Gunn Landscape Architecture, PLLC.

Organic Gardening

ak — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:03:06 +0000

We’ve been rewarded with a plentiful harvest of organic vegetables as a successful growing season in Bridgehampton comes to an end. The crop has yielded sweet onions, broccoli, bundles of arugula, and savory garlic. Vegetables grown organically are considerably more delicious (we think), and healthier, since they lack the carcinogens, harmful pesticides, and other synthetic chemicals typically found in commercial alternatives. As many of our clients are discovering, organic gardening is a great way to learn about the food we eat for both adults and children. We thought we’d offer a few tips for others trying their hand at this sustainable practice.

The secret to successful gardening resides in organic methods. The first and most important step is to begin with healthy soil—a layer 2-3 inches thick of compost will supply the garden with nitrogen-rich nutrients year around. Once vegetables are selected, the organic seeds are planted in raised beds with proper sun exposure and adequate irrigation so the soil remains moist. Organic pesticides are used only when necessary, to keep away the bugs. Some of the most common gardening problems—disease, pests, weeds, and soil health—can be fixed naturally and cost effectively without the use of harmful chemicals, and the result is exponentially more rewarding.

MillionTreesNYC

ak — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:21:24 +0000

Earlier this week, members of the Gunn office ventured outdoors to Marine Park in Brooklyn, to volunteer with MillionTreesNYC. We spent the morning along with hundreds of others (and a number of rambunctious schoolchildren), planting over 1400 native tree species in a previously desolate area of the park. Volunteer coordinators estimated that with proper planting, up to 85% of the saplings–including native evergreen and deciduous trees such as eastern red cedars, swamp white oaks, highbrush blueberries and sassafras–will survive to bolster the city’s urban forest.

With the efforts of volunteers citywide, nearly 520,000 trees have been planted throughout the five boroughs, surpassing the half-way mark of the organization’s overall goal.

MillionTreesNYC is citywide initiative combining both public and private efforts. For more information (or to volunteer) please visit www.MillionTreesNYC.org

Ground Breaking in Bridgehampton

ak — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:09:45 +0000

For those of us at Gunn Landscape Architecture, the cooler weather brings with it not a respite from the summer rush, but a flurry of construction on various exciting projects. In the Hamptons, we kicked off the fall season with the ground breaking of a future-LEED certified residence in Bridgehampton, New York. In collaboration with Deborah Berke & Partners Architects, we’ve designed the residence and its outdoor spaces to sit within a sweeping meadow of native plantings, reducing the percentage of lawn on the property, and thereby cutting down drastically on the amount of irrigation and maintenance required. Stay tuned and check back with us as work progresses.

The Kips Bay Show House is Open!

ak — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:06:24 +0000

After a very busy week of preparation and installation, the Kips Bay Show House is now open to the public. The outdoor terraces, designed by Alec Gunn and Robert Stilin, are a gracious extension of the interior lounge areas. Framed with shaped boxwoods, the gardens create a lush and quiet respite from the busy streets of New York. Contrasting textures, French limestone pavers, and scented lavender add to the modern yet classic setting, while the magnolia trees, set in zinc planters of a soft gray patina, add height and seasonal interest.

Huge thanks to Vert Gardens for the installation and Loam Landscape for the plants. We couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out, and we want to encourage you all to visit the Show House in the coming weeks.

The House will be open until May 26^th. Admission is $30. Contact (718) 893-8600, extension 245, or visit kipsbay.org for more information.

Kips Bay Show House

ak — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:21:53 +0000

We are proud to announce our participation in the 39^th Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House! This year’s renowned showcase is taking up residence in an Upper East Side mansion, at 163 East 63^rd Street, and the event will run from April 28 – May 26, 2011.

According to the website for the event, “The striking, neo-Federalist style residence was once owned by John Hay “Jock” Whitney and boasts unique historic details acquired during his travels abroad. Each of the 16 rooms in this four-story, 10,000-square-foot mansion will delight design enthusiasts and anyone looking for decorating inspiration.”

Gunn will be in charge of outfitting the mansion’s various terraces, one of which is shown in its natural state above. We are honored to participate alongside such talented designers, and can’t wait to see how each transforms the assigned space. Be sure to join us!

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org.

Gunn at 15th Annual Plant-O-Rama

ak — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:06:41 +0000

Earlier this week, our office attended the 15^th Annual Plant-O-Rama, a trade show and symposium for garden aficionados, hosted by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden with the Metro Hort Group of New York City. This year, the event’s focus was among the peculiar, with lectures entitled “Perennial Favorites: New, Overlooked, and Just Plain Cool!” by Tony Avent, and “Rare and Unusual Trees and Shrubs for Urban Environments” by Adam Wheeler. We heard of plants with unique nicknames like ‘Heart Attack’, ‘Tiramisu’, and ‘Redneck Babies Breath,’ and also discovered some newly introduced varieties, such as the Lycoris Radiata ‘Fire Engine’ and Phlox ‘Peppermint Twist’ (both pictured above). As always, all three lectures, including Plant-O-Rama Coordinator Bob Hyland’s “So We Started a Nursery: A Reality Check!” shared valuable knowledge in entertaining presentations, and we are eager to begin integrating some of these extraordinary plants into our designs!

Update: SoHo Spa

ak — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 20:52:08 +0000

Earlier this year, we wrote about the Spa at Trump SoHo Hotel as a work-in-progress. After a successful (and busy) spring, the project was finished in time for the summer season. And with private cabanas, a bocce ball court, an intimate indoor-outdoor bar, and a heated lounge pool–all with spectacular views of the architectural wonder that is the New York City Skyline–we can’t help but dream of the Spa at Trump SoHo and anxiously await the return of long days and warm weather to enjoy its perks. Check out our City Gallery for more images.

Work In Progress: Lexington Avenue Penthouse

ak — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:49:47 +0000

It’s been some time since our last blog post here at Gunn, and while we apologize for our absence, we are happy to be able to blame the variety of exciting projects we’re working on that have kept us busy. Like this, for example–a penthouse terrace in New York City’s Upper East Side, where Gunn project manager Grady Peck designed a custom kitchen and basketball court, transforming the mechanical storage area previously unusable by its tenants, into a multi-functional terrace. Take a closer look at the gallery to view the progress (including the process of lifting the basketball court structure to the 26^th floor…), and be sure to check back in the near future for images of the finished project.

Welcome to the Gunn Landscape Architecture Blog

jeff — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 21:05:22 +0000

Join us as we follow the progress of our projects and explore ideas, products, and people that inspire our office, ranging from art and design, to horticulture, engineering, and construction. We hope you enjoy what you read and visit weekly for updates.

Gunn in Architectural Digest

rb — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:59:01 +0000

Gunn is featured in the April 2010 issue of Architectural Digest, pages 112-119. Pick up the April issue to view our work in Quogue, NY.