Dinner beside the water

At this Porter Ranch home, cooking and swimming occupy the same social space. The pool stretches beside a freestanding pavilion, with a counter and covered seating close to the water. Elsewhere, a pergola marks another place to stop for a drink. The Green Scene calls the project Pizza Party Scene, a name that makes sense of a layout designed around food and company.

The original yard was a largely empty enclosure. The finished plan gives it several distinct destinations while keeping the central water surface open. From the pavilion, the view reaches across the pool; from the terrace, the roof provides a clear point to aim for.

More than a grill against the house

A wood-fired pizza oven is part of the cooking arrangement. The kitchen and pavilion have room for serving and seating, so the cook is not left at a remote corner of the property. The shade structure also gives people a reason to remain outdoors between swims.

The photographs show how counters and low walls divide activities without cutting off their views. There is a difference between a perimeter that encloses the yard and an edge that people can sit beside. Much of the entertaining space is organized around the latter.

Project photographClose ×

Before: the enclosed yard had no defined gathering spaces. · The Green Scene

Water as an edge and a backdrop

Deck jets, a rainfall feature and fire bowls add movement and light around the pool. At the spa, polished concrete containing crushed abalone glass forms a swim-up bar. The detail brings a finely finished surface to a place people will encounter at close range.

At the front of the property, a long custom water feature and concrete bridge turn the approach to the house into a separate arrival sequence. The backyard is more intimate: the pavilion roof, the wall behind the bar and the palms establish its height, while paving links the smaller gathering places.

The plan supports different levels of participation. Someone can cook, sit under cover, lean at the bar or be in the water and still remain part of the same afternoon. That relationship is the useful idea beneath the elaborate finishes.