The North Central Project is a luxury Phoenix high-rise with more than 15,000 square feet of hardscape installed across three rooftop floors. The entire deck sits on a pedestal system. The pavers run in three shades of gray, blended into a gradient and anchored by solid color bands.

In 2025, the project earned First Place in the Segmental Concrete Pavement Commercial (more than 15,000 sf) category at the Hardscape North America (HNA) Awards, with additional recognition from the Southwest Hardscapes Association.

Here is how it came together.

Project Snapshot

The North Central Project is a multi-floor amenity deck on a Phoenix high-rise. The work covers more than 15,000 square feet of segmental concrete pavers across three rooftop floors. Two paver sizes were specified, 12 by 24 by 2 inch units in the smaller-scale areas and 18 by 36 by 3 inch units in the larger zones. The palette is three shades of gray, flowing as a gradient across the deck and resolving into solid bands that anchor each zone of the design.

The finished surface reads as one piece across planters, benches, gathering spaces, and intimate corners. Underneath is a pedestal system of fiber grates, shims, and the engineered subsurface that handles drainage, slope, and load.

Getting 15,000 Square Feet of Pavers Onto a Rooftop

The hardest part of the North Central Project happened before any pavers were set.

Material had to reach three different floors of a fully occupied luxury building. Tower crane time was limited and shared with other trades. The podium deck had weight restrictions, so pallets could not be double-stacked anywhere on the staging surface. Staging space at deck level was tight.

The team’s second route was the freight elevator. Pallets of large-format pavers do not fit into freight elevators, so each 2,500-pound pallet was broken down by hand into elevator-sized loads, moved up, and re-staged on the deck for installation.

“Logistics were an issue,” says Rex Mann, General Manager. “We had to break them down. It was a lot of labor, a lot of up and down.”

Breaking the pallets added crew hours and tightened the daily schedule, but it preserved the podium deck. On a rooftop install of this scale, material handling is typically 30 to 50 percent of the labor cost. The decisions made before installation often determine whether the rest of the project lands on schedule.

How Pedestal Paver Systems Work

A pedestal paver system suspends each unit on adjustable supports that hold it level above the structural deck. The space underneath is where drainage flows, insulation lives, and the building’s waterproofing membrane sits, protected from anything that could puncture it. That hidden layer is what lets the rooftop function as a roof and as usable space at the same time.

Installing a system like this means thinking about everything underneath the pavers:

  • Drainage planning. Water has to move predictably without pooling or undermining the membrane below.
  • Shim management. Pedestal supports have to be adjusted to compensate for the deck’s slope and produce a level walking surface up top.
  • Fiber grates and load distribution. Larger paver formats demand grate supports that spread load evenly and prevent rocking at the corners.
  • Penetrations and obstructions. Drains, scuppers, vents, and irrigation outlets all interrupt the field of pavers. Their position has to be planned before installation begins.

“The pedestal pavers are probably one of the most difficult types,” says Mann. “There are lots of challenges.”

The North Central design called for curved planters and built-in benches running through the paver field. Every curve meant precision cuts on heavy slabs, and every cut had to land in a position that did not undermine the stability of the surrounding pavers on their pedestals.

Three Shades of Gray, Mapped Across the Deck

The pattern uses three shades of gray in a soft gradient, with solid color bands acting as visual anchors. From the air, the gradient suggests motion across the deck. At eye level, the same gradient quiets the surface and pulls attention toward the planters, benches, and gathering spaces.

Geometric zones are defined without walling them off. A larger gathering area opens onto a more intimate corner. Rectilinear lines run parallel through one zone and pivot perpendicular in the next. The two paver scales (12 by 24 in some areas, 18 by 36 in others) reinforce the zoning.

Starting and ending points for each gradient band were planned before any cuts were made. A cut in the wrong place would have stranded a small paver fragment somewhere visible, or somewhere structurally vulnerable on a pedestal corner. The team mapped the field on paper before installing a single unit.

Why This Project Won a 2025 HNA Award

The Hardscape North America Awards are the industry’s most-watched recognition for segmental hardscape work. In 2024, 215 submissions were evaluated across 19 categories. The North Central Project won First Place in 2025 in the Segmental Concrete Pavement Commercial (more than 15,000 sf) category, which recognizes large-scale commercial installations judged on craftsmanship, design execution, problem-solving, and finished quality.

