A Tiered Backyard Accommodates All Levels of Lounging
Green-thumbed architect Paul Raff cultivates a spacious urban garden in Glen Park
The Brief: Craving a closer relationship between home and garden, the owners of this property enlisted Paul Raff Studio Architects. Central to the project was a new rear addition, conceived as a long box with a wall of glass that folds away come warm summer days. While this open connection sets up a smooth flow between indoors and out, it was up to the patio to carry that idea forward. Specifically, Raff was asked to define outdoor spaces for spirited entertaining and secluded relaxation – without interrupting the new kitchen’s view of the back flower beds.
The Solution: Cascading levels clad in distinct materials deliver different amounts of patio privacy. The upper deck, with its six-seater table and open-air kitchen, is dedicated to private dining. Sheltered by a motorized canopy and screened from the neighbours by a bench partition of the same charcoal-stained Douglas fir as the rear addition, it acts as a seamless extension of the house. A few steps down, an open Eramosa limestone terrace – accented with strips of grass that reach out to the garden beyond – is complete with a bonfire pit for midnight s’mores.
Sources: Folding doors and awning from Door Studio; dining table and lounge chairs from Avenue Road; Paloform fire pit, fireside seats from Augustus Jones.