C.H. Briggs Gives Philadelphia Students a Lesson in Design with Bench Donations

READING, PA, April 15, 2010 - When the bell rings, students at three Philadelphia charter schools and one education nonprofit will now be greeted with one-of-a-kind benches created by local architects and designers.  C.H. Briggs, one of the largest independently-owned distributors of interior and specialty building products in the United States, challenged renowned Philadelphia designers to create benches made entirely of DuPont^TM Corian® during DesignPhiladelphia 2009. Displayed in three locations across Center City, the attention-getting designs were so popular that the Company chose to donate the benches to those who deserve them most - local students.

                "C.H. Briggs wants to cultivate the imaginations and bolster the creativity of young people in the Philadelphia community," said Luis Arias, chief marketing officer, C.H. Briggs. "What better way to help students grow than by surrounding them with modern design inspirations. The benches showcase the work of gifted local architects and designers that the kids can look up to, and maybe these students will be part of Philadelphia's design community one day."

                Organizations receiving benches include the Charter High School for Architecture + Design (CHAD), KIPP Philadelphia Schools, Young Scholars Charter School and Spells Writing Lab. The designs include:

• KIPP Philadelphia Schools:
• Stoop Bench, designed by Josh Owen LLC and created by SolidSurface Designs, Inc.
• Permutation, designed by Andrew Simmons and Chip Hemphill of Francis Cauffman and created by Allegheny Solid Surface Technologies.
• Young Scholars Charter School:
• Respect, designed by Adrienne Yancone of DIE Creative and created by Pence Countertops Inc.
• Charter High School for Architecture + Design:
• Leaf, designed by Rich Killeen, Robert Bray, Courtney Moorhead & Suzanne Wright of Granary & Associates and created by Eastern Surfaces, Inc.
• Spells Writing Lab:
• Span, designed by Chris Dawson of LSC Design and created by MacLaren Fabrication Inc.

The architects and designers whose benches were chosen to be donated were honored to provide area students with the imaginative designs.

"Inspired by the durability of Corian® and its diverse applications, our design celebrates the history of skateboarding in Philadelphia's Love Park," said Adrienne Yancone, DIE Creative.  "Given the design's emphasis on youth culture, we are excited that the bench will now have a home with the Young Scholars Charter School, just a few blocks from our studio."

"Chip and I entered this competition because we thought it would be fun and challenging at the same time," continued Andrew Simmons, Francis Cauffman.  "The fact that our design was selected and on public display along the Schuylkill Banks was exciting. Now to learn that our bench will be donated to KIPP Philadelphia School is truly an honor, and we are proud to represent Francis Cauffman.  We hope that our bench will help foster creativity and inspire students to explore careers in design."

                Headquartered outside of Philadelphia, C.H. Briggs connects with the community through a variety of projects throughout the year. In addition to the bench donations and DesignPhiladelphia exhibition, in 2010 the Company teamed up with Philadelphia University to provide students with the material to create innovative design projects made entirely of DuPont^TM Corian®. In 2009, C.H. Briggs opened the DuPont^TM Corian® Design Studio in Philadelphia's Marketplace Design Center to serve the needs of architects and designers citywide.

                C.H. Briggs markets and distributes specialty building materials. Founded in 1969 and operating in North America, C.H. Briggs offers a wide range of innovative products and services in hardware, board and surfacing materials. The company is the preferred sourcing partner for creators and users of commercial and residential interior building spaces. For more information, visit the company's web site at http://www.chbriggs.com/.

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