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FURNISH
03 · Urban Installations

FURNISH

Fast Urban Responses for New Inclusive Spaces & Habitat

Six fab labs across Europe, one open-source kit for taking public space back for people, not cars.

FURNISH began as a pandemic response to the loss of usable public space, and grew into a repeatable method: temporary Mobile Urban Elements, designed through an open call, fabricated locally, piloted on real streets, then published as an open-source repository anyone can reproduce. The first round, in 2020–21, produced seven prototypes with partner fab labs in 5 cities across Europe — among them Open Terrace, IAAC's raised timber terrace and modular curb system built at Valldaura Labs and installed at a café on Barcelona's Eixample; VORA, Elisava's safety boundary for pedestrianized school streets in Barcelona; UPC's EDUS Point streetside outdoor classroom in Barcelona; MUE:SLI, Polimi/UNPark's plug-in bench-and-play system in Milan; and AEIOU, EAUM & I+D+Arq's interactive urban element in Guimarães — alongside installations from Fab Lab Budapest and Aalto Fab Lab, Espoo. The methodology was peer-reviewed in MDPI's Sustainability (Aquilué et al., 2021, Sustainability 13(8):4562, doi.org/10.3390/su13084562). FURNISH xKIC (2021–22) extended the approach to school entrances, including the New Niu, a modular timber "nest" and co-designed street furniture built with the students of Escola Entença, itself housed within the walls of a former Barcelona prison. FURNISH KIDS (2022–23) continued the program at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes with El Cargol, IAAC's spiral timber play structure built from reclaimed offcuts, and Shared Playscapes, Elisava's mobile play system in Milan. FURNISH xKIC was named a finalist of the New European Bauhaus Prizes 2024. A follow-up to IAAC's Open Terrace prototype, EcoParklet, was commercialized by IAAC, Alberch & Hortalia in partnership with the Barcelona City Council as a system for flexibly expanding outdoor dining areas with prefabricated wood modules featuring integrated planter beds.

Role
Project Manager & Design Build Studio Director
Institution
Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia
Location
Barcelona · Milan · Budapest · Guimarães · Espoo
Year
2020–2023
Construction
Mobile Urban Elements, digitally fabricated

Film — FURNISH xKIC installation at Escola Entença by IAAC, 2021

Video: IAAC · FURNISH xKIC, 2021

Protegim les Escoles — the FURNISH xKIC strand, an EIT Community New European Bauhaus project reclaiming street space around Barcelona schools.

Film — EcoParklet commercialized follow-up by IAAC, Alberch, Hortalia & the Barcelona City Council, 2021

Video: Hortalia / EcoParklet, 2021

EcoParklet, the commercialized follow-up to Open Terrace, in use on a Barcelona street.

Film — FURNISH COVID-19 decentralized effort by 7 Fab Lab teams across 5 European cities, 2020

Video: FURNISH / EIT Urban Mobility, 2020

Project film — from the pandemic brief through fabrication to installations in use.

Film — IAAC's El Cargol installation for FURNISH-KIDS, 2023

Video: IAAC · FURNISH KIDS, 2023

Drone footage of the El Cargol installation day at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes.

