Television a Unique Feature to Outdoor Space

By Gregory Harris, LASN

The custom outdoor theater includes a 65-inch flat screen television, artificial turf and seating for ten. Water features in the backyard space and three layers of trees between this home and neighboring residences eliminates noise pollution.
Photos courtesy of Realm Environments

High end grill and appliances? Check. Abundant seating with fabric that is outdoor friendly? Check. Plantings that highlight the Arizona landscape? Check. A 65-inch flat panel television? Whoa!

The above features were what a homeowner in the Tucson, Ariz. area wanted for her backyard retreat, and the firm Realm Environments was able to deliver everything on her wish list.

Realm’s client contacted the firm with the hopes of creating a private space where she could entertain guests year-round. Outdoor barbecues, movies with friends and comfortable lounging spaces in a native yet polished environment were the priorities. Sustainability was also a key component of the project, as evidenced by the water features and the location of the television and seating.

“The area where the couch and television are now used to be a swimming pool,” said Realm owner Jason Isenberg.

Isenberg noted that the homeowner has dogs and that she wanted an outdoor space that would allow the dogs to run around. Rather than using natural grass, the “grassy area” is actually an anti-microbial artificial turf. The turf, a Polyolefin Duraflow, features a 100 percent recycled backing that allows for complete percolation of pet waste (prohibits mold & bacteria) courtesy of Southwest Greens of Tucson.

In addition, the homeowner is a big sports fan, which led to the inclusion on the television set outdoors. The seating at the television set is large enough to seat 10 people, and the entertainment center includes surround sound.

The outdoor kitchen features a stainless steel grill, refrigerator and storage, bar sink and a flagstone walkway. The use of flagstone was inspired by the existing flagstone that was found on the home’s patio.

Noise Reduction
Measures were incorporated into the design of the landscape to reduce noise from the backyard when the homeowner and guests are watching the television and using the outdoor space.

“There are two fountains on the property that provide auditory screening for the guests in the yard while reducing the noise out to the neighbors,” Isenberg said. “There are also three layers of trees between this house and the neighbors and a masonry wall, so noise is not a problem.”

Isenberg noted that the homeowner was very specific as to the amenities that she wanted in the outdoor space, but was open stylistically to the design of the space.

A custom gabion water features with adolescent Vitex agnus castus growing around it brings the sound of water to the landscape. Pieces of flagstone have been placed in the water feature instead of rocks.

Landscape Elements
When designing the backyard, Realm created a 100 percent custom fabricated oasis. All of the metal work including perimeter fencing, gabion water fountains and an outdoor shower were fabricated in-house. The outdoor kitchen features all stainless steel appliances including a grill, refrigerator, bar sink and storage drawers. The kitchen also features three counter top planters with herbs for cooking.

The kitchen “flooring” is flagstone and the existing flagstone that was found on the home’s patio inspired its use. The countertop is poured concrete and the cabinetry is a salmon-colored smooth stucco finish that mirrors the finish used on the seating area across from the kitchen.

Water Features
The water features were custom built by Realm, and in addition to the two water features in the backyard, a third water feature – an outdoor shower – is located behind a “green” screen in the backyard. Each water feature is a custom gabion that brings the sound of water to the space.

“Most gabions are filled with rock but there weren’t any rocks in the backyard,” Isenberg said. “We did not want to introduce additional materials, so we used some of the same flagstone that was used in the kitchen. These pieces were stacked into the gabions and they tie everything together.”

The water features recirculate through subgrade basins, resulting in less algae buildup. The outdoor shower gives a spa element to the space and the water from the shower is repurposed on site for other uses, bringing the “green” theme to all aspects of the project.