Green urban furniture: a cooperation between Devoto Design and Università degli Studi Federico II

Green urban furniture by Università degli Studi Federico II: a new cooperation for Devoto Design with the architecture department of Università degli Studi Federico II, a new experimental research and development project. 

About one year ago a fruitful cooperation with the architecture department of Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II started. Thanks to professors Ivo Caruso and Alfonso Morone, Devoto Design was involved in the realization of the “free-standing” furniture that is part of the AURA project.

WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY  to welcome university students and give them the chance to have a closer look at the world of Interiors from the point of view of the makers.. (Marianna Devoto, Architect & Sales Director)

“Green & Smart Urban Furniture”: the AURA project

Aura is a project of industrial research and experimental development supported by MISE – the Italian Ministry of Economical Development –  with the goal of:

CREATING A NEW GENERATION of urban furniture called “Green & Smart Urban Furniture that aims at taking advantage of the ability of some plants to metabolize polluting agents and combining it with detectors that can measure the level of pollution in the air as well as the main maintenance data of the biofilter systems. (prof. Alfonso Morone)

The industrial component of the AURA project is represented by Euphorbia srl Società Benefit, a company specialized in green design of Cultural and Heritage projects, and by FOS SpA specialized in the application of detectors, artificial intelligence and data management.

The academic research is led by DiARC, the department of architecture of the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, specifically by the design group led by Prof. Alfonso Morone that is also the scientific manager of the whole project.

For more information, you can read the abstract by Prof. A. Morone below.

AURA AIMS AT STUDYING AND DEVELOPING the technical and commercial potential of a new generation of manufacts for the urban furniture such as: 1. Benches. 2. Seats. 3. Shelters. 4. Green moveable walls/ Noise barriers. 5. Info Point totems/ Parking meters. 6. Electric bycycle/car charging points. 7. Small billboards. 8. Small recycling bins. 9. Organic waste bins. 10. Lampposts. These innovative elements are conceived to be placed anywhere in the European Union, in all towns and cities, both indoor and outdoor, including the cultural heritage areas – especially those in ancient historical centers..

Realization of green urban furniture: the fir wood totem by Devoto

The first element Devoto manufactured is the fir wood totem – here is a  preview of its executive drawings. The features of the totem are:

• thermo-formed Resysta® panel
• CNC-cut iron sheet 
• MAIN STRUCTURE in fir wood
• SHELVES in epanded aluminium
• modular BENCHES with a structure in zinc-coated iron, fir wood and a seat in thermo-formed Resysta® with curved edges

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WHAT’S MORE: as you can see on the drawings, the totem is surrounded by the modular benches, some of them curving. their main feature is that they can be combined to create one single piece of furniture. It is possible to get the configuration that better meets the needs of the moment.

THE COOPERATION WITH universities is essential to Devoto, especially when innovation projects are involved. They represent an occasion of enrichment and a never-ending exchange of ideas. Universities are the “cradle” of innovation, experimentation and research, values that are at the base of our company culture. (Marianna Devoto, Architetta & Sales director)

The exhibition at Città della Scienza

The presentation of the urban furniture took place at Città della Scienza in Naples from 22nd to 24th November.

To learn more:

• AURA: the Research & Development project for the creation of urban furniture called “Green & Smart Urban Furniture”: read the abstract about the project by Prof. A. Morone 
• Città della Scienza: visit the official website