What is HCF Contract Furniture most known for, and what is your role in the team?
HCF Contract Furniture is best known for manufacturing bespoke booth seating and banquette systems for hospitality, education and commercial environments across the UK. We’re a family-run business with over 30 year’s experience, producing made-to-order seating from our Essex-based workshop. I’m involved in overseeing projects from initial enquiry through to production, working closely with clients, designers and suppliers to deliver tailored seating solutions.
Can you talk me through the Drayton Manor project? What was the idea for the project?
The Drayton Manor High School project focused on creating durable, well-designed seating areas that could support both social and meeting-style use within a busy education environment. The café required robust banquette seating for daily use, while the upstairs areas were designed as quieter meeting booths, so the seating needed to balance practicality with comfort and a clean, contemporary look.
Why did you choose Agua for the project and what fabrics did you require for the job?
Agua was chosen for its proven performance in education environments, particularly where durability, clean-ability and comfort are essential. Taurus was specified throughout the café banquette seating due to its faux leather finish, making it ideal for high-traffic areas where food and drink are present; while Linetta, a woven fabric, was selected for the upstairs meeting booths to create a softer, quieter feel suited to focused and collaborative spaces.
What is your experience of working with Agua? How does the team typically help you achieve your goals?
We’ve worked with Agua for many years and have consistently found the team knowledgeable, responsive and easy to work with. Their support with fabric selection, technical guidance and lead times gives us real confidence when specifying materials for different environments. Whether we’re working on education, hospitality or commercial projects, Agua’s reliability and product expertise help ensure a smooth process from specification through to installation, ultimately allowing us to deliver high-quality, long-lasting seating solutions for our clients.
For more on this HCF Contract Furniture project, click here.