Design Build 2023

An annual series of street seats, constructed by students of The New School, stands at the corner of East 13th Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. These structures, designed to endure six months, offer seating and gathering spaces. The 2023 design draws inspiration from public space utilization during the 2022 part-time faculty strike, allowing occupants to flexibly dictate its usage.

Additionally, it prioritizes naturally grown materials and considers reusability to promote sustainable construction practices, aligning with a broader commitment to environmental responsibility.

During the part-time faculty strike at The New School in 2022, previous street seats fostered a unique bond with protestors. Loose cork modules were repurposed as foot stands to elevate banners, temporary booths for sign-ups, and windshields to shield against harsh winds blowing east and west. These street seats facilitated diverse forms of occupation on the streets.

Inspired by this, our team conceived a modular infrastructure enabling occupants to rearrange seats and redefine their function as needed. This adaptable space not only fosters varied modes of engagement but also provides a platform to reunite The New School’s dispersed community. It symbolizes resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges, embodying the spirit of solidarity and collective action.

The proposal positioned our project as an infrastructural response to the strike, benefiting both students and the local community. Due to budget constraints, we opted to fabricate modular seats using OBS sheets instead of plywood, enhancing comfort by adding cork sheets on top for cushioning.

These modules come in three variations: seating, planter, and exhibiting. Their hollow bottoms allow for stacking, creating taller structures as needed. Each OBS sheet is precisely milled with CNC technology, featuring notches and lips for easy assembly and adding textural embellishments to the design. Additionally, an awning constructed from nominal lumber offers a degree of enclosure, shielding occupants from busy traffic and enhancing the overall usability of the space.