SUSTAINABLE SEATING FOR NYC

Parsons School of Design took on the project of renovating public seating in order to create an eco-friendly world. The public space, which the school unveiled this week, was inspired by the need to create more seating areas for people to relax and take a load off.

In a city like New York, public seating can be very limited. Students from the school’s architecture, interior design, product design and food studies departments, envisioned and built Street Seats over two parking spaces on the corner of 13^th Street and 5^th Avenue in Greenwich Village.

The students crafted the space with a variety of reclaimed materials, using rot-resistant western red cedar to build the tables and stools, which were then covered in repurposed fishing nets. The lighting system in the installation is completely off-grid and operates on solar energy.After sunset, a daylight sensor activates LED lights to provide a well-lit atmosphere.

The seating area is surrounded by planters to reduce traffic noise and create a pleasant environment. The planters are made with biodegradable coconut fibres and jet webbing and house herbs and native plants, with seeds donated by the Greenbelt Native Plant Centre.

The project hopes to create a secluded place for New Yorkers to take a moment to rest and relax in the midst of their busy days.