Handrail for the Lighthouse Guild

The leading non-profit for the blind and visually impaired, the Lighthouse Guild provides life-changing services for people in need. With more than a century of history, the Lighthouse Guild offers on-site healthcare, rehabilitation and schooling in the heart of New York City.

To serve as many people as possible — in as many ways as possible — the Lighthouse Guild upgraded to a state-of-the-art facility in downtown Manhattan, sharing space in the headquarters of United Cerebral Palsy of NYC.

Learn more about how HDI completed the United Cerebral Palsy of NYC Headquarters.

The Lighthouse Guild wanted to build an inclusive space for the many people they serve, both in the classroom and in the medical office. They worked with the builder Gilbane, Inc. to bring their design to fruition.

When envisioning a new space for their unique school and healthcare facility, Lighthouse Guild stakeholders knew they required safety to stand out as a paramount concern. Sturdy handrails are a crucial safety feature for everyone in every building. However, for the blind and visually impaired, they are especially important. These handrails were required on multiple floors on the facility.

Gilbane contacted HDI to incorporate reliable, world-class handrails into the design.

HDI provided a wall-mounted railing system that combined wood, steel, and HEWI nylon into a single design.

Running the length of the corridors, this handrail provided safety to all visitors, vision-impaired or not. The smooth wooden texture provided unique flair while the stylish wooden hues matched that of the floor.

This project was also something of a milestone for HDI as it marked beginning of a transition to a new construction method for HDI wood rails. By building the steel reinforcements into the wood, HDI eliminated the need for stainless steel spacers at each bracket, while making a railing system as strong as any carrying the HDI name.

Both Gilbane and the Lighthouse Guild stakeholders were impressed with their world class handrail system.

If you’re considering a stylish yet strong railing system, contact HDI for a conversation.