Cita Avenue

Cita Avenue | Elevated Outdoor Living Across Terraced Levels

Escondido, California
Luxury Landscape Architecture | Fire-Resilient Design | Multi-Tiered Outdoor Living

Overview

Our client sought to transform a steep half-acre hillside in San Diego County into a multi-generational outdoor retreat. The design responds to complex topography by layering terraces into a cohesive flow of gardens, playfields, and gathering spaces. Each level is connected with thoughtful transitions, creating a property that balances recreation, refinement, and resilience.

Multi-Tiered Outdoor Living

Three distinct terraces anchor the rear yard, each offering its own lifestyle experience while providing direct new egress connections from the residence to the upper and lower levels.

• Upper level: An art studio and ornamental garden retreat framed by a central fountain.
• Middle level: A spa deck with lounge chairs, paired with a small lawn, swimming pool, and an outdoor theater for family movie nights.
• Lower terrace: An expansive outdoor kitchen, covered dining pavilion, and fireplace lounge that extend the home’s living space into the landscape.

At the front, a regulation soccer field, terraced “stadium seating,” and a reimagined circular drive establish a dramatic arrival sequence. This reconfiguration introduces a new front entry stair, a lower loggia space, and expansive gardens wrapping the perimeter of the large front yard, balancing functionality with elegance.

Design Intent & Resilience

Resiliency was embedded from the outset. Plantings are drought-adaptive and fire-conscious, drainage solutions are integrated across the slope, and mature trees are preserved to anchor shade and habitat. The design embraces phased construction, allowing the property to evolve while maintaining its long-term ecological and functional integrity.

By night, the terraces transform into glowing outdoor rooms. Subtle lighting highlights pathways, planting edges, and gathering zones, ensuring safe circulation while creating an inviting atmosphere for evening dining, fireside conversation, or open-air cinema at the outdoor theater.