BY NEIL BUDZINSKI AND MATTHEW GIRARD
A forensic approach found the best decomposed granite solution for Kenyon College.
From the November 2016 Issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine 
Decomposed granite pavement (DG) is a textured and responsive paving material used on paths and plazas. Yet the quiet appearance of DG masks material and construction complexities that shape the outcome of the built work and belie what may appear to be a simple installation. In 2010, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), where we are senior associates, was hired to prepare a master plan for Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Over several years of our working with Kenyon to renovate its historic Middle Path, the challenges of this material were revealed and met through a program of design-phase mock-ups, manufacturer?s product development, and innovations in installation methods. We have learned several lessons regarding the product and the methods that change the way we specify and oversee the installation of this seemingly simple material. Kenyon?s landscape is organized around Middle Path, a 3,600-foot-long walk made from a local river stone. The material of Middle Path, cherished for its color, texture, looseness, and sound, was a large part of its charm, but also a significant contributor to its challenges. In fair weather, the existing path had an active surface that shifted and crunched pleasingly underfoot. In foul weather, Middle Path became impassable, the river stone washing awa...