Less Driveway is More - Project 1

​This is the first of two projects we’ll highlight that exemplify how rethinking your driveway can give you more of what you want while being more sustainable. This project didn’t get rid of the driveway as a driveway, but it did completely eliminate every inch of asphalt and made it entirely pervious.

This project was for a horseshoe shaped driveway. It has almost twice the normal surface area as a standard straight drive. The total square footage was around 2000 sf. That’s bigger than just about any apartment and larger than some homes. In runoff terms, nearly 68,000 gallons of rain washed off it into the municipal storm system each year. It is in front of a very classic midcentury ranch home. Our design is part of a much larger project where we are designing the entire yard as well as creating new cladding and roofing options for the house. 

​The first thing we had to do after the design is finished is remove everything. To do this, we start with the Belgium block that runs along the edge. This edge creates a curb-like condition. As you can see from the image above, the removal of these stones is no easy task. The Belgium block is held in place by a big helping of concrete. In some places, the ratio of block to concrete is 1 to 2 – meaning you have twice the concrete for every block. 

​We replaced the edge with corten steel. This element gives the drive a much more updated and contemporary look as you can see from the image below. 

The steel allowed us to capture details with a much more angular way. The image below shows how we had the pavers and stone turn at an angle with the steel almost disappearing yet giving the detail definition. This detail is amplified by the shadow of the roof above this spot. All of the elements are really working together to do more than just be a place to park a car. 

As you can see from the images, the driveway really blends the necessity of lanes from access and parking with the more aesthetic dimension for materiality and sustainability. Two many features drove the design. We had to allow for a hard surface so that snow removal is easily done in the winter. The project is located in New Jersey so it snows several times between December and March. The pavers are that hard surface. They are mostly used as a lane to the garage from the street, and then arch into a walkway for easy access to the front door. The extra space between the lane and walkway is more than enough room for a car to be comfortably parked in the colder months. 

​The second element is everything else. To really embrace a natural feel, we used river rock to fill in all of the other spaces. River rock is not ideal for removing snow so it may be under snow for some time, but that’s worked into the overall design. We did use several different sizes of stone from small ½” to 3” stones. The different sizes creates more of a shore-like condition where its hard to figure out if the driveway has always had the stone or if it was purposeful. The ratios of each size is very important to make this effect believable. Just as important, the river rock reduced the overall cost of the driveway, because stone is a fraction of the price of pavers.

The end result isn't just about the driveway either. The video above shows that it can be a place to play. The video is a great tool to let people see how water isn't forced into a pipe that rushes to a nearby creek or river, but instead it washes into the ground and actually makes the environment healthier.