Modular Street Furniture: Australian Innovation

Urban design is changing in Australia. Landscape architects and designers seek creative, compliant ways to build desirable refuges amid the fast-paced contemporary life. Outdoor spaces are becoming places of urban transformation, expressing the essence of the community and the excitement of a new and bright future for an area’s residents. Street furniture design plays a powerful role in crafting the character of a space – positioning, style, colour and shapes all factor into a design. Modular street furniture provides an ideal solution for every landscape – a balance between creative freedom and compliance, all without incurring excessive bespoke costs.

In Search of Design Freedom

Uniqueness is a focal aspect of today’s urban landscape and commercial outdoor design. Landscape designers want to make their aesthetic mark, creating a space that exemplifies their community’s personality and instils a sense of pride for the residents. Choosing street furniture is in part about arranging a space that meets a community’s aesthetic and functional needs – and designers need creative freedom to capture that community essence.

Creating Urban Transformations

Urban landscapes are evolving, with a greater focus placed on enjoying nature, bringing communities together and ensuring people of all demographics enjoy outdoor spaces. From accessible BBQs suited to people of all abilities to convenient study hubs, where students or staff on a break can sit and work, street furniture needs to turn a small urban space into a place where people’s lives can intersect with the great outdoors. Flexible public spaces that accommodate growing communities are inviting to people of all ages, abilities, professions and walks of life. Transforming a space in this way requires compliant furniture that meets a community’s needs.

Embracing Today’s Street Furniture Trends

Landscape trends today encompass a whole range of ideas, values and technologies that shape the lives of a community. Biodiversity and biophilic design are at the forefront of many minds, and the appeal of a space that connects people with the natural landscape cannot be underappreciated. Woodgrain finishes, curves and furniture reminiscent of nature are finding their place in today’s urban design and are used to promote health and wellbeing. In addition, the digitisation of society means smart technology, phone charging stations and internet access are becoming part of outdoor designs and incorporated into street furniture modules. With sustainability as a key architectural focus worldwide, durable materials such as aluminium are also becoming a popular choice for street furniture.

The Evolution of Park Furniture in Australia

Design freedom can be difficult or costly – particularly when also trying to factor in evolving design trends and meet functionality and compliance requirements. Gone are the days of a plain plastic bench and rusty BBQ – landscape architects seek unique ways to meet community needs, and consider key design factors such as aesthetics, accessibility and cost-effective maintenance.

Park furniture has evolved into wide ranges of pieces – from BBQs and shelters to planter boxes and connecting benches – to usher in the future of expressive functional design.

Modular Street Furniture: The Future of Australia’s Outdoor Design

Modular street furniture is often simple, with standardised designs and styles – but with the option to create complex and unique combinations of pieces for limitless creativity. Thinking outside the box with modular street furniture sets allows landscape designers to experiment with aesthetics their way and meet their functional needs – without being concerned with expensive customisations that will blowout the project’s budget.

Combining contemporary, metallic and woodgrain colours can create vastly different landscape experiences, as can different combinations of benches, tables and BBQs, arranged to take occupants on a spatial journey through nature or create a relaxing oasis to escape to. Today’s modular furniture also provides the option to incorporate smart technology for a convenient urban outdoor experience – allowing occupants to communicate effectively, control their cooking temperatures and enjoy the safety of lighting at night.

Council-Approved Furniture

Alongside aesthetic and practical design considerations, compliance must be factored in when designing a public space. Council requirements around accessibility and meeting the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), as well as fire safety and maintenance requirements must be met. Choosing furniture designs that allow easy access, easy cleaning and are resistant to the elements is essential. Easy installation is also an important factor when considering the allowed budget for a project.

Compliant Seating Solutions

Modular bench seats are convenient and easy to install, and their affordability makes them suited to a range of project budgets. Easy to clean, hardwearing materials such as marine grade powder-coated aluminium and stainless steel are becoming common choices for street furniture modules, providing a long-lasting option. With options such as built-in drip trays for BBQs and all-in-one designs, modular furniture is easy to clean and maintain, and designs often feature lower benchtops and seats for ease of access and to meet DDA requirements. With compliance on its side, modular furniture allows for a Council-Approved, Community-Friendly project.

HYVE: Shaping the Future of Design

The ultimate solution for creative, compliant design, HYVE is the modular street furniture range from GX Outdoors (formerly Grillex). This highly versatile range of bench seats, study hubs, planter boxes, BBQs and more allows landscape designers to achieve the exact aesthetics and ambience they desire for their space, combined with functionality and Council-Approved design.

With a clever-yet-simple design that allows for almost infinite customisations, HYVE furniture modules can be combined at different angles using handy connectors, creating a variety of configurations to suit any style space. Made from recyclable, sustainable and low-maintenance aluminium and stainless steel, and with woodgrain or contemporary plain and metallic colour options, HYVE delivers the right aesthetic for any space. Designed for easy access, and with built-in smart technology available and the ability to expand in the future, HYVE opens designers up to a world of transformative design never seen before.

As urban design evolves, HYVE modular street furniture allows designers to evolve as well. Rather than spending over budget on bespoke street furniture, HYVE helps designers achieve their vision and meet council requirements, constructing the perfect outdoor space as easily as a child building with Lego.

Creating, combining, and configuring street furniture to meet project requirements has never been easier.

To learn more about the HYVE range and discuss your project’s needs, contact the GX Outdoors Team.