My house is a raised with a subloor and I built it near a slope and took a deck from the sliding glass door of the great room to the first level of the terrace. This deck is 16 feet wide. I kept within non-engineered required cut and used a stacking retaining wall system. The terrace/patio is about 12 feet wide on average with slate tile and pigmented concrete finishes. Then I put another short wall with no engineering required on the other side of this terrace/patio. I went up from grade about 6 feet total in two steps.The way the contours of my lot work I was able to grade the terrace around the house on both sides and access it from grade without any steps.
I am thinking about cutting further into the hill and building a poured in place concrete walled cabana. This will require engineering. Alternately, cutting a lap pool into the hill, with a bench for the patio or yard, would be cool.
Some friends of mine are going to cut into the slope at their house just far enough to avoid engineering requirements and do some type of masonry hardscape benches with a concrete slab or flag stone patio that you step up to, with a fire pit in the center.
