The NJASLA student chapter made their way to Stantec's New York City office. A group of students accompanied by Holly Nelson visited Stantec, an interdisciplinary firm that provides professional consulting services in planning, engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental science, project anagement, and project economics for infrastructure and facilities projects.
Turns out, three of the landscape architects working at Stantec are Rutgers graduates!
Here is the website of their NYC office
and here is their work
Afterward, the group visited Madison Square Park, where Giuseppe Penone's bronze trees were displayed.
(Courtesy Madison Square Park Conservancy; photo by James Ewing)
(Courtesy Mad Sq Eats)
We also went Mad. Sq. Eats- a semi-annual culinary market presented by UrbanSpace and the Madison Square Park Conservancy and indulged in some dishes that feature the area's best food and drink.
This was a wonderfully educational and fun time for all who attended
I was in the city on the west side at Pier 62 or Chelsea Pier and while looking for parking I ran into this art display. Seeing sheep with rolling meadows in such an urban environment was a complete impact to me!
The art display that you see in the pictures below are a total of 25 sheep statues that have taken over a gas station on New York's west side. The art display was put up by the public art program Getty Station. The work is done by Michael Shvo and Paul Kasmin Gallery, who have brought back the cartoonish pieces of the late French artist Fracois-Xavier Lalanne. This gas station property will eventually be transformed into luxurious residences but until then the property will be home to this art display.
This past Saturday, October 26th, our History of Landscape Architecture class went on a super exciting trip to New York City! The trip began with a tour through Central Park, guided by our professor Seiko Goto. We learned about a lot of the history of Central Park, Fredrick Law Olmstead, and formal vs. informal designs.
After a walk through Central Park, we split off from our professor and wandered the city on our own. Some of us went to see the Battery Park in Lower Manhattan and then went on to visit The Highline. Check out these pictures of our trip! (Courtesy of our classmate Theresa Hyslop):
Turtle Pond and The Great Lawn from Belvedere Castle at Central Park
Bethesda Terrace and fountain on The Mall at Central Park
These are some photos from my trip to Salem. This street was the first planned street. The architecture is beautiful up there and is a great experience with rich history. The U.S navy was started here under George Washington. The witch hunt trials took place in this area. And some of the oldest history on the east coast exists here. I encourage everyone to travel and see these things. My experience here was phenomenal. The streets and the use of open space was interesting and a great learning curve as a designer.
This summer Gwen Heerschap, a senior in the department, was one of the recipients of the Roy DeBoer Travel Prize. Below you can read some of the presentation she wrote which ,was given on the October 9th 2013 Common Lecture, and view some of her photographs.
"My proposition was to personify the landscape; to articulate, through writing, photography and sketching, what it feels like to go in.
This concept is something that I fully didn't understand prior to my arrival because I had not yet experienced it and I am not sorry to tell you I still don't fully understand.
I say this because Yosemite National Park... is a place beyond human."
"Yosemite's rich landscape absorbed me more than I could absorb it.
Natures poetic, rhythmical sensations stimulated every pore of my body ....leaving a current that still lingers in me today.
I became entrance from vivid texture of the life and death that surrounded me."
"....the road to the valley widens you along the mountains bringing you so close to the edge there are moments when it seems as if the asphalt is holding onto its side for dear life.
Traveling along this road, I experienced the vista I was seeking to find. The only sound I could form from my mouth was an expression of awe and disbelief. It left me anxiously wondering how the Earth would reveal itself next.
A short 10 minutes later the road penetrates the side of a mountain forcing you to travel through it and I must inform you, this void in the mountain is really a portal into another universe. "
"Every corner I turned Nature was staring back at me.. laughing in my face, in all her glory. And all I could do was laugh with her.
To the last hours of this day, I must give credit to a man I met in Yosemite. He arrived at the camp site next to mine on my first morning, offered and served me hot water on my second, confirmed how free spirited California hippies really are and became a mentor on how to become a professional camper and Yosemite explorer.
He told me, if I do anything today, Sunset at Glacier Point had to be it.
This.. is sunset at Glacier Point...
