Landscape Forms Introduces the Air Collection: A Playful, Sustainable Family of HDPE Site Furnishings
Landscape Forms, North America’s leading designer and manufacturer of high-design site furniture, structure, LED lighting, and accessories, introduces the Air Collection, a family of lightweight, recyclable high-density polyethylene (HDPE) seats and benches designed in collaboration with its long-time partner Escofet.
The Air Collection is inspired by the concept of “lightness,” both as a physical characteristic and as an aesthetic captured in the playful and colorful presence the collection brings to outdoor settings. Constructed of rotomolded HDPE with hollow interiors, the Air Collection’s five seating elements translate Escofet’s bold, iconic aesthetic to a material that’s light, durable and versatile—perfectly suited for adaptable and programmable outdoor spaces, indoor spaces, transition spaces, and on rooftops, decks and balconies.
“The Air Collection allows us to bring a new energy to these spaces in a really modern, pop-of-color way, but vibrant color is just one aspect of this new energy,” describes Landscape Forms President of Site Furnishings & Structure, Robb Smalldon. “These are forms that you’d normally use heavy, robust concrete to create, but because we’re utilizing this hollow HDPE construction, designers can now specify these bold showpieces for a whole new range of spaces and use cases.”
The collection contains five complementary yet distinct forms: Extasi, Fortunato, Starfish, Stul, and Twig. Extasi Air is a lightweight, low and backless bench that communicates intimacy and comfort through its rounded triangular form. Fortunato Air consists of a combinable rounded cube, rectangle, and back modules to make for inviting, ergonomic yet hardwearing seating arrangements. Starfish Air uses its biomorphic, asymmetric radial design to create flexible seating for grouped or individual use. Stul Air brings a vibrant and youthful energy to the spaces it inhabits as a lightweight stool, side table, or complement to other Air Collection elements. Twig Air is a branching bench system that embodies the concepts of modularity, fluidity, connection and interactivity with its users.
“The Air Collection by Escofet represents a bold new design spirit for Landscape Forms—a bright and playful aesthetic that encourages people to consider us in settings they may not have previously considered,” says Landscape Forms Chief Creative Officer, Kirt Martin. “It’s also a great example of how we’re actively collaborating with design partners around the world who value new materials, processes and aesthetic concepts that further our commitment to sustainability.”
Mono-material HDPE site furnishings like those from the Air Collection set a new benchmark for the sustainable use of materials in the design of outdoor spaces. It is extremely hard, rigid, resilient, and resistant to weathering and chemical products like acids or solvents. Because of this extreme strength and durability, HDPE site furnishings can be surprisingly light, using less raw material in their construction and resulting in fewer emissions due to their transportation. Moreover, HDPE is 100% recyclable, enabling black pieces from the Air Collection to utilize solely post-consumer recycled material, while the whole of the collection can be efficiently and entirely recycled at the end of its usable lifespan due to its single-material construction.
About Landscape Forms
Landscape Forms is the industry leader in integrated collections of high-design site furniture, structures, accessories, and advanced LED lighting. Since its founding in 1969 Landscape Forms has earned a reputation for excellent design, high quality products and exceptional service. The company is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and includes Kornegay Design, located in Phoenix, Arizona, and Loll Designs, in Duluth, Minnesota, in its family of brands. It has sales representatives throughout North America, South America, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Asia. Landscape Forms collaborates with renowned industrial designers and consultancies, landscape architects, and architects to design and develop integrated collections of products that address emerging needs and help create a sense of place. Additionally, the company has formed global marketing partnerships with select companies that share its commitment to design. Landscape Forms has an installed base of products around the world. Clients include municipalities, transit centers, corporate, college and health care campuses; and familiar brand leaders such as Harvard University, Linked In, New York Central Park Conservancy, Bryant Park, Google, Coca Cola, Oculus, U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), Nike, National Museum of African American History (Washington, D.C.), Barclays Center, Adidas, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Microsoft, and Uber. We’ve been named one of the Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production for 2020 and 2021 by Fortune magazine, Michigan Manufacturer of the Year for 2020 by the Michigan Manufacturers Association, and by 269 Magazine as one of Southwest Michigan’s Wonderful Workplaces.
About Escofet
Escofet was founded in Barcelona, Spain in 1886 as a manufacturer of cement tiles for architectural application and is recognized throughout the world for design innovation in urban elements and site amenities. The company works closely with designers to create the highest quality cast stone, wood, Corten steel, and HDPE products, including benches, bollards, light fixtures, tree grates, drinking fountains and pavers. It has a long tradition of work with elite architects and artists from Antonio GaudĂ and Joan MirĂł, to Ricardo Bofill, Arata Izozaki, Jean Nouvel and Richard Rogers. Escofet’s mission is to enhance the quality and appearance of public spaces, encouraging greater use of the urban environment by installing creative, innovative products and systems. Today the company’s paving and streetscape products are signature features of Barcelona’s urban aesthetic.
