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Backyard

Back Exterior, Day

Steps away from the inviting spa

Clean lines and mass groupings of plants help create a sense of openness and space within a small garden.

Outdoor Spa

The lush backyard garden, with therapy pool in the foreground, hosts the green wall, which reduces the house’s drain on city water by 75 percent. Hidden behind the stone feature wall are three 800-gallon rainwater tanks that store whatever water falls from the skies.

The use of the two types of concrete continues throughout the project, both on the interior and the exterior spaces.

The residents decided to convert a koi pond on the property into a petite pool. Next steps for the renovators are updating the kitchen and increasing its size by expanding it into the mudroom and laundry room.

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.

The pool and hot tub complete the private and shaded backyard.

A view of the pool from the terrace.

The pool area.

A plunge pool on the roof of the small building.