In the field

Open Terrace by IAAC in daily use, Barcelona, Spain.
Open Terrace by IAAC in daily use, Barcelona, Spain.
VORA by Elisava prototype in use — the test that matters, Barcelona, Spain.
VORA by Elisava prototype in use — the test that matters, Barcelona, Spain.
MUE:SLI by Polimi/UNPark installation reclaiming area under an overpass, Milan, Italy.
MUE:SLI by Polimi/UNPark installation reclaiming area under an overpass, Milan, Italy.
AEIOU by EAUM & I+D+Arq in use to project live drumming for a socially-distanced street festival, Guimarães, Portugal.
AEIOU by EAUM & I+D+Arq in use to project live drumming for a socially-distanced street festival, Guimarães, Portugal.
NOT-19 by Aalto Fab Lab social-distanced study/conversation pods with connected intercom system, Espoo, Finland.
NOT-19 by Aalto Fab Lab social-distanced study/conversation pods with connected intercom system, Espoo, Finland.
EDUS Point by UPC outdoor learning and discussion space, Barcelona, Spain.
EDUS Point by UPC outdoor learning and discussion space, Barcelona, Spain.
BP Gang by Fab Lab Budapest modular wood elements activate a courtyard in Budapest, Hungary.
BP Gang by Fab Lab Budapest modular wood elements activate a courtyard in Budapest, Hungary.
The New Niu by IAAC at Escola Entença on opening day, Barcelona, Spain.
The New Niu by IAAC at Escola Entença on opening day, Barcelona, Spain.
Visitors pass beneath the New Niu canopy into the schoolyard.
Visitors pass beneath the New Niu canopy into the schoolyard.
The New Niu's canopy helps blur the border between the schoolyard and the public sidewalk.
The New Niu's canopy helps blur the border between the schoolyard and the public sidewalk.
Additional FURNISH xKIC elements by IAAC at Escola Entença include occupiable waste-wood frames for interpretive play.
Additional FURNISH xKIC elements by IAAC at Escola Entença include occupiable waste-wood frames for interpretive play.
A second occupiable waste-wood frame.
A second occupiable waste-wood frame.
Touching up the paint of the heart-shaped porthole, cut through packed wood offcuts.
Touching up the paint of the heart-shaped porthole, cut through packed wood offcuts.
The leaf-shaped porthole references the forest that supplied the wood.
The leaf-shaped porthole references the forest that supplied the wood.
The waste-box modules arrive by crane on installation day.
The waste-box modules arrive by crane on installation day.
Pre-fabricating the occupiable waste-wood frames off-site at IAAC's Valldaura Labs.
Pre-fabricating the occupiable waste-wood frames off-site at IAAC's Valldaura Labs.
IAAC master's students climb into the New Niu to fasten the lattice joints before installation.
IAAC master's students climb into the New Niu to fasten the lattice joints before installation.
A closer look at the modular joinery during assembly.
A closer look at the modular joinery during assembly.
Testing Elisava's rammed-earth stepped street installation with the students who will use it, Barcelona, Spain.
Testing Elisava's rammed-earth stepped street installation with the students who will use it, Barcelona, Spain.
Children digging into the integrated sand-pit portion of the rammed earth play installation.
Children digging into the integrated sand-pit portion of the rammed earth play installation.
Young students co-design the intervention with scale wood blocks during a workshop before installation.
Young students co-design the intervention with scale wood blocks during a workshop before installation.
El Cargol by IAAC, students playing along the spiral form at the Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, Barcelona, Spain.
El Cargol by IAAC, students playing along the spiral form at the Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, Barcelona, Spain.
El Cargol at night, lit against the plaza's painted circles.
El Cargol at night, lit against the plaza's painted circles.
Elisava's Shared Playscapes installation comprised movable wooden tables and benches children were invited to take ownership of by painting on — the installation was sequentially deployed in both Milan, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain.
Elisava's Shared Playscapes installation comprised movable wooden tables and benches children were invited to take ownership of by painting on — the installation was sequentially deployed in both Milan, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain.
Shared Playscapes in use in Milan, Italy.
Shared Playscapes in use in Milan, Italy.
EcoParklet, the commercialized follow-up to Open Terrace by IAAC, Alberch, Hortalia and the Barcelona City Council, returns a terrace to the street in Barcelona, Spain.
EcoParklet, the commercialized follow-up to Open Terrace by IAAC, Alberch, Hortalia and the Barcelona City Council, returns a terrace to the street in Barcelona, Spain.
Reconfigurable wooden EcoParklet modules with integrated planting enable outdoor dining in a former parking bay.
Reconfigurable wooden EcoParklet modules with integrated planting enable outdoor dining in a former parking bay.
EcoParklet seamlessly extends Barcelona's priceless pedestrian realm.
EcoParklet seamlessly extends Barcelona's priceless pedestrian realm.
Parametric details of the EcoParklet railing complement Barcelona's stunning urban design elements.
Parametric details of the EcoParklet railing complement Barcelona's stunning urban design elements.
IAAC's El Cargol tech specs — the hand and power tools used to shape the logs.
IAAC's El Cargol tech specs — the hand and power tools used to shape the logs.
Preparing and shaping El Cargol's logs off-site at IAAC's Valldaura Labs.
Preparing and shaping El Cargol's logs off-site at IAAC's Valldaura Labs.
Leveraging waste wood offcuts for El Cargol's vertical elements.
Leveraging waste wood offcuts for El Cargol's vertical elements.
Employing digital tools (CNC) to achieve El Cargol's organically curved sections.
Employing digital tools (CNC) to achieve El Cargol's organically curved sections.
Final on-site assembly of El Cargol with the MAEBB team.
Final on-site assembly of El Cargol with the MAEBB team.

Drawings

New Niu — axonometric of the canopy, boxes and street furniture.
New Niu — axonometric of the canopy, boxes and street furniture.
New Niu construction manual — module assembly sequence, Escola Entença.
New Niu construction manual — module assembly sequence, Escola Entença.
El Cargol — site selection criteria, Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes.
El Cargol — site selection criteria, Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes.
El Cargol — site plan.
El Cargol — site plan.
El Cargol — elevation 1.
El Cargol — elevation 1.
El Cargol — section A.
El Cargol — section A.
El Cargol — design progress, from existing site to final barrier form.
El Cargol — design progress, from existing site to final barrier form.
El Cargol — production diagram, log and stick processing.
El Cargol — production diagram, log and stick processing.
El Cargol — construction diagram, curved element assembly.
El Cargol — construction diagram, curved element assembly.
El Cargol — assembly diagram, curve details and connections.
El Cargol — assembly diagram, curve details and connections.

Credits

Collaborating individuals & organizations
FunderEIT Urban Mobility
CoordinatorCARNET
ConsortiumUPC · BarcelonaTech
Elisava
IAAC
City of Milan
AMAT
Fab lab partnersIAAC, Barcelona — Open Terrace
Elisava, Barcelona — VORA
Polimi / UNPark, Milan — MUE:SLI
EAUM & I+D+Arq, Guimarães — AEIOU
Fab Lab Budapest
Aalto Fab Lab, Espoo
Michael Salka's roleDesign & fabrication mentor to all international teams, 2020
Project manager & design-build studio instructor, 2020–2022 (Open Terrace, New Niu)
Co-Director, MAEBB — El Cargol design-build studio, 2022–23
Co-author, Co-fabrication Process publication chapter, 2023
Co-author, Open Terrace publication chapter, 2023
Co-author, New Niu publication chapter, 2023
Co-author, El Cargol publication chapter, 2023
Follow-upBarcelona City Council
Hortalia
Alberch
IAAC
PublicationFURNISH: New Methodologies to Intervene in Public Space
PhotographyAdrià Goula, IAAC

furnish.tech → · EcoParklet → · Publication (UPCommons) → · EIT Urban Mobility →

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