The increasingly modular nature of street furniture in specification

Specifying street furniture for outdoor areas can be a complex process.

There are many factors to consider during specification to find the right design and functionality to enhance the local area. These include material selection, aesthetic appeal, availability, function (so what street furniture products are needed for the space), transportation to site, and ease of installation.

However, the recent rise of modular construction methods are being adopted for street furniture products. Where seating, planters, picnic tables, litter bins and other elements are being designed and constructed in a modular fashion.

But what does this mean?

Modularity in street furniture is where a range of street furniture is designed and manufactured into smaller parts, or modules.

By doing this, street furniture manufacturers have the ability to offer a more flexible and adaptable approach to street furniture design, benefitting a wide range of specifiers, from sub-contractors who install the furniture to architects who design the schemes.

What are the benefits of modular street furniture?

For subcontractors within the construction sector, the shift towards modular street furniture brings several benefits.

Flexibility Modular street furniture allows for a totally unique approach for the specific needs of a project or outside space.

Different modules can be combined in various ways, offering a wide range of design and installation possibilities.

This is particularly important due to the increasing urbanisation trends where towns and cities are actively planned and designed to increase social connections and community spirit.

Such trends are driving the requirement for flexible street furniture to change and adapt to an ever-changing pedestrianised landscape.

Efficiency and cost-effectiveness Modular street furniture components are mass-produced off-site, which reduces overall specification times and installation costs.

As they are constructed in carefully controlled factory conditions and delivered to site as complete structures, it reduces the time sub-contractors are required on-site meaning the installers can move on to the next project sooner.

Sustainability  Because modular street furniture products are manufactured off-site, it is a more environmentally friendly method of construction, increasing your project’s sustainability credentials.

It is easy to replace damaged parts of modular street furniture schemes, rather than replacing whole set ups. This minimises wastage, the demand for raw materials, and energy usage during production.

Finally, modular furniture is often made from recycled or recyclable materials, which reduces waste and environmental impact. For example, timber, aluminium, and recycled plastic are popular materials for many street furniture products including benches, tables, planters, and picnic tables.

Durability and maintenance  Modular street furniture can be a more durable solution for sub-contractors, offering less maintenance than traditional street furniture pieces.

For example, if a small section of a modular seating unit is damaged, an installer can simply replace the section or module in the overall scheme, as opposed to the complete unit.

This not only reduces direct costs such as the purchase of the street furniture component, but also reduces cost and labour time during the installation process as only a small section needs to be replaced, not the whole scheme.

Our range of modular street furniture

Street Furniture Direct are pleased to offer a range of modular street furniture to benefit sub-contractors.

Our Kube® collection is a design-led range of street furniture products that combine timber and steel for elegance and durability. If you are working on a project with a requirement for a range of street furniture products, you can choose from a seat, planter, bench, litter bin, bicycle stand, and perch bench, all within the stylish Kube® range.

If you would like more information on how our range of modular street furniture can benefit your project, feel free to contact our team who will be happy to help.

You can telephone us on 01625 879 442
or email us at enquiries@streetfurnituredirect.co.uk,
and we will be happy to talk through the best options for you.