This Toronto backyard presented a significant challenge: an ambitious wish list—a swimming pool, raised spa, outdoor kitchen, cabana, and fire pit lounge—that needed to come together on a relatively small, sloping property. Earth Inc. responded by treating the site’s constraints as opportunities, creating a series of interlocking outdoor spaces where the transitions between areas become deliberate design moves.
Rather than flattening the site, Earth Inc. elevated the concrete shell of the pool above grade, transforming the slope into one of the project’s defining features. The pool’s rear wall rises 36 inches above the landscape beyond, creating a bar-height counter overlooking the water. What could have been simply a structural necessity becomes a social connection between the upper and lower levels of the backyard.
At the upper level, adjacent to the house, a built-in kitchen and cabana extend the living space, opening onto dining and lounging areas. From here, the landscape unfolds gradually downward. The raised spa sits at one end of the pool, spilling directly into the water below and turning the connection between the two bathing areas into a dynamic water feature.
Opposite the spa and overlooking the pool is the fire pit lounge, shaded by an ipe and stainless steel pergola. Its clean, architectural structure will gradually soften as wisteria grows through the lattice. At the center of this lounge is a Fold fire table, reflecting the same design approach found throughout the landscape: each element serves more than one purpose. With its generous table-height surface, Fold functions as a practical gathering space for drinks and conversation when the fire is off. When the evening cools, it becomes a fire feature, extending the usability of the lounge and adding warmth and atmosphere to the space.
It’s the same logic that shapes the whole backyard: nothing does just one job.
Learn more about this project from Earth Inc. here.
