SMART SOLAR PLACEMAKING

With the ability to bring people together, smart street furniture can empower public space investment.

In an era in which everything is getting “smarter”, from watches to entire cities, it comes as no surprise that the development of smart street furniture is on the rise. From benches that include USB ports so visitors can charge while on the go, to waste bins that notify councils or facility managers via a connected smart device when they need to be emptied or repaired, and digital signage that offers interactive displays of locational, historical and commercial information, our public spaces are becoming the field for technological advancement.

Produced to make our lives more comfortable, easier and more efficient, integrated smart technology is being used to help transform the user experience in public spaces and support modern living. However, good design is what takes that technology and shapes it into a useable object with human comfort in mind, giving it an aesthetic that is not only appealing and makes sense, but also encourages its use. And what could be better than street furniture that serves our technological needs? Street furniture that does it sustainably by harnessing the power of the sun!

Specialised Solutions, South Australia’s leader in innovative, custom engineered solutions, has developed a range of solar-powered, off-grid smart street furniture with the grit to handle any outdoor space. Designed in collaboration with JPE Design Studio, the Sedi range of smart urban furniture includes a series of outdoor benches and shelters that come standard with USB charging, Qi wireless charging and LED lights. Additional features also include wifi access, a weather station, safety cameras, information display screens and more.

“People want to be connected to the furniture and to the web, and greater society,” claimed Bronte Modra, Director, Specialised Solutions.

“Everyone talks about smart cities, but no one is really delivering a piece of smart furniture here. We just saw a real need and something that we could make out of our existing facility [in South Australia].”

Crafted of sustainable steel and timber and encased in rolled or perforated steel, the Sedi range is a self-sufficient collection powered by the sun and designed to appeal to a wide range of users, while providing value as a public space asset. The pleasing design and material palette is equally at home in any outdoor environment.

Made to work off-grid so as to meet the needs of buyers who cannot connect to a power source, the solar-powered units offer incredible flexibility for placement. A viable option for regional and remote locations, the Sedi collection opens up the realm of connectivity, making it, according to Bronte Modra, a cost-saving measure for buyers, as they can avoid expensive service connections. And, with its range of optional fixtures, each unit can be custom designed to meet individual project requirements.

Comprised of Rest, Gather, Eat, Connect and Pause units, the Sedi collection has a module for any need. Sit and dine with friends in the covered Eat pavilion replete with inbuilt table and facing bench seating. Bond with those around you as you share a spot on the Connect park shelter and charge your phone. Or, if you just want to take a load off and enjoy the view, stretch out on the Pause solar lounge.

The Sedi Gather unit is particularly interesting. The sheltered structure combines bench seating with an L-shaped table running along the outer perimeter and fixed individual seating, which together forms a flexible multi-use space for gathering. Creating an immediate parklet wherever it is placed, this large-scale shelter offers up a versatile solution for a variety of open space environments.

Rounding out the range, the Rest unit, with its capacity for informational displays and wireless connectivity, makes an ideal bus shelter.

The Australian culture is one that encourages us to get outdoors, so investing in furniture that meets the technological needs of an on-the-move public, untethering us from offices and homes, can only serve to further inspire the development and use of public spaces.