BE OPEN BLOG

Research shows that people who spend more time in nature are usually happier in life. Visiting green spaces like parks, gardens or forests can impact your mental health by offering a break from the stresses of daily life and stimulating the senses to calm and rejuvenate you. Created to harmonize with their surroundings, these bespoke benches invite you to sit and connect with nature.

Belgian design firm Studio PART develops demountable metal moulds that, combined with young planted willow trees, let them grow into a self-supporting seat strong enough to be used as a bench.

Tenir, which means ‘to hold’ in French, was designed to guide the willow branches so they become intertwined and follow a curving form that will eventually provide a comfortable seat. The mould is made from stainless steel, with rubber inlays that protect the plants as they grow. According to the designers, the materials were chosen for their longevity and ability to be reused. Over the course of 90 years, each mould could produce 30 willow benches using a total of 1,170 individual young willows.

The entire process of setting up the mould takes approximately half a day for two people and can easily be carried out by professionally trained garden contractors. The willow requires minimal intervention except for regular watering and pruning in the first year.

Initially, a metal cover is added on top of the formwork to create a functional bench from day one. The cover also provides the willows during their early growing phase and stunts unwanted side branches.

It takes three to four years to grow a bench-shaped tree, that is sturdy enough to sit on it without any additional man-made elements. Then, the mould and the screw foundations can be removed, leaving the roots unharmed. The team hopes that the project will help strengthen the bond between people and nature and show us the way to a more sustainable future.

Conceived as a memorial to the late architect David Penner, former executive director of local design NGO Storefront Manitoba, Nesting Loops is a permanent installation by Montreal-based designer Thom Fougere that consists of seven ring-shaped benches of various sizes trees alongside the secluded Victoria Beach forest trail in the woods outside of Winnipeg. The widest of the benches encircles a young tree, while others sit on moss and leaves.

The benches are cut from a single thick plate of steel of 2.4 metres by 2.4 metres in four concentric rings, with each piece measuring 35 centimetres at its seating surface. The pattern means that the benches can “nest”, with each growing smaller in diameter and the last being a solid circle, which maximises the use of the material and cut down on waste.

The subdued sand-blasted aluminium surface passively captures the dappling of light through the surrounding forest canopy, creating a dynamic interplay between the installation and its natural surroundings.

Korean designer Chiho Cheon has chosen a different way to enable the users of the bench connect with nature.

Sangmyung university commissioned the designer to create an artwork that would complement the outdoor garden environment, with the view including a river which flows in the front and impressive mountains in the near distance.

Considering this remarkable scenery, the designer has created a piece of furniture that aims to become a boundary between nature and man-made artifacts.