Rivers Landscape Construction is a second-generation, family-owned design and build company serving San Diego County since 1997. With more than 100 projects completed annually, four consecutive years earning the Houzz Service Award, and a clientele built largely on referrals, Rivers Landscape has earned its reputation as one of Southern California’s most trusted names in high-end outdoor living. Read on to discover how the company’s President, Gabriel Rios, thinks about the evolution of outdoor living, what today’s luxury clients expect, and why Infratech heaters have become a go-to in their most ambitious builds.
What trends have you noticed overall in outdoor living?
After more than 20 years building high-end outdoor spaces, I’ve seen outdoor living become one of the most important parts of a luxury home, especially in Southern California. It is no longer treated as just a backyard. Today, it is viewed as a true extension of the home, with the same level of design, investment, and attention as the interior living room, kitchen, or great room. Because of our climate, families are able to use these spaces year-round, so they are willing to invest heavily in making them comfortable, beautiful, and functional.
What outdoor features do your customers look for most when building a luxury home?
The features luxury clients ask for most are outdoor kitchens, covered lounges, fire features, high-end lighting, sound systems, and strong indoor-outdoor flow. They want the backyard to feel like an outdoor living room, not just a patio. In many of the million-dollar backyards we build, the goal is to create a space where people can cook, entertain, relax, and spend quality time with family and guests in a way that feels just as refined as the inside of the home.
How important is smart home integration to your customers?
Smart home integration is extremely important. Luxury homeowners want convenience, control, and simplicity. They want to manage heaters, lighting, sound, pool equipment, water features, and other outdoor elements directly from their phones or devices. For today’s clients, smart integration is no longer an extra feature — it is an expected part of a well-designed outdoor living environment.
What do you like most about using Infratech heaters in your builds?
What I like most is that they work very well, clients love them, and they bring strong value to the overall project. In many of our larger outdoor living builds, homeowners invest in beautiful finishes, kitchens, seating areas, and architectural details — but one of the features they end up appreciating the most is the heating system. Infratech heaters help extend the use of the space into the evening and during cooler weather, which means families and guests can stay outside longer and enjoy the space more often. That makes a real difference in how successful the outdoor area becomes.
What advice would you give homeowners just starting to think about their outdoor living spaces?
Start by thinking about how you truly live, not just what looks good in photos or on social media. A great outdoor space should be designed around your lifestyle — how often you entertain, how your family spends time together, and what features you will actually use. Think about comfort, heating, sound, shade, layout, and how the space will function day to day. After 20 years in this business, the best outdoor living spaces are the ones designed around the homeowner’s real life, not just trends. That is what creates a backyard that feels timeless, personal, and worth the investment.
