MAEVE BENCH
Typology Public
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Bandon = Droichead na Bandon = ' bridge over the Bandon river'
The Seat for Droichead na Bandon is a contemporary installation
for the town. It aspires to address the past, present and future of the
town. Its form and aesthetic is arrived at from an abstraction of the
unique ingredients that make up this place and its people.
The design of the Maeve seat is informed around 3 simple Bandon specific design generators: the historic piece of infrastructure that is Bandon bridge, the vibrant diverse multicultural community and the reference to its historic roots and sustainable future.
THE BRIDGE
The Bandon bridge defines the place name Droichead na Bandan or ‘Bridge of the Bandon’ and historically relates to the foundation of the market town as a key crossing point over the river Bandon which allowed the town to thrive as a commercial centre. The bridge as it exists today is presented with five arched bays in a hierarchy of the central bay being the highest point and the two bays north and south diminishing in height and scale. This bridge typology makes three distinct arch geometries which became the primary focus of the single module design. Each arch is playfully represented in the module on the triangular plan form. This modularity allows the seats to be assembled in an infinite number of arrangements to suit the various locations and needs of the town. The arrangements offer the possibility for less literal interpretations of the bridge theme, creating a unique variation to each assembly. Three primary churches exist in the town centre today. The triangular plan salutes these structures and denotes the multi-denominational community that makes up Bandon.
COMMUNITY
The choice of materials is a further reference to Bandon specific community, past and present. The pre-distressed hot-dipped galvanized metal finish to the arches and secondary fittings refers to the practical material of choice for the active local farming community that serves its infrastructure and utility needs. This community in particular forms the backbone of Bandon’s commercial success with one of the largest livestock markets nationally. As part of the installation of these seats, a local community project is proposed. From the initial sourcing of the hard wood itself to an accompanying re-planting program by the community, an opportunity exists to raise awareness of the plight of the surrounding environment to the town. The timber seat is cut against the grain and sealed to allow the rings and age of the specimen to be visible. Depending on the age of the specimen identified, an added interest could be demarked on each seat with a particular ring or date being highlighted (by way of simple drill pocket or stud) that is relevant to the town’s general or location specific history. This presents an ideal opportunity to further customize any seat to its location with an inclusive community involvement from stakeholders such as landowners, historians and schools etc.
SUSTAINABILITY
This proposal serves to raise awareness locally, on the threat to the broadleaf tree population. This population is reaching maturity nationally and presents an environmental issue requiring the urgent action of replanting programs. It is proposed the hardwood seat is sourced locally from a fallen or frail specimen donated by a local landowner. Technically, the seat is designed to be practical to the town environment with robust materials, skateboard preventers, self-draining details, and all corners to be bevelled to a safe radius. The module is designed for simple installation with the ‘sub- frame’ and seats piecing together simply on site. This sub- frame is set up to allow level adjustment at seat installation stage. Tight accurate tolerances in the final arrangement are achievable with ease with the design of the sub- frame modular connections. The sub- frame is not visible on street level and is paved over to present the arches as sitting on the surface. The strength of the simple theme can be simply re-used to create a wider Bandon specific street furniture collection. Using these simple materials, triangular shapes and selective use of the arch motif, the possibilities are endless to create a coherent identity to the Bandon Street furniture of bins, planters, bike stands, lighting, etc.
