Boronia Station in Victoria’s east received a station upgrade back in 98′ as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project. The station was moved into an open trench, lowering the track level below road height, eliminating the level crossing at Boronia Rd/Dorset Rd intersection. While this project was vital to the town, the Lupton Way Train Station Throughfare including an arcade from Dorset Rd was left relatively untouched. Fast forward to 2020 the local council received funding as part of a post-covid revitalisation project to improve the throughfare, so that the space is more inviting and pedestrian friendly.
For safety, the space was to be made a pedestrian prioritised area where pedestrians cross over Lupton Way, and brightened with lighting for nighttime safety. It also included a pop up parklet with seating and planters for a more inviting atmosphere between the station and arcade.
A combination of customised standard products from Draffin Street Furniture was chosen to furnish the space. Noticing similarities in the design aesthetic of the Hobart suite and Hamilton planters, the council procured a selection of furniture while adding custom touches to the products. The furniture varies in features, adding a bespoke charm to the space.
The Furniture
Bright colours were chosen for all furniture. The use of bright colours offset the lack of colour in the existing space.
Hobart Table Settings
The Hobart Table Settings for this project were made wheelchair accessible. A cantilevered section of the two metre table was included by way of offsetting the leg support to midway. To increase accessibility one bench measures 600mm, to fit between the leg supports, making way for accessibility along the rest of the length of the table. The opposite bench measures 1500mm.
You will notice the leaf motif laser cut into the Hobart furniture’s leg supports. This motif is a standard design option. A flanged umbrella hole was also included in case extra shade was needed by users of the nearby cafe.
Hamilton Planters
Various Hamilton planter sizes were utilised, some for low foliage, some for larger more advanced trees and plants. This project demonstrates the Hamilton planters flexibility in design. Not only can Hamilton planters be made in many different sizes and shapes, the Hamilton range also options cantilever benches, tables and even bar height tables.
This planter measures a metre in length, width and height with cantilever benches on 3 sides. For an open space, this is a smart way to have several benches in close proximity without being in each other’s way and include some vegetation that would otherwise not grow there.
Here Knox City Council opted for a low two metre Hamilton planter. The bright orange powdercoat finish is baked on to hot dip galvanised mild steel to ensure long life performance. The planter has a wicking watering system built in to manage the watering of the plants, and an overfill pipe to ensure the planter is not over watered. A fill pipe can be located in the garden bed for easy filling of the on-board reservoir.
Hamiton Planters can be as simple or complex as you need. This one is a simple half metre high square planter, capable of containing a great deal of smaller plants. However, there is a lot more going on under the soil. The same wicking watering system can be found in this planter and is included in all Hamilton planters. 
Hamilton Planters use WaterUps wicking watering systems, a simple wicking system made from recycled plastic. It reserves a space at the bottom of the planter for water. Plants naturally seek out water with their roots, and send them down to take water as they need it, therefore delivering the perfect amount of water to the plant. You can make your own self wicking watering system, but WaterUps wicking systems have proven the cheapest, quickest and most effective way to deliver a wicking system that we can find.Bin Shrouds
While the space is a thoroughfare for pedestrians using the station, the space is located at the rear of local shops and must remain serviceable as such. Bin Skip Shrouds were included in the project to facilitate a space where the traders could bulk dispose of their waste. The shrouds provide a clear space where the skips are placed, while keeping the space neat. The shrouds also have the same laser cut leaf motif and are finished in Deep Pool powdercoat to provide continuity in design of the space.
Mix and Match
The Lupton Way Train Station Throughfare project uses two separate standard products from Draffin Street Furniture. By cleverly coordinating colours, materials, features and specifications, Knox City Council has created their own suite of cohesive outdoor furniture, brightening the space it was installed in. This also maintains identical finishes or materials across the project. We see more projects coming together in this way recently.
Draffin Street Furniture offer a wide standard range of public furniture that can be easily customised to your specifications. Full custom and bespoke furniture can be manufactured for your project as well. Start a quote request online or contact our knowledgeable sales team to get started.
