Outdoor areas and gourmet veranda: how to design the new heart of the home

Updated on 07/06/2026 by EZA Engenharia

The outdoor area is no longer the leftover backyard at the far end of the lot. Gourmet veranda, barbecue, deck and pool have become the true heart of the house, where the family entertains, cooks and spends the weekend. The challenge, here in the south, is making all of that work year-round. After more than 35 years building in Criciúma and the surrounding region, we have learned one thing: outdoor areas and a gourmet veranda that truly work are born in the floor plan, not in the decor. Here is what matters most in this project.

The gourmet balcony became the center of the house

For a long time, the outdoor area was whatever was left over from the project: a barbecue corner far from everything. Today it is the opposite. In the high-end houses we build in Criciúma and the region, the gourmet veranda is usually the most sought-after space in the floor plan, and that is where the family actually lives.

This change calls for decisions from the very start of the design. The position on the lot defines sun and wind. The connection with the gourmet kitchen determines whether serving a lunch will be practical or a marathon of back-and-forth. And the size needs to be realistic: room to entertain well doesn't come from improvisation after the project is finished.

Outdoor areas and gourmet balcony for the southern climate

In southern Santa Catarina the script is well known: summer calls for shade and ventilation, winter calls for shelter from the south wind, and rain shows up in any season. An outdoor area that only works in the sun ends up used three months a year. That's money sitting idle.

In practice, what works is combining a section with a fixed roof and ceiling, where the barbecue and table go, with an uncovered section of deck or garden. Glass enclosures that open completely leave the space wide open in summer and protected in winter. And orientation matters: the north face receives sun in winter and makes the veranda pleasant in the colder season.

A pergola on its own looks beautiful in a photo, but it doesn't hold back rain. For year-round use, it works as a complement to a real roof, not as a standalone solution.

The barbecue grill and oven go into the floor plan, not afterward

The calculation I most often see go wrong in a gourmet area is the infrastructure one. A barbecue grill and a wood-fired oven need properly sized exhaust, otherwise the smoke invades the house every time the wind shifts. This is solved in the design, with the right chimney and adequate ceiling height, not with an adaptation after the plaster is finished.

The same goes for the water, sewage, gas and power points. A countertop with a sink, a refrigerator, a range hood and a rotisserie may seem like details, but each one requires a point planned in the build. Breaking a finished wall to run piping is expensive and causes delays.

• Exhaust and flue for the barbecue and the oven
• Water, sewage and gas points at the countertop
• Outlets for the refrigerator, range hood and rotisserie
• Lighting designed for the night, not just for the day

Deck and pool: materials that withstand sun, rain and sea air

Outdoor flooring works hard. Strong sun, rain, chlorine, wet feet. The choice isn't just about looks: it's about safety and maintenance. Non-slip porcelain tile and natural stone work well at the poolside. A wooden deck is beautiful, but it needs periodic treatment so it doesn't turn gray and splinter. There's no wrong material, there's material chosen without knowing the cost of maintaining it.

The pool deserves the same reasoning: an accessible machine room, heating if the idea is to use it beyond summer, and a structure calculated together with the house. We talk about this in the text on leisure area and pool. On the coast, as in Balneário Rincão, where EZA also operates, the salt air factors into the choice of metal fixtures, window frames, and hardware.

What no one sees: waterproofing and drainage

Water is the greatest enemy of any outdoor area. Slab, planter, deck over slab, pool edge: everything depends on well-executed waterproofing and correct slope toward the drains. When it fails, the damage shows up months later, as leaks and stains on the ceiling, and the repair costs far more than the prevention.

At EZA, we do watertightness test on the projects: seal everything, wait, and monitor. It takes time, but it ensures that the waterproofing is truly working before the finish covers everything. In an outdoor area, this invisible care separates a space that lasts for decades from an annual headache.

A good outdoor area is not the one with the most features, it is the one the family uses all year long without headaches. And that is decided in the design: the right roofing, planned infrastructure, materials that withstand the local climate and waterproofing tested before the finishes. For more than 35 years EZA Engenharia has been building high-end homes in Criciúma and the surrounding region, with in-house engineering from design to execution. If you are planning your gourmet veranda or a complete leisure area, reach out to us on WhatsApp (48) 99191-2018, send an e-mail to [email protected] or check out the projects at eza.com.br.