New Outdoor Benches Make Campus Stand Out

Steel Benches 

The changeable signboards on RJ Thomas’s durable steel benches and help add unique flair to many college campuses in the University of California System.

It's become increasingly clear that outdoor amenities and landscape design are playing a significant role on college campuses across the country. Across The University of California (UC) system, durable steel benches from R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co. offer a changeable sign board that can be used in many different and beneficial ways. UC Facility Manager Floyd Lawson intends to promote campus events and various academic programs. “Our benches are an ideal tool to generate awareness,” he says.

The all-steel bench is powder-coated and thermoplastic-coated in your color choice. Behind the custom sign is a supporting piece of ¾-inch marine grade plywood. The backrest includes a lockable frame to secure your custom signage. Three bench and sign sizes are available — four, six or eight feet long. All signs are 24 inches tall.

Lawson went on to say, “We like the flexibility to change the signage as often as we want, and the backrest can be saved and reused again.”

The backrest sign is a durable .040 gauge aluminum laminate with a ¼-inch polycarbonate core. Any custom graphic will be digitally printed on 3M vinyl material.

R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co. makes the Pilot Rock brand of campus, park and streetscape furniture. Made in the U.S. since 1959, their product line includes many designs of campus outdoor amenities including: park benches, picnic tables, bike racks, trash and recycling receptacles, and ADA-compliant wheelchairaccessible products.

www.pilotrock.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • dormitory with green roofs, solar panels, balconies, and labeled architectural annotations

    2025 Residence Hall Design Trends Focus on Sustainability, Flexibility, Community, Technology, and Well-Being

    With the most technically advanced Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) at the helm, residence hall design trends for 2025 look to focus on flexible spaces, health and wellness, sustainability, community, and digital technology.

  • ClassVR Wins Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTELive 25

    Avantis Education recently announced that its flagship product, ClassVR, won the Tech & Learning Best of Show Award at ISTELive 25 in San Antonio, Texas, according to a news release. The program is designed to celebrate products that are “transforming education in schools around the world and that show the greatest promise for the industry,” and this is the fourth consecutive year that Avantis has claimed the award.

  • Beeville ISD Starts Construction on New Elementary School

    The Beeville Independent School District near Corpus Christi, Texas, recently began a construction project that will consolidate two existing, aging schools into a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district is partnering with Pfluger Architects and Spawglass General Contractors for the design and construction, respectively, of the new facility.

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

Digital Edition