We're approaching a big moment in this process, the first early estimate of costs. it's early because the vision plan we've put forward is little more than a diagram. We are still listening and evaluating what changes, new uses, and materials to recommend for the campuses.  Early cost estimating is a delicate process because there is so much that is not yet known. We have to take our best guesses, based on past experience, at which expenditures we should consider when we proceed further in the design process. Then, with the estimate in hand, we can discuss design options with a bette ..read more

We've been focusing this week on the design of the planted buffers around the buildings. It is clear from resident's comments and feedback that sound mitigation is an important consideration in the design of the campus landscapes. Today, voices and traffic sounds are amplified by the brick walls and concrete paths. These hard surfaces bounce sound around. We are selecting buffer plants for their ability to break up sound. At the edges of the buffers, we're looking for plants with broad leaves and dense branching. Closer to resident's windows, we are looking for plants with more open habits so ..read more

The following sketches prepared for the February 13 shareholder meeting describe how the campuses could look with a much more diverse mix of seasonal plants, accessible lawns, planted buffers, and reopened street-side entrances. Please keep commenting--it's really helpful for us as we work to refine the vision to best balance your goals, concerns, and desires. Fall view of a sunny knoll in front of 210 Spring view of a wooded trail behind 325 Summer view of the north campus courtyard with planted buffers at the ground floor Garden gates for resident access to enclosed gardens On-stre ..read more

It has been great to read the feedback people are sharing on the blog. A couple of comments about the value of running into neighbors encouraged us to think differently about the purpose of the landscape. The sense of community the campuses can generate is one of their highest purposes. Proposing to adjust the way residents move and interact in their daily lives is a big change that must be considered with the impact on neighborliness in mind. We revisited an article about the "proximity effect." The theory stems from a study of students living in a dormitory who were shown to have a greater t ..read more

Inside the fences on North Campus, we noticed a change in the way people interact with one another. People seem more at ease than they do on South Campus, where the pathways are open to the street. We were reminded of magical shared backyards from Turtle Bay Gardens and MacDougal-Sullivan Gardens in Manhattan to Cobble Hill Towers in Brooklyn.  These beloved and sought after rear gardens are shared by residents yet secure from the street. They become private parks where children can play safely together and neighbors host seasonal events. If we reopen the front doors on all of the build ..read more

Some of the sidewalks and paths lead people right by ground floor windows. It's an uncomfortable experience for everyone involved. On the inside, there's a impact on privacy. On the outside, we found ourselves straining to look straight ahead so that we made it clear that we weren't trying to peer into peoples apartments.   Plants are really good at creating buffers. They give people something to look at instead of one another. We've started to imagine small flowering shrubs and trees between the windows and the paths. We will be looking for species that allow light to pass through into ..read more

Careful, detailed observation is one of the most valuable skills we've developed as landscape architects. We come to each project with trained fresh eyes with which to uncover the details that have an impact on people. We draw attention to the important landscape features which regular users no longer see because they've gotten used to them. At Clinton Hill Coops, we see fences everywhere. Low chain fences at the edge of the lawns, 4-foot and 5-foot fences along the sidewalks, and 7-foot fences with spiky tops at the service entries. This much fencing doesn't lead to a sense of safety. It has ..read more

At the start of a project, we want to learn everything--from where the trash comes out of the buildings to which of the existing benches get used and which sit empty. What's the condition of the soil and the trees? Are the drains working? We’re meeting with the site manager and the board and talking with the security guards, grounds crews, and residents we meet on site. We are looking to uncover clues about how the physical environment came to be the way we find it today. We found this early photo of the completed landscape. Looks like the paths at 210 Clinton Avenue are in virtually the same ..read more