The Benchmark – Five of the Most Innovative Urbastyle Bench Solutions

Thinking outside the box is the essence of great design. It’s what creatives do with regular ease, and in doing so make our lives that little bit more interesting. Take the humble bench for example – it can be a rectangular block of concrete created simply for the purposes of sitting on and filling a space. Or it can be something else, something more beautiful, as much a piece of street art as it is a functional object. Here are five of the most innovative designs for urban benches that offer both beauty and practical solutions.
Bench Circular
As the name suggests this is simply a circular bench, a straightforward and attractive structure which provides adequate seating in parks or urban areas. What makes this uncomplicated piece of design so effective is that its centre is used for planting trees and shrubbery – essential for greener air in urban areas.
Bench Ouvertura
This bench is designed to fit securely over ditches or uneven surfaces, creating an eye-catching piece of street furniture that is safe to sit on and makes practical use of space. The size of the bench means that many people can sit together.
City Scape Concrete Bench
Stylish and contemporary this bench is a response to the need to create decorative seats in urban and conservation areas. The bench is surprisingly comfortable to sit on and has a slightly rounded style which means people don’t necessarily have to sit beside each other but can still see one another.
Bench Soft Seat
This unique bench is designed both for indoor and outdoor areas such as squares, parks, shopping centres, even art galleries. What is so clever about this bench is at first glance it looks like it’s made out of soft cushions but it is in fact made from concrete. Beautiful to look at this bench brings a certain warmth and charm to even the most sterile of spaces.
Bench B. Flex
This elegant concrete bench comes in a variety of colours and can be arranged in countless different ways. The parts fit together like building blocks to create a unique urban space. It is probably fair to say that this interesting piece of design could easily be mistaken for street art but it also acts a comfortable bench.
Bomax are Urbastyle street furniture specialists. Find out more about the Urbastyle Street Furniture that you can purchase through Bomax.

The environmentalist’s guide to paving

There is no doubting the significance of the role that paving has played in our history and the importance of the role it continues to play today. It is however more important now than ever to consider the environmental implications for this industry.

Sourcing the Stone

There are a number of environmental and ethical issues to consider when buying pavement stone that has been imported from some of the developing nations. Take Indian sandstone for example – popular because of its quality and price, it is quite often quarried by children as young as ten, working in very poor and inhumane conditions.

This is before considering the environmental impact of spoiling the landscape through illegal dumping, polluted groundwater, and the significant energy consumption of transporting the stone half way around the world.

When buying paving it really is worth taking the time to research how and where the stone was sourced before making a decision about whether to use it.

Getting the Right Balance

It isn’t just the extraction site that becomes damaged – heavily concreted areas don’t support wildlife and often result in vegetation being removed. This prevents water from seeping into the soil naturally and recharging groundwater supplies. Paved surfaces also increase the speed and amount of water that rushes down gutters and into storm drains during a rain storm which can lead to flooding.

Allowing for some vegetation, planting some trees or plants and having some green areas where possible is a simple and effective solution to this. By using permeable paving blocks and permeable grass grids for hard standings you can reduce the environmental damage when paving over an area.

Like most environmental issues when it comes to paving it’s all about having the right information in order to make informed choices.

Bomax carry out rigorous checks to ensure that all of our materials and products are sourced ethically.

Tips for creating the perfect conservation sympathetic urban space

From cobbles to flags: The evolution of street surfaces

The history of our streets and how they have evolved is a subject of great fascination. People, buildings, roads and surfaces change over time and with it the look and fabric of the community. The streets we live in provide the backdrop to our daily lives and really make a statement about the area we inhabit.

Cobblestone curiosities

In Victorian times cobbled streets were part of the fabric of our towns and cities throughout the UK. Dickens novels depict scenes set among narrow cobblestone streets in densely populated areas, lined with tenement blocks and crowds of people. Today cobbled streets have an iconic status in the hearts of the British.

The word cobblestone comes from the English word cob which is used to describe small, round lumpen shaped items. These stones were known as cobbles and their shape and durability made them perfect to construct roads with.

Cobblestones were first used to build roads back in the early part of the 15th century, traditionally set in sand and sometimes bound in water. They offered many advantages as they did not develop ruts or get muddy like dirt roads. They made for extremely durable surfaces and weren’t prone to cracking in freezing conditions.

Fashionable Commercial flags

As new building techniques and materials became available cobbled stones began to fall out of favour. Granite setts, or Belgian block became the stone of choice, with its rectangular shape and smooth surface making it ideal for creating patterns that are aesthetically pleasing.

Today granite setts, sometimes called ‘commercial paving’ or ‘commercial flags’, are ubiquitous in towns and cities throughout the UK. Popular in parks, driveways and town centres where they are framed by kerbs, their versatility and design potential make them an ideal stone to use for street surfaces.

With a choice of finishes, colours and sizes it is easy to see why this stone became so popular. From a design point of view it is pleasing to the eye and nothing brightens up a tired old street like the arrival of a new surface.

Traditionally sourced from various parts of the UK including York, Gloucestershire, Wales and Aberdeen, increasingly we are beginning to see stone imported from more exotic parts of the world including India and China.

Flag stones can be bought either as new or reclaimed depending on the effect and look you are trying to achieve. More traditional type cobblestones also still have a place in modern Britain and are commonly used in restoration projects.

Kerb comparisons: Granite kerbs vs. concrete kerbs

There are many different types of road kerbs used in Britain today. An unsung hero, the humble kerb carries out a number of important duties on our streets and motorways. They retain the carriageway edge to prevent ‘spreading,’ and they also act as a barrier between road traffic and pedestrians or verges.

Granite kerbs

As a natural stone, granite kerbs usually tend to be more expensive than precast concrete kerbs. Whilst kerb stones that are specifically manufactured to do the job in hand are measured to a specific length and style, older kerbs – some of which have given over 100 years service – do not necessarily match this standard profile. This means replacing or repairing them can cause problems.

However the granite Kassel kerb is the natural equivalent of the standard concrete Kassel kerb – a unique, no-gap bus stop kerb for safe and easy passenger access – and is the perfect solution for use in conservation areas or where there is repair work needed for existing granite kerbs or pavements.

A natural stone granite is extremely durable, aesthetically pleasing, and is sensitive to its environment. Recreating the beauty of this natural stone is not easy.

Concrete kerbs

Precast concrete kerbs are now more commonly used due to their durability and cost. They can be manufactured to specific requirements meaning they can be tailor made to suit a particular job. They are easily shaped and moulded and come mostly in a clean and aesthetically pleasing grey. You can get more decorative colours but these are more expensive and are generally only used in prestige and ‘heritage’ schemes.

The evolution of concrete kerbs continues apace – for example a new generation of concrete kerbs know as scan kerb has recently entered the market. A ‘stick down’ kerb that is cost-effective, easy to install and reduces noise and dust contamination, it is set to take the industry by storm.

The argument between granite and concrete kerbs could really be characterised as an argument about old versus new, vintage versus modern or retro versus contemporary. They each have their own merits and advantages, and it really does come down to the individual job they’re required for.