KALAMAZOO, MICH.—Landscape Forms, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-design site furniture, structure, LED lighting, and accessories, introduces the Air Collection, a family of lightweight, recyclable high-density polyethylene (HDPE) seats and benches designed in collaboration with its long-time partner Escofet.
The Air Collection is inspired by the concept of “lightness,” both as a physical characteristic and as an aesthetic captured in the playful and colorful presence the collection brings to outdoor settings. Constructed of rotomolded HDPE with hollow interiors, the Air Collection’s five seating elements translate Escofet’s bold, iconic aesthetic to a material that’s light, durable and versatile—perfectly suited for adaptable and programmable outdoor spaces, indoor spaces, transition spaces, and on rooftops, decks, and balconies.
“The Air Collection allows us to bring a new energy to these spaces in a really modern, pop-of-color way, but vibrant color is just one aspect of this new energy,” describes Landscape Forms President of Site Furnishings & Structure, Robb Smalldon. “These are forms that you’d normally use heavy, robust concrete to create, but because we’re utilizing this hollow HDPE construction, designers can now specify these bold showpieces for a whole new range of spaces and use cases.”
The collection contains five complementary yet distinct forms: Extasi, Fortunato, Starfish, Stul, and Twig. Extasi Air is a lightweight, low, and backless bench that communicates intimacy and comfort through its rounded triangular form. Fortunato Air consists of a combinable rounded cube, rectangle, and back modules to make for inviting, ergonomic yet hardwearing seating arrangements. Starfish Air uses its biomorphic, asymmetric radial design to create flexible seating for grouped or individual use. Stul Air brings a vibrant and youthful energy to the spaces it inhabits as a lightweight stool, side table, or complement to other Air Collection elements. Twig Air is a branching bench system that embodies the concepts of modularity, fluidity, connection, and interactivity with its users.
Furthering a Commitment to Sustainability
“The Air Collection represents a bold new design spirit for Landscape Forms—a bright and playful aesthetic that encourages people to consider our work in settings they may not have previously considered,” says Landscape Forms Chief Creative Officer, Kirt Martin. “It’s also another great example of how we’re actively exploring new materials, processes and aesthetic concepts that further our commitment to sustainability.”
“The Air Collection by Escofet represents a bold new design spirit for Landscape Forms—a bright and playful aesthetic that encourages people to consider us in settings they may not have previously considered,” says Landscape Forms Chief Creative Officer, Kirt Martin. “It’s also a great example of how we’re actively collaborating with design partners around the world who value new materials, processes and aesthetic concepts that further our commitment to sustainability.”
Mono-material HDPE site furnishings like those from the Air Collection set a new benchmark for the sustainable use of materials in the design of outdoor spaces. It is extremely hard, rigid, resilient, and resistant to weathering and chemical products like acids or solvents. Because of this extreme strength and durability, HDPE site furnishings can be surprisingly light, using less raw material in their construction and resulting in fewer emissions due to their transportation. Moreover, HDPE is 100 percent recyclable, enabling black pieces from the Air Collection to utilize solely post-consumer recycled material, while the whole of the collection can be efficiently and entirely recycled at the end of its usable lifespan due to its single-material construction.
