The Cabana

overview What began as a conventional double garage evolved into an exploration of how architecture and landscape could reshape the experience of home. Working within Vancouver’s zoning regulations, the property was reimagined as a collection of connected indoor and outdoor rooms where buildings, gardens, and shared spaces support the changing rhythms of family life.

Rather than treating the garden as leftover space between buildings, the design treats it as a place to be lived in. Stone pathways, terraces, layered planting, and carefully positioned pavilions create a sequence of spaces that invite gathering, play, creativity, movement, and quiet retreat. The landscape becomes an extension of the home, encouraging everyday life to unfold beyond its walls.

At the heart of the project, two companion pavilions define a series of shared outdoor rooms. Positioned in dialogue with one another, the workshop and cabana establish a strong spatial relationship while serving entirely different purposes. Though they share a common architectural language, each supports a distinct rhythm of family life, their relationship giving shape and purpose to the landscape between them. Together with the adjoining living and dining terraces, the buildings create a sequence of interconnected spaces that blur the distinction between architecture and garden.

The workshop was designed as a place for making, learning, and experimentation. Filled with natural light and connected to the outdoors through expansive sliding glass walls, it allows creativity to become part of everyday family life rather than something hidden away. Visible from the kitchen, yet offering children a sense of independence, the workshop allows parents to remain quietly connected without ever making the space feel supervised.