Monthly Archives: March 2016

Making sure the humble park bench is in the right place at the right time requires thought and planning. Over time, a simple bench can become a treasured destination in its own right. To help you out, we’ve compiled a placement guide that lists some tips and best practices.

• Parks: Deceivingly obvious, seating amenities in parks can fall flat if they’re placed carelessly in lackluster spots. The most successful parks place their benches strategically to offer value to park-goers. Perhaps the bench is at the top of a hiking trail overlooking a rewarding scenic view or at the edge of a beloved duck pond. Park benches located along running paths are certainly much appreciated by weary exercisers. They’re also a great place for downtowners to socialize in the city center or at the bus stop. In all of these scenarios, there’s an added benefit to sitting on the bench on top of getting off your feet.
• Workplace: Humans require a certain level of connectivity with nature to function at our highest levels. Studies have proven time and again that the great outdoors not only helps wellbeing, but productivity levels, as well. Providing comfortable outdoor areas in the workplace could be a crucial factor in getting the best performance out of employees. Simply looking at  greenery for less than one minute can almost magically re-focus strained attention levels in workers, according to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.
• Supervision: Keeping an eye on small children at the playground or park is a top priority for parents and caregivers, so it’s no surprise this one made the list. Placing comfortable benches within a close proximity to playground equipment, sports fields, and other recreational sites is important to supervisors. Make sure the line of sight from the bench is unobstructive and gives a clear vantage point to multiple parts of the playground. Placing multiple benches around a playground is ideal, to give a view of all angles for conscientious parents.
• Buddy Bench: By incorporating the “buddy bench” at your school or community playground, this simple park amenity can becomes so much more. It can foster friendships for children who have trouble interacting with their peers and creates a safe place for children to come together. The idea behind the Buddy Bench is to make sure everyone feels included.
• Public Places: Seating in places that normally require some amount of waiting, like post offices, bus stops, and doctor’s offices, is a must. It’s a small convenience that for the most part goes unnoticed. That is, until the situation arises when you’d really love to sit down and there’s not a bench in sight. One angle for benches in public places like town centers or shopping outlets is to add a stylish aesthetic. Geometric, curved, and other unique shapes are a great option to add attitude.
• Smoking areas: Providing a comfortable seating area for smokers that is located an appropriate distance from busy areas is crucial to ensure your organization is accommodating all guests, assuming the facility is not a non-smoking zone. We recommend locating commercial ash urns and park benches near one another in a partially secluded area. That way, the people utilizing this area will have the appropriate receptacles to avoid littering and affecting others with secondhand smoke.

One of the most important things to remember in all of these situations is accessibility. You can achieve this by keeping park benches in an unobstructed area with a clear and easy path to get there. Depending on the terrain, providing a concrete pad next to benches is sometimes necessary, as well, to allow wheelchair users to sit next to friends and loved ones. There you have it. With this guide, you’ll never make a park bench placement blunder. Whether you’re overseeing the layout of an entire park or just finding the perfect place for a bench outside your office, creating a convenient, comfortable environment for guests and visitors is crucial to your organization’s image.