Sense of Place

Foamcore Model

Final Product - Superimposed Rendering

CAD Drawings

Rationale

The reason for designing a compact, yet bold seating arrangement is due to the fact that the area chosen has so much potential for socialisation, yet no instalments allowing such activities to transpire. During the daytime, the area is mainly utilised by students who like to study in the sun or outdoors, employees of local businesses in close proximity to this reserve and young parents who take their children out for walks, bike rides, etc. The reserve is directly in front of an entry into Hurstville train station, which makes it an area that is constantly been passed through. The aim in creating this installation/piece of public furniture was to provide the suggested demographics a place to socialise and to conduct their daily activities, encouraging the use of this space in order to bring the community together.

As aforementioned, the selected area witnesses pedestrians crossing through it hundreds of times a day, yet there is nothing eye-catching and interesting enticing them to stop and interact with it – it is for this reason, this piece of furniture has been designed specifically for it.

The colour scheme chosen for this piece of furniture was chosen for its neutrality, to accommodate for the demographic of the area, and particularly those who wish to relax, study, etc. in the area. The minimalist bright splash of colour – red, was chosen simply to brighten up the area, attracting passers-by to utilise the area, without being too harsh on the eye, inhibiting relaxation. In addition to this, the reason for considering a variety of colour schemes, allows an accommodation for a wider demographic – the more neutral colour scheme will appeal to those who may not be attracted to bright colours.

The material chosen to use in the manufacturing of the outdoor seating arrangement is LDPE due to its versatility and the properties it possesses. The flexibility, light weight, low cost, ease of sealing, density, toughness, chemical inertness, along with possessing properties that act as a barrier to water and ability to be formed into shapes easily. Furthermore, LDPE maintains its physical and mechanical properties after recycling and is increasingly being recycled today.

The manufacturing technique of injection moulding LDPE was selected due to the simplicity of the process for making the shapes the final product contains.