Contemporary Carport

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This project transformed a Leslieville backyard by designing and building a multi-functional carport that doubles as a dining patio and pergola — combining minimal integrated planting, a tiered mid-level lawn, and direct access to the storage shed within one connected outdoor space.

What makes this carport design unique is its blend of function and craft: a paved surface framed by soft planting at the edges, an open wood-slatted roof supported by a solid steel frame, and a roll-up garage door that seals the yard off from the adjacent laneway. The existing tool shed was shifted and rotated to open directly onto the carport, doubling as a screen for outdoor movie nights on late summer evenings.

Balancing open sightlines from the house with a workable dual-purpose layout meant tiering the yard to minimize stairs, removing unnecessary railings, and using low vegetation as a soft buffer between levels — a landscape architecture approach that keeps the small space feeling open rather than segmented.

As a pergola for dining and entertaining, the carport is finished with hanging string lights, a detailed paving pattern, and naturally stained wood that contrasts against the black steel posts and beams.

For this young family, the result is a flexible, practical space that adapts to how they actually use their yard through every season.