Hospitality seating is a multifaceted category, comprising everything from simple chairs and tables to multi-practical solutions such as beam seating. 

Beam bench seating is an alternative to standard chairs. It’s a sturdy, highly stable, space-savvy arrangement that allows the seats to be placed right next to each other while consuming only a minimum of available floor space. Typical units feature two to five seats; however, it’s possible to find long lines or have them customised according to the needs. 

Advantages of Beam Seating

• Reliable, strong seating option: Beam seating often features arms, legs and connectors made of tubular metal. The durable material allows for reliable use, resisting showing signs of wear and tear. Connectors and supports made of steel offer additional strength and support, ideal for use in schools. Many beam seating lines are made to hold a substantially static load. 
• Ease of maintenance: Durable seats are designed for low or no maintenance, made of materials resistant to stains and easy to clean, with particular attention put to areas in direct contact with the users. More affordable options include plastic seats and backs, while the higher-end models often feature wood or specially formulated, moulded polyethene. Beam seating can be upholstered with fabrics resistant to body fluids and various kinds of spills. The addition of ultraviolet light stabilisers also makes the material resistant to fading.  
• Flexible installation and configuration: Beam seating comes in a variety of choices, from a single free-standing unit to five or more connected seats and flexible installation options. They can be aligned against a wall to allow undisturbed traffic flow, or arranged in endless rows.
• Space-saving: Beam bench seating maximises the seating efficiency in a variety of locations. The rows of waiting room chairs can be made as a combination of seats and side/end tables or divider tables to provide functional surface area, while the divider arms secure sufficient and well-defined personal space. Arranged alongside a wall, it maximises seating space in the room with a minimal footprint. 
• Order: The seats fixed to the beam are a convenient choice to maintain organised uniformity in high-frequency places, as they can’t be bumped out of place or moved around.
• Adaptability: Beam seating can be customised and configured to the requirements and paired with matching individual chairs or sofas for a more uniform appeal. Apart from linear lines, rows can be arranged to mimic booth seating and create more private areas, convenient for large spaces such as airport waiting halls. 

Beam Seating Applications

Beam sitting is a common feature of waiting rooms, from airports to medical facilities and schools. 

• Clinics, hospitals, and various doctors’ practices, or any place where a visitor will likely have to spend a certain portion of time sitting in a waiting room.
• Any sort of ample space with hundreds of seats, such as airports 
• Narrow corridors in need of a seating area
• High-frequency areas where the furniture has to withstand daily wear and tear, such as schools and lecture halls
• Reception area seating 
• Courthouses
• Public halls
• Car washes
• Stadiums and various sports facilities

Types of Beam Seating

Flip-up seats are an ideal space-saving option for small areas. They usually feature an adjustable mechanism that allows the seat to automatically fold once a person stands up, or remains in the same position until manually set. Flip-up beam seating is often floor-fixed for additional stability and maintaining a narrow footprint.  

Floor fixed beam seating is frequently used in medical environments and busy places with a lot of traffic. Apart from helping with maintaining order, fixed searing reduces cleaning time. 

Beams with free-standing feet can be easily placed anywhere and quickly repositioned when needed. An average free-standing beam has four seats on two legs, allowing easy access for maintenance. 

Rows of specially designed healthcare chairs in a hospital waiting room, suited for the majority of patients, typically feature sturdy arms ends of each beam to provide some support for the user while sitting and standing back up. Sturdy, robust, hard-wearing metal frames ensure durability, while the seats and backs can be cushioned for enhanced comfort. 

Healthcare and school chairs are often upholstered in anti-microbial vinyl for safer, more convenient use. However, wood and plastic beam seating can be used as alternatives to the fabric beam seating. While less comfortable, these materials are preferred in environments exposed to a higher risk of vandalism - such as sports stadiums and, sometimes, schools. 

Things to Consider When Choosing Beam Seating

Narrow corridors and waiting rooms can benefit from rows of 3- to 5-seat beams. They require minimum floor space, far less than individual healthcare chairs, leaving most of the walkway accessible for traffic flow. 

Beam seating with a table works best in angled rows, where a table can put in use an otherwise wasted corner space. Moreover, alternating seats and tables solve the problem of social distance in beam seating. 

Beam bench seating is an excellent alternative to sofas and waiting room chairs, as a space-saving alternative that can still seat the whole family together.

Fabric beam seating can brighten up the neutral rooms, making them more welcoming. Using bold, vibrant colours - particularly in children healthcare departments - can enhance the feeling of safety and minimise stress levels. 

Designer beam seating adds strong aesthetic value to the functionality. As a visual feature, it can greatly improve the aesthetic appeal of the waiting room or a hall area. 

If you need assistance to find the right beam seating for your home or office, ArchiPro provides a connection to the various professionals, ready to assist with all requirements and questions. Simply click "Contact supplier" on the product's page, or visit the supplier's website directly from the product's page.