ChillOUT Hubs: Smart Social Spaces Creating Connected Green Places has won a National Award for Best Planning Ideas – Small Project from the PIA (Planning Institute of Australia), the national body representing planning and the planning profession.
Collaborators UNSW, Street Furniture Australia, Georges River Council and University of Sydney have received recognition for an “outstanding planning idea” in the smart open-air community ChillOUT Hubs that offer shelter, furniture, greenery, public WiFi and power for devices.
ChillOUT Hub prototypes were installed in 2020 at three sites in the Georges River Council area – a busy streetscape in Kogarah, town centre in Mortdale, and suburban park in Hurstville. They were co-developed by the collaborative team initially formed in 2018 for the Australian Smart Cities and Suburbs program.
Street Furniture Australia thanks CM+ for the site arrangements and technology partners LX Group, Onyx Solar Energy, WaterGroup and Smartsensor Technologies for helping to bring these experimental prototypes to life.
The PIA National judges were “impressed with the approach which focussed on deliverability and useability, not just the theory of a smart cities concept,” they write.
“In the judges’ opinions, the ChillOUT Hubs address a number of factors and provide a variety of economic, social and health benefits to local communities that are scalable and can be tailored to meet local demands and needs.
“ChillOUT Hubs are designed to be human-centred, taking into consideration and responding to environmental features of different areas and thus are adaptable to local community needs and expectations.”
The design of the Hubs is modular and can be tailored to each site and its community. Street Furniture Australia undertook a Discovery phase prior to designing the prototypes, to deeply understand the communities at each Georges River location.
This “highly engaging project” is a collaboration between industry, academia and local government that “sought a practical, functional and sustainable translation of smart cities concepts,” said PIA.
The ChillOUT Hub prototypes are currently undergoing further development in response to learnings from the Georges River installations. They are scheduled for launch in 2022.
The collaborative team initially formed in 2018 for the Australian Smart Cities and Suburbs program. The partnership received a Highly Commended Award for Cross Sectoral Collaboration at the 2019 Smart City Awards by the Committee for Sydney.
The Street Furniture Australia factory, in Regents Park, Western Sydney, is both a manufacturing hub and R&D studio for our Australian-designed and made street furniture products. We run fun and informative group events for customers throughout the year, to share how products are designed, tested and built, and the latest products and projects. Director of Tract Julie Lee said: “It was a great opportunity for our team to look behind the scenes and understand the innovation, research and climate positive outcomes Street Furniture Australia is focusing on. Thank you for having us!” The 2-hour tour (plus travel) includes: Places are limited for the 2024 dates below. To register please contact Sally Morrison on smorrison@streetfurniture.com, or book your ticket on Eventbrite. Thursday, 11 April 20248.45am – 11am Thursday, 25 July 20248.45am …
Cumberland City Council, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and Street Furniture Australia in November co-hosted a factory tour and knowledge exchange for Councils about creating great public spaces and local manufacturing. Guest speakers presented enriching case studies and conversations about Country, climate, culture and community at the Street Furniture Australia factory, which is located within the Cumberland LGA in Western Sydney. 55 people attended the event. Head of Marketing and Innovation with Street Furniture Australia, June Lee Boxsell, said, “Activating Western Sydney was a fantastic opportunity to share ideas on bringing joy to our local communities while also celebrating the completion of Merrylands Civic Square — a remarkable human-centred development at the heart of Cumberland City Council. “With Street Furniture Australia positioned right at the doorstep of Western Sydney-based …
Broadcasting from a shipping container studio in South Fremantle in the city of Perth, Western Australia, independent not-for-profit community radio station Freocast shares music and storytelling by local voices. A passion project for Fremantle architect and long-serving community radio broadcaster Nick Juniper, the online station is supported by volunteers and local partners to broadcast a range of community-based shows and DJ mixes, and hosts events onsite. Juniper says the station creates a connective space: “Fremantle has a very strong, engaged and passionate community, and I created Freocast as a way of providing an opportunity for a wide variety of voices and opinions to have a chance to broadcast,” he told StreetChat. “We also felt strongly about creating a physical space where the community could come together, connect, listen to music …
UNSW, the University of Sydney, Georges River Council and Street Furniture Australia together have won a 2020 PIA NSW Award of Excellence for the ChillOUT Hubs – Smart Social Spaces Creating Connected Green Places project. CM+ developed site plans and furniture arrangements for the construction phase. The PIA – Planning Institute of Australia – is the national body representing planning and the planning profession. State finalists from this year’s awards are eligible for the National PIA awards to be held in 2021. ChillOUT received an Award of Excellence in the Best Planning Ideas (Small Project) category, which recognises a project that benefits a site or a local place. It is awarded for planning documents, programs, policies or projects that advance current planning practice within a localised setting. The judges said: …
New experimental open-air smart hubs, created by Street Furniture Australia at our studio and factory in Western Sydney, have been officially launched by Georges River Council Mayor Kevin Greene on Thursday February 20, 2020. “ChillOUT Hubs aim to offer some relief in our densifying cities by providing opportunities to meet, work or rest, and spend more time outdoors,” says Street Furniture Australia Head of Innovation June Lee Boxsell. “Each hub packs a punch – integrating shade, seats and tables, charging stations, solar power, sensors, lighting, public WiFi, greenery, smart fountains and smart bins – a big feat combining tech, industrial design and placemaking,” she says. Three hubs are already installed in the Georges River Council region in south Sydney as part of a pilot study for the Australian Government’s Smart …
We’re pleased to share that the construction of our three ChillOUT Hubs is nearing completion, part of a pilot study for the Australian Government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. ChillOUT Hubs are smart, open-air community spaces. The prototype installations offer people a free, comfortable place to meet, work and play. They also enable asset managers to monitor utilities, visitation and the microclimate. For more information see our article What Is ChillOUT? The official launch will take place in February 2020. The collaborative team of Georges River Council, UNSW and Street Furniture Australia will also host a series of events including a Council Knowledge Exchange, industry hackathon and tours to site. Please register your interest with Tiffany Hoy at editor@streetfurniture.com Here is an update from each site. A Streetscape – Belgrave …
