A Markham Cabana Built for Real Entertaining

This double-pass-through, roll-up-window cabana and outdoor kitchen in Markham is a good example of what we mean when we talk about designing for how a space actually gets used, not just how it photographs.

It combines timber-frame elements, fine woodwork, and traditional construction techniques into a single structure that includes a full kitchen, tile work, a two-piece bathroom, an exterior shower, and a dedicated change room. Storage was planned in from the start, and pool equipment is housed inside the structure specifically to keep operating noise down — a detail that’s easy to overlook until you’re standing next to a running pump during a dinner party.

Projects like this work best when the mechanical and practical needs (storage, equipment noise, bathroom access) are solved at the same time as the architecture, not bolted on afterward.