A Forgotten Side Yard Becomes an Award-Winning Outdoor Retreat
The Green Scene is proud to announce that our “Side Hustle” project has received a 2026 Pool & Hot Tub Alliance International Award of Excellence, recognizing exceptional creativity, design and craftsmanship in the pool, spa and water-feature industry.
The PHTA International Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding projects from throughout the United States and around the world. For us, this award is particularly satisfying because “Side Hustle” represents something we believe strongly about as designers: some of the most interesting opportunities on a property are hiding in places other people overlook.
And few areas are overlooked more often than the side yard.
From Passageway to Destination
The client had recently added a new exterior door from his home office. Rather than walking outside to face an ordinary pathway between two buildings, he wanted the area to become somewhere he would actually want to spend time.
His request was simple in concept: create a place where he could step outside during the workday, clear his head, think and reset.
The challenge was that the space was long and relatively narrow. A conventional treatment could easily have reinforced the feeling of walking through a corridor.
Instead, our design team treated the side yard as an outdoor room.
A strong architectural axis was established through the space, terminating in sculptural focal points at opposite ends. A raised tiled walking surface visually broadened the area and created a stronger relationship between the interior office and the new outdoor environment.
Down the center runs a custom water feature designed to provide movement, reflection, color and sound.
The transformation was so dramatic that the space earned its name: Side Hustle.
Water, Light and Sculpture
The visual stars of the project are two large transparent spheres positioned above the water.
During the daytime, they behave almost like contemporary garden sculptures, reflecting and refracting their surroundings through moving water.
At night, they come alive.
Integrated lighting allows the spheres, water and tiled surfaces to glow in brilliant shades of blue, purple, red, gold and other colors. Light dances across the water wall and surrounding surfaces, completely changing the personality of the space after sunset.
Between the spheres, a linear watercourse is animated by a series of bubbling jets. A vertical sheet of water adds another layer of movement and sound.
Every element contributes to the experience.
Water bubbles.
Water falls.
Light moves.
Reflections change.
And the sound of moving water provides a constant background of soothing white noise just outside the office.
The goal wasn’t simply to create something beautiful to look at. We wanted to change how the space felt.
Engineering the Experience
Behind the artistry is substantial construction and engineering.
The water feature was constructed as a monolithically poured concrete vessel. During placement, the concrete was carefully vibrated to consolidate the material, minimize voids and help create the dense structure necessary for a permanent water feature.
Hydraulics were designed to provide balanced circulation throughout the multiple basins, runnel, bubbling features and sphere elements.
Too little flow and the feature would lack movement.
Too much flow and the peaceful character of the space would disappear.
The objective was controlled movement: enough water to create visual interest and the desired acoustic effect without turning a contemplative garden into a noisy fountain.
Electrical systems, lighting, waterproofing and service access also had to be carefully integrated into the architecture so that the mechanical components supporting the experience remain largely invisible.
Good design makes the complicated look effortless.
Designing for Wellness
One of the most rewarding aspects of “Side Hustle” is that it has a purpose beyond aesthetics.
Outdoor living is increasingly about wellness.
Sometimes wellness means a swimming pool, exercise area or garden.
Sometimes it can be as simple as giving someone a beautiful place to walk outside for ten minutes between meetings.
The combination of water, movement, reflected light, landscape and sound changes the atmosphere immediately outside the client’s office. Instead of looking at an unused side yard, he now looks out at a private water garden.
Open the door and the office effectively becomes larger.
The outdoor environment becomes another room.
Great Design Doesn't Require a Great Big Space
Perhaps the most important lesson of “Side Hustle” is that spectacular outdoor living isn’t limited to large backyards.
Every property has overlooked opportunities.
A narrow setback.
An unused corner.
A side yard.
A grade change.
An awkward space between structures.
We call them design opportunities.
“Side Hustle” took an area traditionally considered secondary and made it one of the most visually memorable spaces on the property.
That is why receiving international recognition for this project means so much to our team. The award isn’t simply recognition of a water feature. It recognizes the idea behind it: thoughtful design can completely change the way people experience their homes.
At The Green Scene, our Garden Artisans look for those opportunities on every project.
Sometimes the biggest Wow Factor comes from the smallest space.
