In the 1940s, ecologist Aldo Leopold built a plain wooden bench, now known as the aldo leopold farm bench, at his farm in Wisconsin. He wanted a place to sit and think about the natural world. Decades later, that simple seat has become the starting point for a full line of outdoor furniture.
The original bench used dimensional lumber and an X-shaped frame that braces itself. The design wastes almost no material, and nearly anyone with basic tools can assemble it. Those qualities made it useful well beyond one farm.
Leopold’s bench was built to be assembled by almost anyone, and other designers have pursued the same goal. Satoshi Itasaka’s FLAT/FORM furniture built for easy assembly shows how simple construction can also deliver longevity.
Eric Swanson, president of Duluth, Minnesota-based outdoor furniture brand Loll Designs, says almost anyone with a saw, fasteners, and lumber can build one. The company has now partnered with Michigan industrial design studio Argenta Park to rework the design as the Here and There Collection. The name reflects Leopold’s view that people should appreciate what is nearby as well as what lies farther away.
The collection includes a dining chair, a dining table, and a bench.
The project took twelve years to reach the market. In 2014, Argenta Park designer Ricky Biddle needed seating for his outdoor wedding. He did not want to rent flimsy event furniture. Instead, he spent his bachelor party building one from scratch.
The approach echoes Enzo Mari’s Autoprogettazione, the Italian designer’s open-source furniture plans, which invited people to build their own pieces.
Biddle and his family kept using the benches every day. That long-term use made him rethink the design. He wanted to apply modern manufacturing, better ergonomics, and year-round durability. He pitched the idea to Argenta Park founder Churu Yun and the Loll Designs engineering team.
Preserving the idea, not the lumber
Brian King, Loll Designs’ brand and marketing director, says not every historical design can become a modern product. The team looks for pieces with real meaning and selects the elements worth keeping. Loll used this approach before, most notably when it updated the Adirondack chair for current standards.
The new collection keeps the low, understated silhouette of the aldo bench. It drops the flat planks for softly contoured surfaces. Assembly uses fewer fasteners. The pieces are made from 100 percent recyclable high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a plastic that resists weather and needs little upkeep. Buyers can choose Black, Charcoal Grey, Fog, or Sage.
Recycled plastic is also gaining ground in public and commercial design, as seen in Potato Head’s Bali store with recycled plastic workshops, which shows how waste plastic can become a building material.
Why the aldo leopold farm bench needed a new material
Maintenance and comfort now matter more to buyers. Many homeowners want outdoor pieces that handle harsh seasons and still look refined. Swanson argues that older wooden designs like this bench often required constant upkeep and offered weak ergonomics. Buyers want to sit and relax, not repair their furniture. That is why the team moved away from wood, shaped a curved seat and backrest, and set the dining table height with care.
Leopold is widely regarded as a founder of wildlife ecology. His bench invited people to spend time outdoors for as long as they liked. The Here and There Collection extends that idea into a new material and a new generation of outdoor spaces.
Via design-milk.com
Frequently asked questions
What is the Here and There Collection?
The Here and There Collection is a line of outdoor furniture that Loll Designs created with Michigan industrial design studio Argenta Park. It reworks Aldo Leopold’s farm bench and includes a dining chair, a dining table, and a bench.
What material is the Here and There Collection made from?
The Here and There Collection is made from 100 percent recyclable high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The article says this plastic resists weather and needs little upkeep.
Who created the aldo leopold farm bench and why?
Ecologist Aldo Leopold built the original bench in the 1940s at his farm in Wisconsin. He wanted a place to sit and think about the natural world.
What colors does the Here and There Collection come in?
Buyers can choose the Here and There Collection in Black, Charcoal Grey, Fog, or Sage.
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