In public seating areas, people often face unspoken concerns: Am I taking up too much space? Will I be sitting too close to someone? If someone is already on the bench, questions arise—Can I sit here? Are they waiting for someone? Should I ask? These subtle hesitations point to a larger question: How might we create environments that respect diverse comfort zones and social boundaries—often unspoken—by recognizing and responding to nonverbal cues without requiring explicit communication?
Inspired by the fluid, instinctive motion of adjusting one’s seat, the Floe Bench invites users to rotate and adjust the seat effortlessly, moving closer for connection or turning apart to create personal space. It captures the natural desire to shift between shared and individual comfort—whether with a gentle turn toward deeper engagement or a subtle move for quiet reflection. Each movement transforms seating into a personal experience, where adjusting becomes a playful, intuitive expression of comfort and presence, supporting both shared moments and solitary ease.
Year: 2025
Floe Bench Set
The Floe Bench helps people establish boundaries. By turning one seat away from others, users create personal space while also signaling their desired distance. This movement not only defines their own boundaries but also communicates to others where it’s comfortable to sit. It eliminates the need to ask, as the bench naturally guides users to respect each other's space.
The seats arrangements may indicate the person is waiting for someone else or wants to be alone.
Components
With different parts, the Bench System can be arranged to adapt to different environments or situations.
