Work on Nassau Hall green to begin
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This rendering from Quennell
Rothschild & Partners shows the configuration
for the walkways around Nassau Hall (center).
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"We'll be starting in March to get some work done before commencement, and then resuming work again after commencement during the summer," said James Consolloy, grounds manager in building and grounds maintenance.
Most of the work will focus on the green north of Nassau Hall. It will include: replacing the paved paths with bluestone edged with cobblestone; retaining the central unpaved walk, but replacing the material with stabilizing gravel; removing a few diseased trees and the hedge in front of the Joseph Henry House; improving the drainage system; repairing the front gates and lamps; and replacing the gravel surrounding the building with grass.
The work is part of a five-year master plan to enhance the open spaces in the historic part of campus, according to Dan Casey, coordinating architect in physical planning. University staff members have been collaborating with Quennell Rothschild & Partners of New York City, which developed the plan. The initial work began last summer with the renovation of Hamilton Courtyard.
An overarching goal is to take into account the original landscaping plans for the historic part of campus and, when possible, return to those schemes. For example, the new design for the paved walks coming from the corner gates features a loop around Nassau Hall (see drawing). That was inspired by the layout of a late 19th-century walk, glimpsed in early photographs, as was the use of bluestone.
While maintaining the flexibility to include historical features, the master plan is very deliberate about its requirements.
"We've established design guidelines for all the spaces between buildings," Casey said. "We've clarified the circulation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, determined how plantings might be added to enhance the landscaping and designed a hierarchy for walkway widths, depending on their use and importance."
All the paved walkways around Nassau Hall will be widened by one foot. The walkway immediately in front of the building will be moved a few feet north so that the platform erected for special events does not cover it.
The architects decided to retain the unpaved center walkway for historical reasons. The stabilizing gravel that will replace the regular gravel is the same material that has been used in New York City's Central Park. The gravel is mixed with a fine clay-like dust that serves as a binding agent, making the walkway feel more like a paved path while retaining its permeability.
Casey and Consolloy have met with Nassau Hall staff members to discuss the plans and resulting minor disruptions. "It will be mostly quiet activity," Consolloy said. "There will be some noise on occasion, but not every day."
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March 5, 2001 Contents Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8
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