Three elements made the project competitive:

  • A demanding design (gradient patterns, mixed paver formats, curves, and a rooftop pedestal system).
  • A demanding site (limited staging, weight restrictions, shared elevator access, multi-floor coordination).
  • A clean execution at the perimeter, around drains, around planters, and across changes in elevation and scale.

The project also picked up regional recognition from the Southwest Hardscapes Association.

“My mantra to myself is that it’s going to be worth it,” says Mann.

What This Means for Rooftop Hardscape in Phoenix

Phoenix high-rise rooftops are increasingly being treated as amenity space rather than mechanical space. Developers and architects are putting pool decks, lounges, gathering terraces, and resident gardens onto roof structures that were once reserved for HVAC and elevator overruns.

That shift puts pressure on the architect to design a deck that performs as both a roof and a usable surface, on the structural engineer to size a deck system that carries the dead load of pavers and pedestals and people, and on the hardscape contractor to execute a finished surface that hides everything underneath.

Pedestal paver systems handle most of that. They protect the membrane, allow drainage without slope, support large-format pavers, and make future deck access simple. Lift a paver, fix the issue underneath, set it back down.

What they need is an installer with rooftop experience. On a high-rise amenity project, that is often the most important decision the team makes.

Lessons We Apply to Every Rooftop Project

A few principles from the North Central Project that shape every rooftop install we run:

  • Plan the logistics before the design. Crane time, freight elevator dimensions, staging area, and weight restrictions decide more than most design decisions do.
  • Map every cut on paper. On a pedestal system, an unplanned cut can put a paver fragment in a structurally vulnerable spot.
  • Invest in skill. Pedestal paver work takes years to learn.
  • Coordinate with every trade on the floor. Elevator access, hoist time, and staging space are shared.

“We take it day by day and try to circumvent the challenges when we can,” says Mann.

Plan a Rooftop Project With European Pavers

European Pavers has installed segmental concrete and pedestal paver systems on rooftops across the Southwest, including Atlanta City Hall’s rooftop garden, multi-story amenity decks in Phoenix and Scottsdale, and luxury hotel terraces. We are a member of the Concrete Masonry & Hardscape Association (CMHA) (the post-merger successor to the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute), and our president serves on the CMHA national board.

We support rooftop projects in three ways:

  • Pre-construction. Material selection, pedestal-system specification, logistics planning, submittals.
  • Installation. Crews experienced in pedestal systems, large-format pavers, and rooftop coordination.
  • Maintenance. Resanding, sealing, repair, and pedestal-level service.

Contact us to talk through a specific project, request a bid, or walk a site.

See also: our porcelain pool deck case study at Hyatt Regency Scottsdale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a pedestal paver system?

A pedestal paver system suspends individual pavers on adjustable supports above a structural deck. The supports create a level walking surface and leave a hidden gap below where drainage flows, insulation lives, and the building’s waterproofing membrane is protected from contact damage.

How are large-format pavers different from standard pavers?

Large-format pavers (typically anything 18 inches or larger on a side) require thicker units to maintain strength, more careful pedestal support to prevent rocking, and tighter layout planning to manage cuts at the perimeter. The visual payoff is fewer joint lines and a more continuous surface.

Why was the North Central Project installed on pedestals instead of at grade?

The rooftop deck of a high-rise has structural and waterproofing requirements that a slab-at-grade does not. Pedestal systems protect the building’s roof membrane, manage drainage on a flat structural deck, and let the finished walking surface stay perfectly level even when the deck below slopes for drainage.

What awards did this project win?

The North Central Project won First Place in the Segmental Concrete Pavement, Commercial (more than 15,000 sf) category at the 2025 Hardscape North America Awards. It also received recognition from the Southwest Hardscape Association.

How long does a rooftop paver installation typically take?

Schedules vary with scope, but most multi-floor rooftop installations run several months from material staging through final detailing. Logistics, weather, and coordination with other trades drive the timeline more than the paver work itself does.

Can pedestal paver systems be repaired without removing the whole deck?

Yes. One of the design advantages of pedestal systems is that individual pavers can be lifted to access the deck, drainage, or utilities underneath, then reset without disturbing the surrounding field.