Why Is This Here?

Drivers traveling a rural road north of Gresham, Oregon, often see a tall, skinny wooden structure by a driveway. The structure is about 15 feet tall, has siding and a small pitched roof, and has a lower, glass panel facing the driveway. It is not a deer feeder, tree house, or mailbox. It is something altogether different.

To the locals, it is called a driveway periscope.

A Simple Solution for a Visibility Problem

Most rural driveways leave the property at an unmarked road and without the benefit of sight distance along the road because of a hill, fence, or treed area. The typical response from homeowners, along the road or not is to install a convex mirror across the street. What this structure solves is another challenge, while adding another level of response. Using a set of angled mirrors, similar to a submarine periscope, the driver can see traffic on the road before heading into the street. The upper section of the tower captures the view of traffic on the road. Inside mirrors reflect the traffic view downward onto the window at the bottom of the structure where the driver can check for oncoming traffic.

No electricity, no technology – just physics and a good design.

Built With Character

The beige siding and pitched roof helps the structure blend in with rural architecture. It looks like a combination of a lookout tower and a birdhouse. The design is noticeable, enough that passersby are attracted to conjecture: “Is that a mini fire tower?” “Maybe that’s a fancy chicken coop?”

The unique character of the driveway periscope comes from the fact that it is homemade construction. The builder did not over-engineer it. He or she saw a need, and built a solution.

A Good Idea Goes Beyond the Neighborhood

The driveway periscope has gathered attention on social media sites, including a Tik Tok video with a clever tag about the unique design and public interest. Viewers have offered their hypotheses about its use and praiseworthy appearance.

 

While the driveway design may not be commonplace, it is not new as a paramilitary or industrially-designed device. Military and/or strategy operations employ periscope-type viewpoints for decades. The general application of such a principle to a rural driving position is uncommon, but effective.

A Nod to Hands-On Ingenuity

The driveway periscope is much more than a roadside oddity. It is a specific response to a rural problem. No permits. No consultants. Just a few boards, 2 mirrors and an idea.

In a society increasingly adopting even the most mundane of problems, the driveway periscope is an example that we can use to remember that sometimes the best, simplest solution is still the best solution.