An Addition Built
into the Trees
Extending a home into its landscape
This project added a new raised deck to a gable-roofed chalet set on a heavily wooded lot near the shores of Georgian Bay, extending the home's living space outward to meet the trees.
The owners wanted to make more of their setting: a dedicated outdoor platform that would carry everyday living past the walls of their home and frame the surrounding woodland. Because the home sits on a sloped, tree-lined lot, the addition had to be built on engineered footings, while protecting the mature trees that give the property its character.
The result is a structurally robust deck addition built on an insulated concrete foundation, framed to match the lines of the existing home, and connected to a lower-level patio and stone steps below.
Design Intent
The vision for the Barclay property was to extend the home into its wooded setting without competing with it.
A raised deck that captures the elevated, tree-canopy outlook the lot offers
Massing and rooflines drawn to match the existing gable architecture
A natural material palette of timber and stone suited to a woodland, lakeside setting
A connected lower-level patio and stone steps to tie the deck back down to grade
Construction sequenced to project the mature trees and respect the slope
The intent throughout was structural integrity first, then a seamless visual fit, so the addition reads as though it was always part of the home rather than bolted on.
Scope of Work
This was an enclosed home addition built on a new engineered foundation, with an attached deck and grade-level work, delivered across winter and spring on a sloped, wooded lot.
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The Result
The completed project delivers:
New enclosed living space that extends the home into the tree canopy
A roofed gable addition matched seamlessly to the original architecture
An engineered, insulated foundation built for the slope and the climate
An attached raised deck connecting indoor space to the outdoors
A lower-level patio and stone steps linking the home to the yard
Mature trees preserved, keeping the property's wooded character intact
What began as a compact home on a wooded lot is now a larger, fully integrated home that opens directly onto its landscape, a durable, purpose-built addition designed for years of four-season use.
It starts with a vision
for your space.
A backyard reimagined. A home expanded. A property transformed. From first conversation to final detail, we turn ideas into environments that feel as good as they look.