Artspace Update #2

Artspace Update #2

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Jan 9th, 10:21pm By queenseyes

Think Financial Student Loans

While walking around the grounds of the Main Street Artspace project I was happy to see that the same amount of thought to detail was being paid to the landscape. Site Manager, Bryan Day, pointed out the latest addition to the grounds – the seeded pavers where grass plugs will eventually grow through the small openings. “We were told that there would have to be vehicular access to the rear loft units,” he explained. “The designers could have just put a pavement roadway through here, but that would have taken away from the green spaces they had planned for. Instead they came up with a plan to create a solid path with decorative pavers that will allow an emergency vehicle access to the units. Come spring the seeds will grow and the pavers will almost blend into the rest of the lawn.”

Not only does this roadway design accomplish the task of creating a visually pleasing solution to a city code, it is also environmentally friendly. If you are familiar with the group Riverkeeper, then you probably know that water runoff from overabundant roadways and parking lots has created water loads that our drainage sewers cannot handle properly. Some cities have resorted to permeable road surfaces that allow water to naturally seep through into the underlying soil instead of running off and into sewers. If more of these types of roadway solutions were looked at for parking lots, etc. the sewage overflow into our natural waterways would be lessened.

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  1. girl16

    0 ratings12345
    Jan 10th, 07:42

    Looks awesome. I've seen this application in Dwell magazine. Creative and still functional.

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  2. Joshua

    0 ratings12345
    Jan 10th, 08:10

    Very cool design. It is great to see walkways/right-of-ways that are done is materials other than concrete or blacktop. It has been a few weeks since I've made my way over there, I'll have to stop there on Saturday after my time at the Central Terminal.

    Newell - thanks for the post.

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  3. Perry

    0 ratings12345
    Jan 10th, 08:46

    My neighbor just moved into Artspace and she loves it!

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  4. chris69

    0 ratings12345
    Jan 10th, 09:39

    wish this could be done in more locations in buffalo

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  5. al-alo

    0 ratings12345
    Jan 10th, 10:26

    heres a buffalo question on those pavers: i like permeable surfaces as much as the next guy, but are they a pain to shovel? I have to deal w/ sandstone walks, and as they pieces shift, the blade of the shovel hits the seams, and the handle goes right into my gut.

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  6. knowledgedableone

    1 ratings12345
    Jan 11th, 08:15

    I would be interested to see the condition of these grass pavers after a year of growth and subsequent winter. Grass pavers are often used in more moderate climates for areas of limited use (overflow parking, emergency access, etc..) Often when subject to heavy traffic and winter snow removal forces (especially de-icing material application) the grass fails to grow and the material falls victim to differential settling (creating tripping hazards). Additionally with heavy foot traffic the "plugs of green" often succumb to compaction and fail, leaving a bunch of mud.

    Novel idea and definitely more aesthetically pleasing than some hardscapes. I would be interested if BRO revisited this site the condition of the grass paviers in a year and a half. The proof is in the pudding.

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  7. davvid

    0 ratings12345
    Jan 11th, 10:05

    This complex looks great! The pavers remind me of the Grasscrete at the Dia in Beacon New York.

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