Press Release
Re Form Urban Furniture System by Bulent Unal Receives the A' Design Award in Street Furniture Design
Bulent Unal recognized for street furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the A' Design Award in the Street Furniture Design category for Re Form Urban Furniture System by Bulent Unal. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Re Form Urban Furniture System
Re Form is a modular urban furniture system crafted from durable concrete, designed to create adaptable public spaces. Featuring four main modules with two sub-variations, each unit maintains a 450 mm seating height for ergonomic comfort. The modular design allows flexible configurations, encouraging social interaction and spatial transformation. Easily transportable and reconfigurable via forklift, ReForm ensures long term usability, cost-efficiency, and dynamic engagement in urban environments.
About Bulent Unal
I am an industrial product designer who combines design education and practice and is active in both academic and professional fields. I work as a department head and associate professor at a university, developing social benefit-oriented projects such as sustainability, disaster housing and disadvantaged groups. I work with interdisciplinary teams, prepare content that will inspire my students and encourage them to think innovatively. I have won design awards, conducted academic research, and prioritised quality and accessibility in education. My approach that blends creativity, the ability to produce solutions and social sensitivity makes me interesting.
Award Record
This recognition makes Bulent Unal a winner of 10 A' Design Awards. The awards span the editions from 2016 - 2017 to 2024 - 2025 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Street and City Furniture Design Award
The A' Street Furniture Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good street furniture designs by leading designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to street furniture designers, industrial design studios, street furniture brands and street furniture manufacturers from all countries. Entries typically include benches, bollards, bus shelters, bicycle racks, litter bins and planters. Awarded street furniture designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/street-furniture
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/170641
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/170641
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!170641
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/172485
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Re Form Urban Furniture System
- Function
- Urban Furniture System
- Category
- Street Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Social Impact
- Colors
- Dim Gray, Olive Drab, Gray, Sienna and Light Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Bulent Unal
- Country
- Turkiye
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #170641
Credits
- Image Credits
- Main; Rendered by hakan Gokdemir, 2025 Opt.; Rendered by hakan Gokdemir, 2025
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Crafted from durable concrete, offers adaptable solutions for various urban spaces. Each module can be arranged in multiple configurations to serve different functions, ensuring flexibility and long-term usability. The design integrates optional wooden or concrete seating surfaces, enhancing comfort and aesthetics. Easily produced, cost-effective, and weather-resistant, these modules encourage social interaction and can be repositioned over time, keeping public spaces dynamic and engaging.
- Inspiration
- Project was inspired by the need for adaptable and long-lasting urban furniture that responds to evolving public space dynamics. The concept stems from modularity in architecture and urban design, allowing flexible configurations to suit various spatial and functional needs. Research on durable, cost-effective materials led to the use of concrete, ensuring weather resistance and ease of production. The design encourages interaction and engagement by enabling reconfigurable layouts over time.
- Research
- This project explores modular urban design, emphasizing adaptability, durability, and social engagement. The goal was to create a reconfigurable public seating system that supports various spatial layouts and social interactions. Research involved ergonomic studies, and modular arrangement analysis. Findings demonstrated that different configurations foster diverse social dynamics, encouraging interaction, inclusivity, and flexible public space utilization.
- Challenge
- This design is based on applied research in modular urban furniture and material durability. The objective was to develop a cost-effective, flexible, and weather-resistant solution for public spaces. The methodology included material testing, user interaction studies, and modular configuration analysis. Data was gathered through observational research and prototyping. Findings revealed that reconfigurable layouts enhance public engagement and spatial efficiency. This research contributes to urban design by offering adaptable, long-lasting, and interactive solutions for evolving city environments.
- Realization and Technology
- The design utilizes high-strength, weather-resistant concrete for durability and cost-efficiency. Modules are cast using precision molds, ensuring consistency and ease of mass production. Optional wooden seating surfaces add warmth and user comfort. The modular units are designed for transportation via forklift, enabling quick and flexible installation. This approach minimizes construction complexity while allowing for reconfiguration to adapt to changing urban needs.
- Operation and Interaction
- The modular system allows flexible arrangements, adapting to various urban needs. Modules can be repositioned over time, creating dynamic public spaces that evolve with user demands. Their weight ensures stability, while forklift-assisted placement allows easy reconfiguration. Optional wooden surfaces enhance comfort, encouraging social interaction. This adaptability fosters renewed engagement, making urban spaces more versatile, inviting, and sustainable over time.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in December 2024 in Ankara and finished in February 2025 in Ankara
- Specifications
- The design consists of four modular units, two of which have two sub-variations. All units have a uniform seating height of 450 mm for ergonomic comfort. Three units fit precisely within a 2000 mm x 2000 mm footprint, optimizing spatial efficiency. The leaf-shaped unit measures approximately 2800 mm in length. Made from durable concrete with optional wooden surfaces, the modules are designed for forklift-assisted placement and flexible reconfiguration.
- Keywords
- Modular Urban Furniture, Adaptive Public Spaces, Concrete Durability, Flexible Configuration, Social Interaction
