Dwelling
Built-in bench
housingcorredorpublic spaceschoolplaza
A fixed bench of stone, brick or another material attached to the wall, usually next to the door of the house.
What it solves
It offers a place to sit in the shade of the eave, rest and talk with passersby. It connects the house with the street without the need for loose furniture.
Today
Place it under the eave or in the shade of a tree, at a comfortable seat height and with the wall as a backrest. A bench facing the sidewalk or the veranda puts people watching the street and makes it safer.
Common mistake
Making it very low or without shade, so that no one uses it.
Tomorrow
For older people, a place to sit every so often makes a neighborhood walkable. Made with earth, local stone or recycled concrete, it is a low-cost, long-lasting piece of street furniture.
Where it comes from
- 1Rural Hispanic house Spain, of diffuse origin
The Spanish word poyo comes from the Latin podium and names the bench next to the door of rural houses. - 2Arab world Eastern Mediterranean, traditional
The Arabic word mastaba means bench and also names a raised sitting area in the traditional Palestinian house. - 3Swahili cities Mombasa, Kenya, traditional
The baraza, a low stone bench built against the facade, is part of the architecture of the old town.
Appears in the routes
See also
Also in Dwelling
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.