York Bridge Concepts™ (YBC) Completes a Timber Pedestrian Bridge that Enhances Educational Opportunities for Students at Perkins School for the Blind
Watertown, MA (PRWEB) July 30, 2013 -- Located twenty minutes outside of Boston in beautiful Watertown, Massachusetts, Perkins School for the Blind is known as an innovative educational leader — serving students who are visually impaired, blind and deaf-blind, including those with additional disabilities, from birth to age 22. Founded in 1829, Perkins was the nation’s first school for the blind and has educated many acclaimed figures — including Laura Bridgman, the first known deaf-blind person to be educated, and Helen Keller, brought to Perkins by her teacher and Perkins’ former student, Anne Sullivan. By providing rich educational experiences for students, Perkins raises awareness for the needs of children who are visually impaired and prepares students to live healthy, independent lives. Perkins works in conjunction with other partner programs in 67 countries, developing personalized education plans for students in residential and day programs as well as in public schools in their home communities.
York Bridge Concepts™ (YBC) was selected for the design and construction of this bridge due to their ability to perceive the individualistic qualities of each project and achieve one-of-a-kind structures that leave lasting legacies. York Bridge™ has combined the talents of their team of expert designers, architects and engineers to perfect their Decero™ approach in the design and construction of timber bridges of any capacity and purpose. The Decero™ philosophy envelopes their organization, incorporating passion into projects with one objective — a unique, custom York Bridge™.
The client’s vision and requirements launched York’s Decero™ Design team on their quest to create an unequaled structure — inspired to fulfill their particular specifications for safety and design. With a design inspired by the uniqueness of Perkins students, YBC was able to incorporate intricate hand rails with three different levels to accommodate children of different heights and abilities — maximizing the bridge’s familiarity to all of its users. Children with special mobility needs have access to the lower rail while a standard height rail, meeting ADA standards, and an extended height rail, maintaining a level profile throughout the bridge, were all seamlessly designed for architectural precision and aesthetic enjoyment.
Designed to last up to 50 years with proper care, this timber pedestrian bridge, known as “John’s Bridge," can be found spanning the north side of Perkins Pond, integrating a walking path that surrounds almost the entire pond. Although this structure provides a beautiful crossing, its main purpose is to provide hands-on experience for students to linger, learn, explore nature and gather in groups. Strategic placement of the bridge in the pond was designed, among other features, to facilitate access to various water depths, allowing for diverse results while fishing from the bridge’s fishing hatches and for ease of water sample extractions for Life Science courses. Even before its completion, this bridge became an educational opportunity — used as a teaching tool to perform a classroom experiment simulating the amount of resistance encountered when placing timbers in the various types of soil layers. Perkins’ President, Steven Rothstein, said that the impact of the collective project on students and teachers is profound: “This is truly a commitment to accessibility; it’s a commitment to safety, to personal independence for our students. It’s a commitment to planning for the next hundred years.”
YBC’s commitment to excellence continued after the completion of the construction phase of “John’s Bridge." Placing great significance on the added value that they provide through both products and services, YBC remobilized to the site, applying their York Timber Protective Systems™ to the structure, ensuring safety, longevity, beauty and integrity, while reducing the need for long-term maintenance. Durable and eco-friendly textured polymer coating was applied to the deck, enhancing traction for pedestrians and providing lasting protection against moisture and the damaging effects of the sun. YBC’s professional ultra violet-resistant, oil-based coating was applied to the structural sides, hand rails, curbing and all outer areas of the bridge, adding protection from harmful UV rays and water damage, all while enhancing the beauty and charm of the framework.
YBC is excited to be a part of this benchmark addition to the campus of Perkins School for the Blind, adding to the faculty’s and students’ passion for learning by providing access to alternative tools for continued education. The staff at Perkins eagerly awaits the 2013-14 school year when they will introduce this friendly, accessible structure to their students — a combination of deep, warm, earthy tones including chestnut, red and black hardware that complement the surrounding campus and environment. According to Janice Provencher, Perkins’ Project Manager, the reaction to the bridge has been excellent: “The bridge can be viewed through the pond fence from our main driveway and walkway — the adjective most often used to describe it is MAGNIFICENT.”
About York Bridge Concepts
York Bridge Concepts™ (YBC) is the nation’s largest on-site Timber Bridge Builder. YBC works with industry-leading owners and developers on prestigious projects both domestically and abroad, creating comprehensive crossing solutions. In this competitive real estate market, developers who want to ensure that their project stands apart from the competition use York Timber Bridges to add value and create a feeling of exclusivity, warmth and quality for their customers. Based in Lutz, Florida, with over 28 years of experience, YBC is recognized for their expertise and cutting-edge innovation in timber bridge design and on-site construction.
About Perkins
Perkins provides education, services and products to people who are blind, deaf-blind, or visually impaired with other disabilities, to build more productive and meaningful lives. Perkins pursues this mission both locally and globally. Founded in 1829, Perkins reaches more than a half million people each year in 67 countries around the world. The organization advances its mission through its various divisions: School for the Blind, International, Library, eLearning, and Products. Learn more at http://www.Perkins.org.
Jessica Henson, York Bridge Concepts, http://www.ybc.com, 813-482-0613 108, [email protected]
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