These drafts reflect two and half years of attempting to redesign the back of the house. The challenge was to bring the pool, the cedar fence, and the deck into a single unified whole. The above reflects an elevated deck and the removal of the tree.

Here, the deck allows for lower decks that gradually lead to the pool deck while saving the tree which creates shade but also privacy.

 This rough sketch reflects further refinements in an attempt to have the best of the earlier designs:

a deck leading out from the kitchen with a sitting area along with lower decks for privacy and entertaining around the pool.