It is Vast and deep, clam and beautiful , eerie and humbling…pure wilderness. This vista you see here will consume man alive. It will swallow every human whole and regurgitate them as hosts of its Being.
And Just as the landscape consumed me, the darkness consumed landscape.
Maybe it's the night that made this universe so surreal?
The shadows grew larger and the landscape more still.
It was unclear if this was the earth starting to hold its breath… or beginning a slow.. deep exhale.
I stayed and watched until I could only see faint outlines.
These faint outlines exhilarated the reminder that before me laid pure wilderness filled with layers of deception, clarity, wonder...and life."
A native perennial that is erect
and clump forming with clusters of brilliant star shaped light blue flowers.
The size of Amsonia is 36” tall and about 36” wide per plant. But it does grow
in clumps. Thrives in full sun to part shade in average to dry soils, in zones 4-9. Not only does it
have brilliant flowers, the thread-like foliage and bright yellow to gold autumn
foliage makes this plant one of my favorites with its three seasons of interest.
The feathery, needle-like foliage and alternate leaves make it easy to
identify. There is also not much problems with this plant. It currently has no
insect or disease problems. But for maintenance, the plants may flop, especially
is not cut back after flowering.
Amsonia is native to Arkansas, so one
of its common names is Arkansas Blue Star. Amsonia can be used as a border
plant mixed in with ornamental grasses and other plants that have attractive
seed heads. Growing in a dense mass, it
can very much look like a small shrub.
With its amazing finely textured features, it mixes well with most
plants, which makes it very versatile. Since it is so versatile, I can see Amsonia
being easily used in sunny borders, native gardens, cottage plantings, and even
in large container plantings. With blooms in early spring, magnificent fall color, and great whispy thread-like foliage. It is one of the best.
Propagation of Amsonia Hubrichtii,
can be done by seed, division or softwood cuttings. The seeds of it germinate
very irregularly over a long period. Softwood cuttings are usually rooted in
the early summer. But the easiest division for gardeners is by division in the
spring.
There will be beautiful days when you will feel like talking a walk among trees, and our Cook Campus won't be enough to make the tree-hugger in you fully content. That is when you have the brilliant idea to go to the Rutgers Gardens... Even more brilliant idea: YOU WALK THERE.
Yes, you can hop on your car and be there in 2 minutes, but as previously stated, you came out for a walk among the trees, so you better listen to yourself and walk there. This blog entry will provide foolproof directions to going on this awesome adventure in a safe manner. Here goes:
1. Park your car somewhere you won't get a ticket. Last thing you want is to come back from this trek to find a ticket under your windshield wiper.
2. Head over to College Farm Rd, and walk all the way down it towards Route 1:
Pass the Green houses, and the Environmental &Natural Resource Science Building (ENR)
Keep walking down College Farm Rd, but make some stops along the way to chill with some horses, say "hi" to some cows, and pet those crazy goats.
Keep walking, and pass the Helyar House... You are almost at Route 1.
STOP... Don't even think about running across Route 1. There is an easier way.
3. When Route 1 is finally in front of you, make a left and begin walking along it. It is safe to stay close to the gate on your left as you walk on the grass.
4. After a few minutes along this path, you will find a fence, and a tunnel... Walk under this cool tunnel, it will take you under Route 1 safely without risking your life running through traffic.
5. On the other side, walk all the way towards the end of the farm. Walk towards the house and the barns in the end. You are almost there, champ!
6. Once you reached the barns, walk towards the street. This is Ryders Ln, and the promised land is ever so close!
7. Look left and right, wait for traffic to slow down, cross Ryders Ln, and walk towards your left... ALMOST THERE!
8. YOU MADE IT! The amazing Rutgers Gardens are yours to enjoy.
Walking Map from Blake Hall to Rutgers Gardens.
Go check out the horses by College Farm Rd.
...and the cows!
... and goats.
This is the tunnel that takes you under Route 1!
Rutgers farm on the other side of tunnel. Walk towards the barn... follow the paths!
Make sure you check out the Bamboo Forest, the Meadow, the Pine Grid Forest, the Ravine, and all the other beautiful places at the gardens.
Take a lot of pictures, instagram a few, and walk back home before it gets too dark out there.
