Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Photo: Garden Hawthorns in Poor Condition

Hawthorns, northern edge of the WSV Sasaki Garden, courtesy of Hubert J Steed (source)

The hawthorn pictured in the foreground of the photograph lost a major branch (it's only one) during an early fall storm (not superstorm Sandy).  The remaining trunk was removed after the hurricane.  The hawthorns in the background have been improperly pruned and no longer exhibit the traditional structure of a hawthorn.  Furthermore, the loss of much of their canopy has led to poor growth and stunted habit.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Two Major Projects Will Help Transform NYU and NYC

The title of this post is the subtitle of an article in the NYU Alumni Magazine (Fall 2012) about NYU 2031 and the Center for Urban Science and Progress (or CUSP).
NYU has been busy this past year— and things are likely to get even busier since two vital projects were reccently green-lighted by the city..... To deal with an ever-tightening campus crunch, the university sought and received approvals for its first-ever, longterm space growth plan, called NYU 2031....NYU is at a significant disadvantage when it comes to space; the 2031 plan will help ensure the university can meet the needs of its students and faculty for decades to come. “While other sectors of New York’s economy have been shrinking, education has been expanding,” President John Sexton says. “Keeping our universities strong keeps New York strong, and will ensure [the city] remains a world capital in the years ahead.”
The complete article is available on pages 17 - 18 at http://www.nyu.edu/alumni.magazine/issue19/pdf/NYU19.pdf.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Mid-Century Modern Landscape Architecture

The Sasaki Garden is a mid-century modern landscape. No books have been written about it yet, but Lawrence Halprin's Skyline Park, a mid-century modern park, is the subject of a new book by Professor Ann Komora. Read ASLA's book review here.