The New School News

Street Seats Is Back on The Block with a Sustainable Spot for New Yorkers to Relax

Nestled among the greenery at the corner of 13th Street and Fifth Avenue, people lounged, chatted, and enjoyed the summer weather. They sat on red metal tops, which in addition to red tables and chairs, make up the 2016 edition of Street Seats.

The creation of Granger and Robert Moorhead, brothers and part-time lecturers in the Summer Architecture Program, and students from Parsons’ Architectural Design, Interior Design, and Product Design programs, Street Seats is a sustainably designed, pop-up seating spot that made an empty street corner into a space for the public to relax and enjoy.

“Robert and I really enjoyed the opportunity this semester to be a part of what is, we hope, becoming an annual tradition,” said Granger. “The collaboration between Parsons and the NYC Department of Transportation is such a natural fit, and it is really exciting to watch the students take abstract ideas about public space and sustainability, and translate them into a built piece of New York City.”

This year’s edition is constructed primarily out of paper tubes, which are made of completely recycled paperboard and are totally recyclable themselves. The tubes have a lifespan that may dictate how long the installation stays in place, further highlighting the temporary nature of the project.

Last year’s iteration of Street Seats was led by Nick Brinen, assistant professor of Interior Design, with funding by a grant from TEDC.

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