Give the pavilion its place
Resolve the raised platform and garden-step connection as one small construction area.
05 / Stepped + social
Canyon Courtyard
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This fifth direction treats elevation as architecture, not decoration. A pavilion sits one comfortable level above the lawn, broad central steps double as casual seating, and a tucked fire garden settles into the opposite corner—three distinct experiences without rebuilding every inch of grade.
From possibility to a plan
Build it in chapters.
The pavilion and broad steps are the signature. Build around those anchors rather than terracing the whole yard.
Complete the gathering loop
Connect the lawn to the lower fire garden and add the dining and cooking furniture.
Finish the garden rooms
Add planting, pavilion lighting, and illumination at the step edges.
Worth protecting
The open center lawn and wide social steps that connect all three spaces.
Where to simplify
Choose a simple slatted pavilion roof and defer built-in fire-court seating.
The details that make this direction
Raised cedar pavilion
A one-level lift gives dining and lounging a view across the entire yard without extensive retaining.
Social garden steps
Wide, low risers create an easy transition and become casual seating when the yard fills up.
Lower fire garden
Curved built-in seating makes the opposite corner feel intimate, protected, and intentional.
Useful center lawn
The middle stays simple enough for Jayda-approved sunbathing, lawn games, and everyday flexibility.
The material palette.
Honey cedar
Warm concrete
Mountain pine
Charcoal