Bench raises like a drawbridge

Sunset, April, 1985

To add seating to this deck without blocking the path to an outdoor potting and storage area, owner Michelle Corash and Berkely landscape architect Ron Herman designed one section of the bench so it would lift up.

Two butt hinges allow it to fold backward and lie flat, out of the way. When set back into place, the bench top--two 2-by-4s and one 2-by-6 nailed to three 1-by-2s--rests on one of the 2-by-4 cross supports attached to a post.