Construction scrims have sprung up around the east side of Palmer Hall as work begins on a new plaza and series of walkways around the first-year dormitory. The new work, part of the larger campus beautification initiative which has provided a facelift to various parts of campus in the past few years, will put out of commission the network of pathways connecting Palmer with the library, Howe building, and Martha Bayard Stevens lawn through February 6.
The end result of the renovation will see a new fountain, series of landscape plant beds, and paved plaza to spruce up the area in front of Palmer. To learn more about the project, The Stute spoke with Kurt Wagner, Senior Project Manager of Campus Infrastructure and Engineering. He offered a deeper dive into the motivating factors behind the changes, as well as how exactly the new space will improve campus for students in the Spring semester.
“This project is a continuation of our campus-wide initiative to upgrade our softscape and hardscape elements,” said Wagner. Hardscope refers to the nonliving elements of landscaping, like pathways and walls, while softscape refers to plants and other living elements of campus beautification. He noted that past work has focused on the replacement of concrete and asphalt walkways, which were previously predominant on upper campus, with red and gray paving stones such as the ones that line Wittpenn Walk. It was decided that the pathways between Palmer and Howe would be next in line for this treatment, as they otherwise would have been due for repair.
Wagner described previous phases of the beautification effort. “[We] began with creating the walkway from the Ninth Street entrance up Babbio Drive and ending at Humphreys Hall. This was done several years ago. We then added the walkways servicing Alexander House, which is now Martha Bayard Stevens Hall, Williams Library, Wittpenn Walk, and the paths connecting Wittpenn Walk and the Howe Circle to Williams Library.” He said that the work will continue after the Palmer plaza is complete, with subsequent work focusing on putting pavers on the path connecting the University Center Complex with Schaefer Athletic Center.
Passerby can see that large construction vehicles have already begun the process of removing the concrete and asphalt walkways connecting Howe Circle, Palmer, and Stanley Drive. “The work involves […] replacing them with a gravel and concrete substrate, then installing the new paver bed. It also replaces the circular landscape bed in front of Palmer with a water element, which is a sponsored gift from President and Mrs. Farvardin.” Released concept art fills in additional detail, including several benches and planting beds lining the new plaza and filling in the space in front of Palmer, which previously lacked notable adornment.
Despite the aesthetic improvements the work will produce, there will be some inconvenience for residents of Palmer Hall and other pedestrians for the next two months. Wagner cautioned that the only accessible entrances to Palmer are on its west end. Additionally, pathways between the library, Martha Bayard Stevens, and Howe Circle will be blocked off.
Wagner closed by noting that the driving force behind the change was student feedback regarding Palmer Hall’s appearance and the aspiration to improve the aesthetic experience of being on campus. “It is our mission to make the living and learning experience on campus as pleasant as possible. We feel that a warm and inviting landscape and hardscape contributes to this goal.”
