Hascup dedicated his career in architectural education to the Department of Architecture in Cornell's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. In parallel, he contributed built work to the Finger Lakes region through his position at William Downing Associates and his firm, Hascup/Lorenzini, Architects. He saw design as a way of life and a mode of critical engagement with people and places. Former students and colleagues recall Hascup's penchant for mentorship as genuine, rare, and at times, productively relentless.
"George had a way of figuring out how to push your limits — he could identify unique talent, hone a skill, and bring out your best work," said former student and longtime friend John Barradas (B.Arch. '87), a fellow Ithaca-based architect. "When he was done hearing you talk about your ideas, he would insist that you sit down and just 'draw it out.' He wanted something to react to as both a person and a mentor who was there to give — and he asked that you give back your all in return. He could be unrelenting in the best way."
AAP Dean J. Meejin Yoon (B.Arch. '95) was also one of Hascup's former students in the 1990s and a faculty colleague for the past six years.
"As an educator, George valued and taught exceptional professional care, design aptitude, and craft," said Yoon. "I was fortunate to study with George in my second year as an architecture student at Cornell, and know generations have benefited tremendously from his lessons on formal inquiry and his encouragement to explore design as a tangible contributor to place. From pedagogical exercises ranging from an extreme vertical house for a fictional rock climber, to drawing the maximum number of lines per square inch, to experiments in wood joinery, the consideration he brought to every detail and decision, and the kindness and generosity he brought to our studios and classrooms are unforgettable."
