Building Blocks of Society

Building Blocks of Society is a reaction to street furniture which is designed for specific uses and to hostile architecture. Street furniture is often around, but what we don’t immediately see is what it is not designed for. Some pieces accommodate only individuals, some are made to meet the needs of groups in order to make a place feel safe and welcoming. These directed uses keep us from interacting with the public space when we don’t identify with these uses, which creates a distance between the object and the user. As we are becoming a more diverse society, we see more diverse social needs from these individuals or groups. These needs have to be accommodated by furniture which is able to adapt to many different situations and users. 

Building Blocks of Society is a modular way of approaching public furniture. Reduced to a very simple and recognizable shape; a block. The blocks are arranged in different simple shapes, which resemble the infamous game Tetris. This creates a wide range of possible combinations. One can either use one block as an individual, or combine multiple blocks and create a space which can accommodate a group. The blocks can be placed anywhere, and be used in any way. This free form of creating by yourself invites to play, and playfulness and how this is facilitated can be a great addition to the public space.

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