,” she says. “I learned from Julie Lee, Director of Landscape, the precise combinations and layering techniques to achieve the quality of Tract’s …
Street Furniture Australia has now gamified our presentations, which were well-received by Brisbane firms who booked Studio Workshops in June. Adam Grant, Organisational Psychologist, once said: “Play is not a frivolous activity. It’s a path to connection and creativity.” Street Furniture Australia therefore offered teams a hands-on experience to learn about new products and bond with colleagues. A fun – and fast – rapid ideation game brought new products to life in the meeting room. Designers had just 10 minutes to create a playground experience to bring enjoyment to a user persona, which were selected from our human-centred design research into the education market. Prizes for the winning team raised the stakes and brought out a fun competitive spirit. Presenter Tiffany Hoy, Content and Presentations Manager with Street Furniture Australia, …
Sydney landscape architects and friends gathered at The Mint in the CBD on May 10, 2023 to celebrate the launch of new products and a design book with Street Furniture Australia and AILA NSW. A highlight of the evening was introducing ‘… creating a sense of place,’ a book by founding directors Darrel Conybeare and Bill Morrison, which tells the story of two young architects successfully launching their public furniture design and manufacturing business. The book will be available from July 2023 on Book Depository, Amazon and select bookstores. The Linea VT collection and Linea Curved Seat were also unveiled, providing dynamic options for curved aluminium and timber seating. The event was filled with live jazz music, delicious food and drinks, and lively conversations among our guests. We would like …
