Strategically placed public seating also enhances the accessibility and inclusivity of urban spaces, ensuring that everyone, regardless of age, ability, or socioeconomic status, can enjoy and participate in public life. Well-designed seating areas accommodate diverse needs and preferences, making public spaces more welcoming and accommodating to all members of the community.
Additionally, public seating plays a crucial role in shaping the aesthetic and functional aspects of urban landscapes. Thoughtfully designed benches, chairs, and other seating elements contribute to the overall ambiance and character of public spaces, enhancing their appeal and creating memorable experiences for users.
Omos offers a comprehensive array of solutions to enhance your public space with catalogue and bespoke products.
1. Does the seating need to accommodate individuals with mobility impairments? Is the seating required to cater for the elderly or physically impaired? If so, you should consider a seat (with backrest) rather than a bench (no backrest) and you should provide armrests to make it easier for the user to return to a standing position.
2. Is the seating required to provide comfort for long durations? If so, you should consider a seat for support and possibly choose a wooden surface or a contoured metal surface.
3. Do you wish to discourage people from sitting for long durations? If so, consider a bench and possibly choose a hard un-contoured surface.
4. Do you foresee vagrancy as a problem and if so do you wish to discourage the use of the seating for such purposes? Consider a bench or seat with ‘interruptions’ along its length (such as armrests or anti-skate bars) or some other feature which makes the bench difficult to lie on.
5. Do you foresee skateboarding or other such ‘sport’ as being a problem in the area? If so choose a product which does not provide a continuous unbroken edge. Armrest can break the edge or on many of our products we offer ‘anti-skate’ blocks.
6. Is there a high risk of vandalism in the area? If so consider one of our heavier duty products, possibly one without timber.