Jelena Stepanovic – tree bench
People have deep feelings about a place or strongly connect with a community when they are in contact with the environment and with other people. From this point of view, public places, with the feature of being a life’s platform by creating the image of the environment and identifying the properties of the community, are the residences of social-cultural activities. Public spaces, which allow the interaction of various groups having different socio-economic characteristics, have special importance as areas that meet the differing social and physical needs of people.
Intercommunication solutions for city centers play an important role in making these areas appropriate for urban life. My idea is to make communication between people, nature and construction. In this idea I am proposing a big sitting place that is connected with the tree. Tree besides its natural roll aldo has lightening, so at late hours it attracts people and creates an important social element.
Božidar Milošević – Social Pit
Increasing the amount of quality seating increases the liveability of a public space. In places where positive approaches to seating are taken, people are more attracted to stay for longer periods of time. The benefit of people spending more time in public spaces is that spaces then become more self regulating entities, and also focal points for the expression of a city’s particular identity and culture.
When we imagine seating in public space the primary image that comes to mind is a traditional bench. There are other mediums that work just as well however. From this rises an idea of embeding the seating area in the ground and using ground it self as benches and resting areas. Designing the rectangular shape and rounding the corners, gives a posibiliti of mearging the social groups, and with extruding some stepes from the ground enble’s diferent groups for using it (diseabled and elderly). It can also vary in size because of privacy for couples.
Ronan O Dea – ‘snow furniture’
Modular street furniture that is used as seating during summer months. When temperature gets colder and snow fall is daily the street furniture can be used as form-work for compacted snow. The form-work is filled with snow, compacted and then formwork is removed leaving ‘snow furniture’ which can remain for the winter months.
The public are encouraged to create their own furniture so location and uses are responsive to their needs. A table can be created for public to meet at and socialise or snow can also be used to enclose parts of the square for different uses. There is opportunity for cooperation within families and the community as a whole making larger pieces to be possible.
The ‘snow furniture’ could be located on ground lights which will act as a diffuser creating an atmospheric glow which would contrast with the direct light conditions of the summer.
