Shade structure and flagstone path on a hillside terrace with a valley view
How we design

A pool is a structure first.

Most pool problems start with the shell, not the surface. We engineer the structural side — including caissons under the deck where the slope demands it — so the finish has a stable substrate to live on. From there we choose the shape, the coping, the deck material, and the lighting to fit the architecture.

  • Hillside-rated shell engineering and excavation.
  • Travertine, limestone, or concrete decking with proper drainage falls.
  • Spa, fire features, and infinity edges integrated into the design.
  • Lighting, equipment, and water-chemistry detailed up front.
Common designs

Three pool types we build a lot.

Aerial view of a terraced hillside garden built by Vitoli Builders in Los Angeles County

Hillside infinity

Vanishing edge over the canyon — engineered shell on caissons, catch basin and pump room sized to the spill.

Terraced planting beds with container plants and gravel paths

Modern rectangle

Crisp geometry, sun-shelf and bench, integrated spa — paired with travertine or limestone decking.

Flagstone path curving through a planted hillside slope

Free-form lagoon

Soft edges, boulder coping, and naturalized planting around — better for ranch-style and rustic architecture.

Related

What sits with the pool.

Outdoor seating area under a pergola on a flagstone terrace

Hardscape

Decks, coping, walkways — the masonry that grounds the pool environment.

Hardscape
Redwood pergola built over a hillside seating terrace

Outdoor Kitchen

Built-in cooking and dining, sized to the pool deck.

Outdoor Living
Engineered timber retaining walls terracing a Southern California hillside

Hillside Engineering

What's under the pool deck on a sloped lot.

Hillside Engineering

Planning a pool?

We'll come look at the property and tell you what kind of shell the lot will actually carry.