Kruckeberg Boardwalk
Washington , USA
Washington, USA
How Webnet Enhances Accessibility While Preserving Natural Beauty
Discover how Jakob Rope Systems’ innovative Webnet mesh solutions are helping create accessible experiences in natural settings without compromising aesthetic integrity or safety.
Creating accessible pathways through sensitive natural environments presents unique design challenges. The recently completed Kruckeberg Boardwalk in Shoreline, Washington exemplifies how thoughtful integration of transparent safety features can enhance accessibility while preserving the immersive natural experience that makes botanical gardens special.
Project Overview: Enhancing Accessibility in a Botanical Treasure
The Kruckeberg Botanic Garden represents an extraordinary collection of botanical diversity, home to over 2,000 plant species. When the City of Shoreline and the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation sought to make this natural treasure more accessible to all visitors, they faced a significant design challenge: how to create safe, accessible pathways without disrupting the garden’s immersive natural character.
The result is a stunning 550-foot elevated boardwalk that opened in August 2024, transforming the visitor experience by enabling those using wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility devices to explore the garden’s incredible natural spaces. The project, part of a $26 million multi-site renovation program, required safety features that would provide protection without creating visual barriers to the surrounding botanical collections.
The Webnet Solution: Transparent Protection
Jakob Rope Systems’ Webnet mesh was selected for the boardwalk’s safety railings, providing an elegant solution to several critical design requirements. Our stainless steel mesh offers a nearly invisible safety barrier that allows unobstructed views of the garden’s rare and native plants while meeting stringent safety codes for public facilities.
The virtually transparent nature of Webnet was particularly important in this botanical setting, where the design intent was to immerse visitors in the natural environment. Unlike solid railings or heavy glass barriers that would have created visual separation between visitors and the surrounding plant collections, our stainless steel mesh maintains visual continuity while ensuring visitor safety along the elevated pathway.
The marine-grade stainless steel construction provides exceptional durability in the Pacific Northwest’s variable climate conditions. This material choice ensures long-term performance with minimal maintenance requirements—an important consideration for municipal installations with limited maintenance resources.
Technical Integration with Architectural Vision
The Kruckeberg Boardwalk exemplifies the sophisticated design approach employed by the project team, led by progressive design-builder FORMA and designer Mithun. Working closely with these partners, Jakob Rope Systems provided technical expertise to integrate our Webnet mesh seamlessly with the wooden boardwalk structure.
The installation required precise coordination to ensure that the mesh panels followed the organic curves and elevation changes of the boardwalk. Our engineering team provided detailed specifications and mounting solutions that accommodated the project’s unique requirements while maintaining the clean aesthetic desired by the design team.
The resulting integration creates a harmonious balance between the natural wooden elements of the boardwalk and the stainless steel mesh railings. This cohesive design approach reinforces the project’s goal of creating an accessible pathway that feels like a natural extension of the garden environment.
In today’s competitive tourism and recreation landscape, creating standout experiences that connect visitors with nature while ensuring safety has become essential. The remarkable “Senda dil Dragun” (Dragon Path) in Laax, Switzerland showcases how innovative architectural solutions can create truly extraordinary experiences—offering valuable insights for US developers, architects, and recreation planners.
Project Overview: A Floating Path Through the Forest
The Senda dil Dragun represents a groundbreaking achievement in elevated walkway design. Extending 1.56 kilometers through mountain forest, this extraordinary structure maintains continuous elevation above the forest floor, supported entirely on stilts. Unlike many treetop paths that periodically touch ground, this “dragon path” creates a genuine floating sensation throughout its route.
Visitors experience the forest from varying perspectives, with the path reaching heights up to 28 meters above ground. The journey offers intimate encounters with spruce, fir, and pine trees—sometimes at eye level with the forest canopy, other times just above the forest floor where young trees and ferns create a different ecosystem. Two signature towers, standing 37 and 27 meters tall, mark the endpoints of this remarkable journey through nature.
The Design Challenge and Solution
For the project architects, creating a path that honored the forest while ensuring visitor safety presented significant challenges. The design needed to follow natural contours while minimizing impact on existing trees. Most importantly, the safety elements could not detract from the immersive forest experience.
Jakob Rope Systems was engaged to provide a transparent, lightweight, and high-quality fall protection solution. Our Webnet stainless steel mesh offered the ideal combination of structural integrity and visual discretion. The material’s filigree structure provides exceptional tensioning force while maintaining the flexibility needed to adapt to the organic path layout.
The weatherproof qualities of marine-grade stainless steel ensure year-round performance through all seasons with minimal maintenance requirements. For a forest installation subject to varying environmental conditions, this resilience was a critical consideration.
Technical Excellence at Scale
The scope of this project demonstrates Jakob’s capability to execute large-scale installations with precision engineering. The implementation incorporated over 3,000 square meters of Webnet with 1.5mm rope diameter and 40mm mesh aperture. The installation required more than 25,000 meters of binding rope, with individual Webnet sections spanning up to 60 meters.
