Challenging Porphyry Installation on a Steep Driveway
in Arizona
Miles Chaffee, Apr 01 2011
Santa Fe landscape designer and porphyry installer Kevin Avants
of Avant Gardens was asked to be involved as a design consultant
for a uniquely difficult Porphyry driveway project in Arizona. The
General Contractor was renovating a worn-out old gravel driveway
with porphyry. The site, located on the top of a mountain, had the
challenge of a very steep entrance and exit driveways and was proving
incredibly difficult to design for.
Kevin took the challenge and worked with the contractor and local
installers to design a breath-takingly beautiful layout that works
perfectly with the steep terrain. He incorporated a double fan pattern
with circles as transitions from one level to the next. The masons
willingness to take on an unfamiliar material and install a pattern
new to them is a tribute to there skills and years of experience!
The classic Italian pattern turned out beautifully and was designed
to be a structural component as well. Keeping the arc on the uphill
side, the pressure pushes down tightening the pattern, much in the
same way as an arch supports a bridge. Using a circle to transition
from the uphill driveway on the left to the downhill side on the
right utilized this principle.
The size of the patterns will vary according to the projects width,
length and overall dimensions. A visual center with similar edge
depths along with well thought out transition points will help to
create a timeless look using this old world stone. This project
is a great example of why Porphyry has been used for millennium
for its beauty, functionality and sustainability.
