Stair hazard

This hand rail is located on the Mississippi State campus. I have used the rail and it serves it's purpose well, except for one minor detail: the hand rail terminus is a hazard! On more than one occasion, I have been distracted while approaching the railing and barely avoid empaling myself. As responsible designers in the landscape architecture world, we must keep in mind the health, safety, and welfare of all people. This means making the correct decision on materials used in a design. The flaw with this railing exists because the rail does not return on itself, or terminate into an object (post or building). Let's pay attention to details like this in our courtyard design.