New York City is constantly under construction, meaning the skyline and sidewalk vistas always include cranes and scaffolding. Now, two designers aim to improve the view by making construction a little nicer for pedestrians. Their sidewalk-improving initiative is called Softwalks.
The endeavor comes from Bland Hoke and Howard Chambers, who began working on it two years ago while at Parsons the New School for Design. Their prototype is a DIY kit that allows people to turn any unsightly local scaffolding into a temporary place to hang out. It includes chairs, tables and even hanging baskets for plants.
All elements are easily attached and detached to the exterior parts of build sites — they’re temporary additions that can be added when necessary but also removed with ease.
Right now Softwalks is still a design concept, but the initial tests have won Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award in the student category. Hoke and Chambers are raising money on Kickstarter to begin a pilot project that will see the kit installed in a location for a short period of time. Backer’s rewards include laser-cut business card holders for $20, to the actual seats and planters used for Softwalks for $800 to $1000.
'Softwalks' Spruces Up New York City's Construction Zones
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'Softwalks' Spruces Up New York City's Construction Zones
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'Softwalks' Spruces Up New York City's Construction Zones