Integration with round tube frame constructions provided the structural support necessary while maintaining the aesthetic quality of the installation. Special attention was given to winter conditions, with protective skirting boards installed along railings to prevent damage during snow clearing operations.
The installation process involved over 120 assembly days on site, with Jakob working in close collaboration with the architects from Hofmann & Durisch and metal fabrication specialists from Ragettli Metallbau AG. This partnership approach ensured seamless execution of the project vision.
Inspiring American Recreation and Tourism Innovation
The Senda dil Dragun offers compelling inspiration for American recreational developments seeking to create signature experiences. National and state parks can implement similar approaches to provide visitors with new perspectives on natural landscapes while minimizing environmental impact. Tourism destinations can develop distinctive attractions that create memorable experiences and drive visitor engagement.
The technology is equally applicable to urban forest preserves, where elevated pathways can create unexpected connections with nature in metropolitan settings. Mountain resorts and private recreational developments can expand their year-round offerings with immersive experiences that appeal to diverse audiences.
The Jakob USA Expertise
As the official Jakob Rope Systems office in the United States, our team brings comprehensive technical knowledge and support to American architectural and construction projects. We understand the unique requirements of large-scale installations and provide specialized expertise throughout the project lifecycle.
From initial concept development through detailed engineering and on-site implementation, our specialists ensure that each installation achieves both the technical requirements and design vision of the project. This consultative approach has established Jakob as a trusted partner for innovative architectural solutions.
Elevate Your Next Signature Project
When planning ambitious elevated walkways, canopy tours, or signature recreational attractions, engaging with our team early in the process ensures optimal results. Our specialists can provide comprehensive consultation, detailed technical specifications, and custom solutions tailored to your specific project requirements.
By drawing on our extensive experience with similar installations worldwide, we can help you navigate potential challenges and maximize the impact of your design vision. Our commitment to engineering excellence ensures that even the most ambitious concepts can be realized with safety and aesthetic integrity.
Contact Jakob Rope Systems USA today to explore how Webnet can transform your next signature project into a standout attraction that perfectly balances ambitious design with uncompromising safety.
Accessibility and Inclusion Through Design
The Kruckeberg Boardwalk represents an important advancement in making natural spaces accessible to all community members. By providing a pathway that accommodates visitors using wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility devices, the project embodies a commitment to inclusive design principles.
Jakob’s Webnet mesh contributes significantly to this accessibility mission. The transparent nature of our stainless steel mesh ensures that visitors with mobility limitations enjoy the same unobstructed views and immersive experiences as those walking through the garden. The result is an equitable experience that doesn’t differentiate between visitors based on mobility.
This approach to inclusive design sets a valuable precedent for other botanical gardens, parks, and natural areas seeking to enhance accessibility. The project demonstrates that with thoughtful material selection and integration, accessibility features can enhance rather than compromise the visitor experience.
Community Impact and Future Applications
Funded through a 2022 Parks Bond approved by Shoreline residents, the Kruckeberg Boardwalk represents a community investment in accessible natural experiences. The project’s success has significant implications for similar installations across the United States, particularly in sensitive environmental settings where balancing accessibility, safety, and aesthetic considerations is essential.
For botanical gardens, nature centers, and ecological preserves, the combination of elevated walkways with transparent safety barriers offers a proven approach to expanding access without disturbing delicate ecosystems. The durability of stainless steel mesh ensures that these installations can withstand years of public use with minimal environmental impact.
Urban parks and greenspaces can similarly benefit from this approach, creating accessible pathways that maintain visual connection with natural surroundings. As municipalities increasingly prioritize universal design principles, solutions that enhance accessibility without compromising the natural character of these spaces become increasingly valuable.
The Jakob Expertise
As the official Jakob Rope Systems office in the United States, our team brings Swiss engineering excellence to American architectural and construction projects. We understand the unique requirements of public installations and provide comprehensive support throughout the project lifecycle, from initial design consultation through implementation and beyond.
Our technical specialists work directly with architects, landscape architects, and contractors to ensure optimal integration of our stainless steel solutions. This collaborative approach ensures that each installation achieves both the functional requirements and aesthetic vision of the project.
Partner with Jakob for Your Accessible Design
When planning accessible pathways through natural environments, engaging with our team early in the design process ensures optimal results. Our specialists can provide comprehensive consultation, detailed technical specifications, and custom solutions tailored to your specific project requirements.
By drawing on our extensive experience with similar installations worldwide, we can help you navigate potential challenges and maximize the impact of your design vision. Our commitment to engineering excellence ensures that accessibility, safety, and aesthetic integrity work in harmony to create exceptional visitor experiences.
Contact Jakob Rope Systems USA today to explore how Webnet can enhance your next accessible pathway project while preserving the natural beauty that makes these spaces special.
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