The Scope of a Full Outdoor Transformation
A complete backyard transformation is one of the most complex residential projects a homeowner can undertake. Unlike an interior renovation — where you're working within defined walls — an outdoor transformation is creating an entire environment from scratch, coordinating multiple systems (water, gas, electrical, drainage, structural) and multiple contractors who need to work in sequence.
The projects we design involve, in various combinations: pool and spa, outdoor kitchen, fire features, shade structures, landscape and planting, hardscape and drainage, lighting systems, and sometimes pool house or cabana structures. Here's how the design process handles that complexity.
The Discovery Conversation
Every project starts with a conversation that isn't really about design — it's about how you live. How often do you have people over? Is this a family space or an adult space? Do you cook outdoors, or does cooking outdoors sound appealing in theory? How do you feel about maintenance? How much of the backyard is for the pool and how much is for the kids?
These questions produce a design brief that's specific enough to actually design from. "I want a luxury outdoor space" doesn't tell a designer anything. "We entertain 6 to 10 people twice a month, we rarely swim but we want a spa, I want the space to look dramatic from the kitchen window at night" tells them almost everything they need.
Site Documentation
For clients in the Los Angeles and Orange County area, we conduct a site visit to photograph, measure, and document the existing conditions — grade changes, utility locations, drainage patterns, existing structures, setbacks, and the angles and sightlines that matter.
For clients outside Southern California, we guide you through a documentation process using photos and video that captures the same information. Remote project design is a normal part of our practice.
The First Concept
Based on the brief and the site data, we develop the initial design concept in 3D. By the time you see the first presentation, you're looking at rendered images — not sketches or diagrams. The pool has a shape and a finish. The kitchen has a location and an orientation. The deck has a material and a pattern. The landscape has a direction.
This is different from showing a 2D plan and saying "picture this in 3D." You don't have to picture anything — you can see it.
Revision Rounds
Almost every client makes meaningful changes after seeing the first concept. The pool should be oriented slightly differently. The kitchen should move to the other side. The material palette should shift warmer. These decisions, made in 3D during the design phase, are easy — a few days of revision work. Made after the concrete is poured, they're expensive and sometimes impossible.
We include unlimited revision rounds in the design phase. We iterate until the design is right.
The Construction Package
Once the design is approved, we produce the construction document set:
- Fully dimensioned site plan covering every element
- Elevations showing walls, structures, and grade transitions
- Material schedule with manufacturer, product, and lead time for every surface
- Electrical and plumbing rough-in locations
- Structural notes for shade structures and raised elements
- Lighting layout and specification
This document set is what enables competitive bidding — every contractor is quoting the same specification. It's also what enables accountability during construction — when a contractor substitutes a material or diverges from the plan, you have documentation that says what was specified.
After the Package
The design package belongs to you. Take it to any contractor. Use it to get three bids. Build it this year or next. We have no financial relationship with any builder — the design is entirely in your interest.
AEON's packages start at $4,000 for residential projects, with the typical project taking 6 to 10 weeks from first conversation to construction-ready documents. Book a free consultation to talk about your project.