Plains & Pods™ aportan un nivel completamente nuevo de profundidad y expresión creativa al diseño de la plaza pública. Dos líneas de productos complementarias que profundizan en la determinación del ambiente social del espacio, y en lugar de considerar lo individual frente a lo comunitario como algo binario, lo interpretan como una continuidad a lo largo de la cual puede haber varios nodos para distintos tipos de interacciones.

Created in collaboration with renowned London-based design studio Industrial Facility, Plains & Pods embrace the potential of non-prescriptive design to elevate, humanize and personalize public outdoor space. Designed to either work independently or together in concert, Plains & Pods are united around the concept of layering—both in the physical sense and in the experiential sense—to create well-rounded, multi-dimensional settings that prioritize the freedom, expression and unique circumstances of their users. 

"This is one of those product systems that's changing the narrative about how to use furniture in public space," describes Landscape Forms Chief Innovation Officer, Kirt Martin. "We're seeing a lot of demand for these interactive, multi-dimensional site furnishings in the custom sphere, but Plains & Pods are the first standard products in our portfolio that really combine these ideas of layers and multiple use cases."

Rectilinear, bold and architectural, Plains are large-format beams and platforms that vary in height and width to create multifaceted settings that speak to their users’ individuality. Laying down, stretching out, perching, sitting cross-legged, sharing space with strangers—activities that might feel counterintuitive on a ‘conventional’ bench feel natural on Plains. Accompanying the range of Plains modules, optional metal backs and attaching side tables create installations with a level of specificity, detail and variety only rivaled by custom solutions. Plains puede ramificarse, interconectarse, escalonarse, superponerse, entrecruzarse, crear tramos y mucho más para posibilitar toda la libertad de diseño en tres dimensiones.

"Lo que me apasiona de soluciones como Plains es que, si bien se perciben intuitiva o inconscientemente como bancos, también pueden ser mucho más que eso", afirma Ryan Heiser, director de diseño de Landscape Forms. "Recostarse, posarse, sentarse con las piernas cruzadas, anular la división entre el 'espacio para mí' y el 'espacio para nosotros': usar Plains, a diferencia de un banco tradicional, resulta mucho más natural porque no está codificado con las mismas reglas o expectativas".

The curvilinear counterpart to Plains, Pods seats and planters are designed to be grouped together in tiered clusters of respite space and attractive greenery. Sprouting like bunches of mushrooms from the forest floor, groupings of differently sized Pods modules give users the opportunity to determine exactly how they interact with space and with one another. From open and welcoming communal zones, to areas for privacy and single seating, to quick touch-down points around the periphery, archipelagos of Pods bring social and aesthetic depth to the landscape. Short Pods planters share footprints with the warm, wood-topped seats to contribute cohesion to installations, while tall Pods planters are used to bring height, space definition and visual variety. 

As fully-fledged product systems, both Plains & Pods individually bring depth, multi-functionality and user freedom to the landscape, but together their impact is magnified. Large groups, small groups, couples, families with children, solos wanting privacy, solos wanting to interact with others sharing the space-anyone and everyone can find their ideal place in Plains & Pods. "Together, these two products are all about layering space and experiences to create pockets of recognizable design DNA that are totally non-prescriptive," concludes Heiser. "La gente puede acercarse a una instalación de Plains & Pods desde una perspectiva de 360 grados y determinar exactamente cómo quiere usarla".