A blog written by Furnitubes

It goes without saying that 2020 was certainly a year full of ups and downs, it was the year for hand washing, zoom calls and social distancing. But getting people outside continues to be a really important part of Furnitubes mission and if lockdown confirmed anything; it’s how precious outdoor spaces are and their importance for mental and physical well-being.

In this blog Furnitubes want to journey through their past year, the highs, and focus on the positive things to surface from what was a turbulent year and also share what's in store as Furnitubes continue to shape outdoor spaces in 2021.

Specifi - London

At the start of the year Furnitube successfully held their first Specifi event in London's Clerkenwell. They enjoyed building new relationships and showcasing their modular solutions to a room full of specifiers. Furnitubes listened to UK Landscape Architects Declare Climate and Biodiversity Emergency and the plan for net zero carbon. Little did they know the wave of the pandemic was about to hit and ground many business and events to a halt.

Foot-pedal Sanitiser Dispensers

When the pandemic took hold in early March communities united and businesses pulled together to help combat the virus. Furnitubes joined forces with their manufacturing partners Contracts Engineering and used their design and metal manufacturing skills to create an innovative hand sanitiser dispenser in response to the Covid-19 crisis. Furnitubes have since proudly supplied over 2000 units to schools, restaurants and independent retailers across the country.

Akri - the other way to create large planter beds

Lockdown didn’t stop Furnitubes and as planned they launched Akri®, a solution to enabling large planting beds to be designed as part of a scheme. Manufactured in Furnitubes factory in Kent using recycled materials Akri steel planters are formed from both straight and curved panels, providing a variety of designs to suit outdoor areas, including podiums, roof terraces, and public spaces. Furnitubes are excited to see Akri transforming many schemes for 2021.

Refined product range

As part of Furnitubes commitment to sourcing UK materials and manufacturing they prioritised and streamlined their whole product range reducing Furnitubes carbon foot-print and in-house design and manufacture. And whilst Furnitubes still offer a range of traditional cast iron bollards and the well-known Bell traffic bollard, they now have a range of innovative modular seating and planting solutions that you can combine in any way you like to create unique designs.

Futurescape virtual

The pandemic has certainly taught us to adapt to new ways of working, learning and networking. When face-to-face contact was halted, technology stepped in. Furnitubes successfully exhibited at the first ever virtual exhibition and met (virtually) some amazing people and attended some fantastic learning seminars. Furnitubes look forward to being part of this year’s Futurescape where they will be showcasing their modular solutions which they are optimistic will be in person.

As Furnitubes look to the future, 2021 promises to be another exciting year, we are of course not out of the woods yet but we are hopeful the end is near. Furnitubes have developed a selection of new CPD’s and Masterclasses which are great for learning from home and available to book now. Look out for more product launches to their modular solutions and an exciting update to the Furnitubes brand and logo.