Contrast & Variety in Altadena: Contemporary Pool, Open ADU Structure, Deck, Sauna, Outdoor Shower, and Landscape Construction

Swimming Pool Construction
Altadena

This Altadena project shows how Garden View Landscape, Nursery & Pools combines design, construction expertise, pool building, hardscape, landscape, grading, and custom craftsmanship in one award-winning design/build company. The result is a contemporary outdoor retreat with a pool, open ADU-style structure, Ipe deck, sauna, outdoor shower, restroom, wine cellar, storage, fire pit, ceiling heaters, decomposed granite paths, boulder walls, timber ties, artificial grass, and mountain-view landscaping.

The design is built around contrast and variety: clean contemporary architecture set within more organic landscape materials. The project uses modern structure and layout, but softens that formality with wood, stone, decomposed granite, planting, boulders, water, and the existing oak tree. It won four California Landscape Contractors Association awards: Best Design/Build, Special Effects, Best Shade/Deck, and Best Use of Rockscape in the Landscape.

A Difficult Open Structure

The open structure at the back of the property functions much like an ADU, with a bathroom, sauna, sink, cooking area, outdoor shower, wine cellar, storage, and living space. From a construction standpoint, it was more difficult than a typical ADU because it did not have conventional load-bearing walls.

To keep the large open layout, Garden View used metal beams and girders to span the long length of the structure. That allowed the building to stay open and contemporary while still supporting the roof and architectural form. This is where Garden View’s combined design and construction experience mattered. The space had to be beautiful, buildable, structurally sound, and fully integrated with the pool, deck, sauna, shower, hardscape, and landscape.

Contemporary Style with Organic Materials

The project is contemporary in style, similar to modern, but warmer and more natural because of the material choices. The cabana structure has clean lines and a strong architectural presence, while the surrounding landscape uses decomposed granite paths, boulder walls, timber ties, Ipe decking, artificial grass, water, and layered planting.

This mix gives the project its character. The clean structure provides order, while the organic materials connect it to the Altadena foothill setting. The result feels refined without becoming cold or overly formal.

Custom Deck Around an Existing Oak

A custom Ipe deck was built around an existing oak tree. Protecting the oak was a major part of the construction planning. The deck had to be built according to arborist specifications so the tree could remain healthy while the outdoor living area was developed around it.

Working around a mature oak affects deck layout, footings, drainage, grade changes, access, and construction sequencing. Garden View coordinated those requirements so the tree could remain an important natural feature of the project while still allowing the deck, pool, and cabana to function together.

Freestanding Brazilian Hardwood Outdoor Shower

The round structure to the right of the ADU-style building is a freestanding outdoor shower built with Brazilian hardwood. It was designed to provide privacy without doors, making it both practical and sculptural.

The curved form and hardwood material give the shower a custom resort feeling. It supports the pool and sauna area while also becoming a distinctive architectural feature in the landscape.

Grading, Boulder Walls, Timber Ties, and Circulation

The property had a sloping backyard, with the house separated from the rear area by a driveway that wrapped around to the garage. A steep slope behind the driveway dropped into the yard, limiting the usable space.

Garden View transformed the grade with boulder walls, alternating landscape timbers, a decomposed granite path, and an inviting stairway that leads from the main house courtyard toward the rear retreat. These grading and retaining solutions made the pool, cabana, sauna, shower, deck, and entertainment area possible.

The boulder walls and timber ties also reinforced the project’s design theme. They solved the slope while adding texture, rhythm, and contrast to the contemporary structure.

Pool, Cabana, Sauna, Fire Pit, and Year-Round Use

The pool and cabana were designed as one connected outdoor environment. The open walls of the cabana straddle the pool area, bringing the water close to the structure and creating a strong indoor-outdoor relationship. The Ipe deck is set at the same level as the cabana and pool decking, making the space feel continuous.

The structure includes a sauna, restroom, sink, cooking area, wine cellar, and storage. A fire pit and ceiling heaters help extend the use of the space into cooler evenings. Together, these features create a complete outdoor retreat for swimming, relaxing, entertaining, and enjoying the mountain setting.

Artificial Grass and the 2025 Altadena Fires

Artificial grass was used in the landscape. During the 2025 Altadena fires, the fire came close to the property, but the landscape stayed intact. The heat was strong enough to crack a boulder, yet the artificial grass only melted in a couple of small areas totaling less than one square foot.

No landscape should be considered fireproof, and every property still needs proper maintenance, defensible space, and fire-conscious planning. But in this case, the landscape performed remarkably well under extreme conditions.

Why Garden View Was the Right Company

This project required more than a pool contractor, deck builder, landscape designer, or general contractor working separately. It required one coordinated design/build team with experience in structural problem-solving, pool construction, grading, hardscape, custom decking, landscape, arborist coordination, outdoor rooms, sauna integration, shower design, fire features, and finish details.

Garden View’s ability to combine those disciplines made the project possible. The open ADU-style structure required metal beams and girders. The oak required protection. The slope required grading, boulder walls, timber ties, paths, and stairs. The pool, cabana, Ipe deck, sauna, Brazilian hardwood shower, artificial grass, and planting all had to be planned as one complete environment.

For homeowners in Altadena, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, San Marino, South Pasadena, Monrovia, and the San Gabriel Valley, this project shows the value of hiring an experienced full-service landscape and pool construction company for difficult outdoor projects.

The finished result is a contemporary outdoor retreat built around contrast and variety: architecture and landscape, water and stone, wood and steel, structure and nature, design and construction working together.

Awards

This project earned four awards from the California Landscape Contractors Association, including:
• Best Design/Build
• Special Effects Award: Recognizing unique methods or materials and special artistic effects.
• Best Shade/Deck
• Best Use of Rockscape in the Landscape

Before & After