Riverview Fire

The Challenge · East Austin

Crumbling wall. No gathering space.

Statement Fire Feature · Zero Off-the-Shelf

The backyard had a crumbling retaining wall and no usable gathering space. What should have been the heart of the property was an afterthought — a neglected slope of broken block and bare dirt that made the entire outdoor area feel disconnected from the home.

The homeowner wanted a statement fire feature — not a Home Depot ring, not a tile-clad box from a big-box catalog. Something welded, structural, singular. A piece that looked like it belonged in a gallery courtyard, not a suburban patio. Red Agave fabricated a floating welded steel fire pit from 1/4-inch mild steel plate, suspended on concealed steel legs over a gravel bed with COB uplighting beneath.

The old retaining wall was torn out and rebuilt with black cantera stone set on an angle-steel ledge with integrated COB wash lighting at the base. Concrete was poured to look like marble — an artisan marbled finish framed in 1/4-inch steel edging. Native Texas plantings complete the space. The entire build executed 100% in-house — zero subcontracted trades.

Welded 1/4-inch mild steel floating fire pit with 48-inch fire bowl and concealed steel legs — East Austin TX — 01 · Floating Steel Fire Pit1/4" mild steel / welded

Black cantera stone wall with angle-steel ledge cap and COB wash lighting at base — East Austin TX — 02 · Cantera Wall System42 lf / black cantera stone

Poured marbled concrete hardscape with 1/4-inch steel edging and native Texas plantings — East Austin TX — 03 · Marbled Concrete$14/sq ft / artisan finish

Engineering Solution

Welded steel. Not assembled.

Custom welded mild steel fire pit floating over decomposed granite bed with COB uplighting beneath — East Austin TX

Black cantera stone wall with integrated COB wash lighting and angle-steel ledge cap — East Austin TX

Fire Feature · 01 Floating Fire Pit 1/4" Mild Steel · Welded Box 1/4-inch mild steel plate fabricated into a welded box construction. 48-inch diameter fire bowl with a 24-inch stainless steel burner ring plumbed to natural gas. Suspended on concealed steel legs over a decomposed granite bed. Four 2700K COB uplights (CRI 90+) mounted beneath the fire pit, controlled via ESP32 WLED.

System Details

Floating Steel Fire Pit

—1/4-inch mild steel plate, welded box construction
—48-inch diameter fire bowl with 24-inch stainless steel burner ring
—Natural gas plumbed connection — no propane tanks
—Concealed steel legs over decomposed granite bed

Black Cantera Wall System

—42 linear feet of black cantera stone, 28 inches tall
—Angle-steel ledge cap in 1/4-inch mild steel
—8 COB wash lights integrated into wall base (2700K, CRI 90+)
—Full tear-out and rebuild of crumbling original retaining wall

Marbled Concrete Hardscape

—620 sq ft poured marbled concrete at $14/sq ft
—Artisan marbled finish — poured to look like marble
—180 lf of 1/4-inch steel edging framing all slabs ($6/lf)
—Steel-framed concrete geometry against dark aggregate borders

COB + WLED Lighting

—4 COB uplights beneath fire pit (2700K, CRI 90+)
—8 COB wash lights integrated into cantera wall base
—ESP32 micro-controller running WLED firmware
—All lighting zones app-controlled via WLED

Takeoff / East Austin

The blueprint.

01 / Fire Feature

Steel + Flame

1/4" mild steel plate fire pit
Welded box construction
48" fire bowl diameter
24" stainless steel burner ring
Natural gas plumbed connection
Concealed steel legs

02 / Hardscape

Cantera + Concrete

42 lf black cantera wall (28" tall)
Angle-steel ledge cap (1/4" mild steel)
620 sq ft poured marbled concrete
180 lf 1/4" steel edging
Decomposed granite bed
Artisan marbled surface finish

03 / Lighting + Flora

COB + Native Plants

4 COB uplights (2700K, CRI 90+)
8 COB wall wash lights
ESP32 WLED controller
Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus)
Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera)
Turk’s Cap + Gulf Muhly

Feature / System	Material Specification	Engineering Class
Fire Pit	1/4" Mild Steel Plate + Welded Box + 24" SS Burner Ring	Custom Steel Fabrication
Cantera Wall	Black Cantera Stone + 1/4" Angle-Steel Ledge Cap	Structural Masonry + Steel
Hardscape Surface	Poured-in-Place Marbled Finish Concrete ($14/sq ft)	Artisan Architectural Masonry
Steel Edging	1/4" Mild Steel Edging (180 lf at $6/lf)	Precision Steel Fabrication
Lighting System	12 COB Fixtures + ESP32 WLED Controller	Smart Low-Voltage Electrical
Botanical Palette	Flame Acanthus, Mexican Honeysuckle, Turk’s Cap, Gulf Muhly	Native Texas Xeriscaping

Location

East Austin

Build Time

11 Days

Execution

100% In-House

Concrete Area

620 sq ft