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July 2, 2001

Contact: Marilyn Marks (609) 258-5748, mmarks@princeton.edu
 

Nassau Hall grounds spruced up

Princeton NJ -- Princeton University's "front yard" is getting a facelift this summer. On June 18, engineering and arborist crews began a project to spruce up the grounds surrounding Nassau Hall.

Most of the work is on the green north of the building. It includes: 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.

An overarching goal is to take into account the original landscaping plans for the historic part of campus and, when possible, to return to those schemes. For example, the new design for the paved walks coming from the corner gates features a loop around Nassau Hall. That was inspired by the layout of a late 19th-century walk, glimpsed in early photographs, as was the use of bluestone.

While maintaining 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 are being widened by one foot. The walkway immediately in front of the building is being 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 is replacing 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.

The Nassau Hall work is expected to be completed by mid-September.