A total of 22 local and international suppliers submitted presentations of street furniture that complied with the required specifications.
Street furniture product categories
- Tables and seating for gathering, eating and drinking, or working outdoors. This type of furniture can be used to set up public terrasses, for example.
- Furniture for relaxation where people can sit down alone or in a group to take a break and rest. This furniture can be of different types: benches, chairs and other seating, hammocks, bleachers, platforms, etc.
- Shade and heat-relief solutions allowing users to cool off, shelter and use the space comfortably, given that some temporary spaces are set up on sites with significant sun exposure (thin canopy, heat islands). These elements may be incorporated into other furniture or be stand-alone features.
- Greening features to increase the amount of vegetation in spaces where ground-level plantings are impractical. These features should provide good growing conditions for different strata of plants (rootballed trees, shrubs, perennials). Features that incorporate an insulation system are recommended, to help preserve the plants for a number of years.
- Security and demarcation features that combine safety and esthetics, for use notably in closing off pedestrianized streets at intersections or delimiting temporary spatial designs involving coexistence with an automobile traffic lane. This can include anti-ram furniture (e.g., benches that protect against vehicle impacts) that meets the requirements outlined in the SPVM Guide de sécurisation de sites et de rassemblements populaires (Guide for Securing Public Sites and Gatherings).
- Any other street furniture that is deemed relevant to temporary public space designs and that meets the objectives and requirements stated in this document.
General characteristics of the products sought
- Material quality and durability
The proposed street furniture must be robust and of sufficient quality to enable re-use from one year to another, keeping in mind that it will be subject to frequent assembly, disassembly, transportation and storage. A lifespan almost equivalent to that of permanent street furniture is expected (target: 10 years). The furniture must be resistant to inclement weather, vandalism and theft, under normal conditions of exposure and intensive use in an outdoor public space. Use of durable, environmentally responsible materials is strongly encouraged, along with consideration of the full product lifecycle, with a view to circularity. - Ground stability without anchoring
The proposed street furniture must enable installation and maintenance without ground anchoring, considering the potential for theft or displacement due to strong winds. This characteristic is essential and differentiates the furniture sought from permanent street furniture, which is usually anchored to the ground. The furniture must be self-supporting, allow for ballasting, or rely on another strategy for ground stability without anchoring (e.g., assembly of multiple furniture elements designed as a system). Consequently, lightweight furniture that can be moved by users themselves (e.g., bistro-style tables and chairs, lightweight parasols) is not among the types of product sought by this call. Note that this requirement does not apply to the security and demarcation features, which in some situations may be anchored to the ground. - Comfort and ergonomics
The primary goal of temporary design projects is to enhance the welcoming nature and attractiveness of public spaces during a specific period of time. The proposed street furniture, though destined for use in temporary public spaces, must comply with users’ needs as to comfort and ergonomics, enticing them to sit down and enjoy the site for a period of time (e.g., seating dimensions, shapes and materials, inclined backrests, armrests). In addition, use of materials that quickly exhibit signs of deterioration or dirt buildup is to be avoided, as this negatively affects users’ comfort, both actual and perceived. - Ease of operation
The proposed street furniture must offer ease of installation and use by the city from one year to the next. Ease of installation, disassembly, handling, transportation and storage are very important criteria for street furniture destined for use in temporary public spaces. In addition, the furniture must be easy to maintain and clean using the city’s standard equipment. It must usable freely by users without need for surveillance or specific daily procedures (e.g., opening/closing, stowing overnight). - Repairability
The components of the proposed street furniture must be easy to repair or replace in the event of breakage or loss (e.g., parts, hardware, materials, paint). - Levelling
The proposed street furniture must be easy for city workers to level on the various sites where it may be installed, keeping in mind that it may rest on hard surfaces (e.g., asphalt, pavers, concrete, crushed stone). Some contexts require levelling of furniture to ensure stability and user comfort, including installation on the roadway (e.g., when a drainage slope is present). A product design that includes a built-in levelling function is a major asset. - Accessibility (Universal design)
The proposed street furniture must be designed in consideration of the needs of people with disabilities or functional limitations (motor, auditory, visual, cognitive) and enable the city to maintain or improve the accessibility of its public spaces. - Modularity
The street furniture may be installed on different sites during its lifespan, in response to functional needs and constraints that may vary from one year to the next. Consequently, modular furniture design, while not mandatory, is a major asset in terms of enhance the potential for re-use over time, especially in the case of larger-scale products (or assemblies of products), so as to enable adaptive configuration and use, in whole or in part, depending on the space available on a particular site and its specific context. - Customization
While not mandatory, customizability of the furniture (e.g., choice of materials, finishes, colours) may be an asset. Although understated designs are generally advisable so as to ensure harmonious integration with public spaces (given that the same furniture may be installed in different settings), some projects may lend themselves to more targeted solutions (e.g., colours referencing the identity of a neighbourhood or shopping street).
Suppliers
- Ateliers Gris + PARA-SOL
- Atmosphäre
- Barrière QMB
- Bite Size Inc.
- Bloom
- Bois Public
- Equiparc
- Équipements Halt
- hART design Inc.
- ÎLOT 84
- Consortium Jack World Inc. + Le Comité
- Jansen Industrie Inc.
- Landscape Forms
- Les Ateliers d’Antoine
- Tables à pique-nique Des jardins
- m3béton
- Morelli : mobilier urbain (formerly Mobilier ORA)
- OutThere Studio (formerly Pelouse)
- Streetlife
- Studio Superwise
- Studio YAMI
- Techsport
- We encourage you to contact these suppliers directly to request updated portfolios of their achievements and for any questions regarding their service offering and pricing.