Fire pits have evolved from caves and campsites to become a central part of outdoor living. In a survey of 166 landscape architects, fire pits ranked as one of the most requested residential outdoor features of 2013, according to the American Society of Landscape Architects. The pits are increasingly designed to use gas instead of kindling for environmental reasons and safety, while still bringing heat and art to the outdoors.

Blazing Bowls

Hand-cast concrete décor company Solus built its first fire bowl six years ago for a client wanting flames to rise from within her cascading swimming pool in coastal Victoria, British Columbia. Fire pits have since become the Vancouver-based company’s best-selling product, said company president Brad Carpenter. Solus pit designs include this Hemi fire bowl. The Hemi pictured is 36-inches in diameter, 16.5 inches tall and can be built to use a propane burner or, more commonly, a natural-gas line that runs beneath the surface of the product.