Annual Meeting Sponsor Spotlight: Forms+Surfaces
Forms+Surfaces creates beautiful, high-performance products for public spaces, making it a natural fit for sponsoring the 2009 ASLA Annual Meeting and EXPO.

Forms+Surfaces has been at the forefront of design leadership, material innovation, and advanced manufacturing technologies for more than 45 years. Reflecting this rich history, the company has gained a reputation as an unparalleled resource for architectural products.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Carpinteria, California, Forms+Surfaces maintains manufacturing facilities as well as design, engineering, customer support, and administrative teams in both locations. In addition to a combined staff of 250 associates, the company has an international sales force of approximately 60 U.S. territory and global managers, with sales offices in Singapore and Dubai.

A large sector of Forms+Surfaces’ product mix is devoted to products for landscape environments: benches, bike racks, café furniture, litter and recycling receptacles, planters, lighting, security bollards, railings, signage, and wayfinding systems. The company’s products have an extensive range of applications and market segments, including airports, train stations, city centers, corporate campuses, universities, and waterfronts, to name just a few.

By designing products for public environments, Forms+Surfaces is keenly aware of the challenges landscape architecture professionals face as they design and implement projects: harsh weather conditions, high-traffic settings, security and environmental concerns, tight budgets, and so on. The company creates its interrelated, customizable solutions with real-world use in mind. The result gives specifiers an array of beautiful, high-performance, cost-efficient products that address site challenges, such as project-specific space allotment and performance requirements, while allowing them to realize their creative vision.

Environmental stewardship has always been a primary focus for Forms+Surfaces. While its entire business is committed to improving public spaces, the company works hard to protect the ultimate public space: the natural environment. Designs, materials, finishes, and manufacturing capabilities are selected to ensure long-lasting, well-designed products that require minimal maintenance, eliminate the need for frequent replacement, and look great forever. Its products have environmentally responsible features—such as high recycled content, low- and no-VOC finishes, and energy efficiency factors (where applicable)—designed into its products from inception.

A key step the company has taken to support its environmental commitment is the expansion of its in-house sustainability team. Led by a LEED® Accredited Sustainability Manager, the team is readily available to help clients navigate regional and global environmental standards, supply product environmental impact data, and consult on recycled content, material options, and other sustainability issues. Interested individuals are invited to call toll-free at 800-451-0410 or email the sustainability team directly at green@forms-surfaces.com to discuss particular needs.

Forms+Surfaces considers itself a partner to the landscape architecture community. As such, it believes it has a responsibility to support the profession. Sponsoring the annual meeting and exhibiting at EXPO are important ways to demonstrate this support. It also creates an important opportunity for face-to-face dialogue with landscape architecture professionals, which accomplishes two important company goals—educating practitioners about Forms+Surfaces’ unique resources and better understanding the challenges landscape architecture professionals face.

Forms+Surfaces has built a global reputation for innovative designs, sophisticated materials, and a wide array of environmentally responsible products that can be tailored to suit the aesthetic and performance needs of virtually any site. For more information about Forms+Surfaces, visit the website or stop by booth 1812 at the 2009 ASLA Annual Meeting and EXPO.