Pueblo Traditions

Nearly 2,000 years ago, on the high plateaus of the desert Southwest, members of the Pueblo Indian culture gathered around fires in kivas — ceremonial round rooms dug deep into the ground. Today the term kiva also refers to a Southwestern style of fireplace featuring stucco facing, an arched firebox, and a distinctive beehive shape. Many also include banquettes for hearthside seating.

The design was a logical choice for Christy and Howard Zatkin’s backyard patio in La Jolla, California. For the past 20 years, the couple have been slowly remodeling their L-shape ranch house, filling it with Native American furnishings and Southwestern details. Angled in a corner, their outdoor kiva fireplace is the crowning touch in a complete patio makeover.

“We wanted a yard that reflected our love of the Southwest,” says Christy, an Arizona native who likes to entertain outside. “The fireplace adds warmth and ambience at night, and it creates a strong focal point for our patio.”

Originally, the patio was just a tiled concrete slab. The tiles were battered and cracked, and the space offered little privacy — thanks to a neighboring house with an unusual side entry that looks directly onto the Zatkins’ patio. For help creating a more secluded and inviting outdoor room, the couple turned to architect Ione Stiegler.

“Screening was an important issue for both families,” Stiegler says. Working with an associate, Kevin Pollem, Stiegler created privacy by expanding a stucco wall and fronting it with a rustic cedar pergola covered with vines.
Stretched along the patio’s edge, the pergola merges with the Zatkins’ fireplace, resting its final support post on one of the fireplace’s stucco banquettes. The designers completed the makeover by replacing the old patio tiles with a flagstone veneer whose subtle tones echo desert hues.
“These days I never design a new house without an outdoor fireplace,” Stiegler says. “It completes an outdoor space in a way no other feature can.”

Placement
Ideal placement for an outdoor fireplace depends on your site and local building codes. Away from the house, a fireplace can function as a courtyard wall, screening unwanted views and creating a sense of enclosure. Set against the house, it might piggyback an interior fireplace’s chimney or control interior views by eliminating a poorly placed window. A fireplace within a pavilion or gazebo can be enjoyed even on rainy days.