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A view of the pool and a rooftop deck which overlooks the outdoor space.

Garden Patio with Cedar Hot Tub

Day takes a swim in a new lap pool framed by a lush Southern California garden. The lower wall next to the pool is made from stacked Pennsylvania bluestone, which was used for all exterior stone as well.

The firm envisioned the pool as a spot where water floods the stone, "almost in a way of a pond remaining after the turning tides."

The back of the home glows at night as the giant, two-story glass doors swing open to remove the barrier between inside and out. A polished concrete patio deck and pool, along with a simple block perimeter wall, make smart use of available materials. The pool acts as a passive conditioning tool, cooling air before it enters the house. The block wall is positioned 31 inches from the house, creating a gap or "air chimney" that allows air to circulate up and away from the home, while simultaneously letting light filter down.

Dunlop demonstrates the deck’s secondary use: as a launching pad into the concrete plunge pool on the first floor.