Triple Feature For clients who frequently entertain large groups, architect Bob Bacon’s primary concern was easy circulation throughout the amenity-packed outdoor spaces. The solution includes a three-sided fireplace that anchors free-flowing dining, living, and swimming areas. Bacon used the open firebox to “provide light and warmth, serve as a key focal point, and announce a change in elevation from the terrace to the pool and spa deck.” Proximity to the spa and negative-edge pool delivers soothing water sounds for those assembled around the fire. Spruce columns support pine latia poles that create an overhead shadow dance in the firelight. Integrated colored stucco on the fireplace and chimney mirrors the home’s exterior finish while irregular Arizona flagstone flooring continues seamlessly from interior rooms onto the terrace and pool surround. The raised decking also acts as informal seating for fireside chats. Builder: The Phil Nichols Company, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Architect: RJ Bacon Company, Phoenix; Landscape architect: Creative Environments,Tempe, Ariz.
Fireside Formal This 32-foot-by-18-foot loggia with its oversized fireplace takes the place of a formal indoor living room in this 3,800-square-foot home in Austin, Texas. “It was actually more expensive to build than most interior spaces,” says builder Greg Hurd of Austin-based Sereno Homes. Floors of finely honed Arizona flagstone, walls and fireplace made from Texas limestone, and a ceiling composed of Douglas fir beams and decking combine to form an elegantly clad outdoor room. The raised firebox means an extended hearth can run directly into the spa deck for abundant casual seating. It also allows the fire to be seen and felt within a larger radius. An 8-foot-by-10-foot custom spa with a fountain and waterfall can be run hot or cold depending on the weather. The water evaporates to cool the air on sultry summer afternoons and it can be warmed to a toasty 106 degrees for frosty winter evenings. “More and more clients want smaller homes, even with families,” says Hurd, “but they want to exchange size for these special places that make their home feel like a resort.” Builder: Sereno Homes, Austin,Texas; Architect: BBG Architects, Santa Ana Heights, Calif.
Lap of Luxury “We always knew we wanted a combined fire and water feature that could be seen from the living room windows” of this 20-acre property in Cave Creek, Ariz., says designer Deborah Malone.Water trickles over two sides of a raised 10-foot-by-14-foot spa, past a gas fire pit, and into the two regulation lap lanes of the adjacent pool. The flames soften the bold geometry of the spa and pool. The flickering light also increases the atmosphere for quiet get-togethers or large pool parties.Vermont bluestone coping around the fire pit, pool, and spa ties the outdoor enclave to interior living spaces that feature the same stone flooring. For landlubbers, a second exterior fireplace shares a hearth with a large TV niche. Both the fireplace and the niche have custom designed wrought iron screens that match light sconces scattered across the extensive patio. Malone says the biggest challenge was integrating the pool into a comfortably scaled outdoor setting. “The owner wanted full-length lap lanes for exercise, so we tried to offset the sheer size of the pool by overlapping the spa and adding the fire pit.” Builder/designer: JP Malone Construction, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Landscape architect: Renaissance Exterior Development, Cave Creek, Ariz.
Bonfire of the Vanities Landscape architect Greg Trutza designed a wok-shaped fire pit and stacked it high with lava rocks, encouraging natural gas flames to achieve bonfire status. Several more of the hand-carved cantera stone “woks,” used as planters, were placed on symmetrical diagonals across the contemporary terrace. The pale stone blends with the light-tinted aggregate and sand-colored travertine that surround the pool and fountain. Black Mexican beach pebbles fill around the planters and fire pit to create the terrace’s 3-foot grid pattern. “The elements are repetitive with reason,” explains Trutza. “The goal was to have hardscapes that complement the home’s international-style architecture.” Located between the family room and pool, the fire pit encourages outdoor gatherings, provides a place for post-swim warmups, and enhances the view for those on the inside. Landscape contractor:Tom Baseggio, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Landscape architect: New Directions in Landscape Architecture, Phoenix; Metal sculptor: Lyle London, Arts in Metal,Tempe, Ariz.
