CONNECTABLE STREET FURNITURE

TRJ Engineering Group was commissioned by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA) to help design and fabricate a bespoke furniture suite for the Elizabeth Quay development using only a series of basic drawings as a guideline. As the furniture had to be built in Victoria and transported over to Perth, this project posed many challenges for the team. Most notably, the company had to construct the furniture in individual components in order to keep the pieces within the project's transportation restrictions.

The client requested that the furniture be able to fit inside custom timber crates, so that the items would be protected from the elements as they travelled across Australia. Keeping this mind, TRJ deliberately designed the pieces of the suite as connectable, to aid in easy installation. Once the invidivual pieces were on site, the installer could simply connect them together and then fix them to the substrate.

Due to the site’s location and design, there were many obstacles to the installation process that needed to be accommodated. Given the concrete foundations were already largely completed prior to furniture installation, navigating the site with lifting machines was difficult. Therefore, most of the furniture was manhandled into position using trolleys. As the furniture was constructed in smaller sections, this made it easier and safer for the installation team.

Another difficulty TRJ Engineering had to overcome as a result of the site distance was ensuring the slab setdowns were absolutely precise. Because the team didn't have the option to drive out to the site for measurements, they relied on 3D-scanning to make certain the concrete setdowns and ledgers were exact. As most of the furniture is of a curvaceous and/or plinth design, it was imperative for TRJ Engineering to impress upon the team the accuracy of the final products' dimensions in order to guarantee correct installation.

This being TRJ Engineering’s second major delivery of street furniture to the exclusive Elizabeth Quay precinct, it is clear the company is steadily building their reputation for constructing and delivering high-quality bespoke furniture to the Western Australian market.