Bailey Street Furniture Group

A new seven storey building, for 40 residential apartments and space on the ground floor for commercial and retail use, has been developed at a prominent corner site at Woden Street, in Salford.The mixed-use scheme, also called ‘The Gateway’ (due to its being located on a ‘Green Corridor’ as part of a local authority’s masterplan for the area), cost £6 million overall.BSFG were asked to supply affordable and robust seating to be installed throughout the new building. BSFG discussed with the client the challenges of a tight budget and a need for high quality design and a solid product at the end. After many conversations with the contractor and the architect, in which BSFG proposed many variations to benches, The FGP Bench was chosen.The FGP Bench was able to comply with the budget constraints, and was the perfect size for installing on site, whilst maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the overall project. The FGP Bench also requires little or no further maintenance, which was an important aspect for the client. The bench is manufactured using Sapele hardwood and cast aluminium supports that do not rust and show little or no scratch marks.As the final decision to purchase was made late on in the project schedule, the BSFG team only had 3 weeks to deliver the benches on time. BSFG achieved this due to being licensed manufacturing partners to Landscape Forms USA and therefore being able to part manufacture the product in the UK.Outcome:With a solutions based approach from BSFG, the landscape element of this project was able to remain within the planned budget, without compromising on quality.Often, similar schemes can end up having to resort to using inferior external furniture products which, at the outset of the scheme, possible detract from the overall look and feel of the project and more importantly, over time will fall into disrepair and need replacing much sooner than expected.The FGP Bench recommended by BSFG met the client’s stringent criteria, by being both visually aesthetic, yet without the high “designer” price tag. The seating was also able to be produced on time and once installed, would require little maintenance.The Client reduced cost by working with a local supplier and have also helped to reduce its carbon footprint as transport was minimal. The site now has luxury seating throughout the building that will help to encourage use from both visitors and residents.

Wythenshawe Hospital has implemented a 3-phase expansion project. The £17 million development will see the hospital double its available resources for patients, staff and visitors.The second phase was focused on the expansion of the children's Emergency Department, with a new purpose built paediatric area, specifically designed to improve the treatment for patients up to 16 years of age.BSFG were asked to provide colourful, free-standing seating for a courtyard space, adjacent to the paediatric area. The whole courtyard was renovated as part of the hospital second phase renovation.The furniture could not be permanently fastened down in the area, due to underground utilities and services, therefore the Loop Arc Bench was offered as a lightweight seating solution that could be weighted down. The standard Loop Arcs can be filled with either water or sand, making them a permanent fixture within the courtyard.BSFG worked closely with the client to provide a high level of technical support and information, ensuring that the products met their exacting standards. Fixing options and product weights were all important factors for the client to consider in their decision process.Wythenshawe Hospital now has updated modern facilities to provide high level emergency care for children across the South Manchester area. The fully finished outdoor space for young patients will support the children in their rehabilitation and ongoing general wellbeing.Architect at Atkins:"The refurbished courtyard now offers an important external space for children at the hospital and has also proved an interesting visual feature for the wards on the upper floors which look on to the space. The courtyard is lit up at night and the vibrant colours, dynamic lines and planting provide a point of interest which contrasts with the clinical internal environment."

Artform Urban provide modern and stylish cantilever seating to a new Arts and Humanities facility, at the University of Liverpool. The Yoko Ono Lennon Centre is a newly built teaching and performance building, named in honour of Yoko Ono Lennon, an Honorary Graduate of the University (Hon LLD 2001), campaign ambassador and long-standing philanthropic supporter. It houses the 400 seat Tung Auditorium with space for a 70 piece orchestra, as well as a state of the art 600 seat lecture theatre. Architects and lead designers Ellis Williams worked alongside a number of acoustic and structural engineers in order to achieve optimum acoustic profile and capacity for the orchestra. Artform Urban was appointed by HA Civils to provide seating elements for the landscaped exterior space of the building. The Generation 50 Seat with cantilevered legs was specified for the project due to its minimal and contemporary design that includes a curved timber cladding that echoes that of the main entrance of the building. It is the first installation of Generation 50 in the UK. The Generation 50 range was designed by Robert Chipman and offers a flexible ensemble of style and mounting options.Available with four different cast aluminium powder-coated leg fixing options, a range of armrests and a number of timber options including ipe, jarrah, and thermally modified ash. Providing a perfect addition to complete a range of urban landscapes. The Yoko Ono Lennon Centre will develop a programme of new public-facing cultural highlights including concerts, lectures as well as other events in the University calendar, and will be the new home to the Music Department’s popular Lunchtime Concert Series.Yoko Ono Lennon said:“It gives me great pleasure to know that this centre will serve as a new opportunity for countless future artists and musicians to communicate their work with the local audience in Liverpool, and the world beyond. I can’t wait to see what exciting new work is on its way.” (source)