Developers and landscapers looking to avoid the same-old look for public outdoor furnishings have a new option in BRP by Bison’s Urban Renewal collection, made from 100 percent recycled-content rebar.
Like most all-metal products, these steel bars, which are most commonly used as tensioning devices in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures to hold the concrete in compression, can be sold as scrap. Now designers are finding new uses for the material.
BRP’s new line of rebar benches come in many configurations, including backed and backless, single and double width, and 48-, 72-, or 96-inch lengths. The brand also fabricates receptacles from rebar for recycling, litter, ash, and plants that are designed to complement the benches or stand alone, offering a unique look in any park or on any streetscape. Bicycle security stations are also available. All pieces come with BRP’s Weatherbeater Mastercoat finish and two warranties—a 10-year finish warranty and a lifetime functional warranty.
“People came to the ASLA show where we launched the collection and said, ‘The benches don’t look like they’d be comfortable,’ but you’d be surprised,” says BRP by Bison president Nick Cusick. “They feel a lot like those beaded seat covers taxi drivers sit on.”
The Urban Renewal line is a new design collection for the Lincoln, Nebraska-based company, but an idea whose time had come. According to Cusick, aesthetics were the first driver. “Lincoln has been going through a significant rehab, revitalizing its downtown and building a new arena, and it seems as if everyone’s looking for something different—something edgy with an urban feel—for the construction elements,” he says, adding that the product’s green cred was an added bonus. “Everyone’s interested in sustainable construction, and rebar is as sustainable as you can get as a recycled product that will last a lifetime.”
