Project Rail Yard Outdoor Dining Room
Designer Measured Architecture
Collaborators Aloe Designs; Trillium Landscaping
Location Vancouver
Category Room
Photography Tina Kulic

What was once a patch of gravel beside a city street has been transformed into a lush, layered courtyard, a dining room without walls, where community, connection and quiet moments co-exist. Architects Clinton Cuddington and Piers Cunnington anchored the design with a sculptural “stramp” (part stair, part ramp), bringing movement and delight while ensuring accessibility. And, just as it should be for an outdoor space, there’s sustainable thinking throughout: the design includes a portion of adjacent city property, and any existing vegetation and materials were carefully reused, while reclaimed yellow cedar elements and layered planting strategies minimize environmental impact. The result is a landscape that matures gracefully and offers a lovely space to while away an afternoon in the sun.

READ MORE: Architectural Designer of the Year 2024: Measured Architecture

See the photos

Rail Yard outdoor dining room by Measured Architecture, Vancouver
Photo by Tina Kulic
Courtyard dining room created from a former gravel lot, Rail Yard outdoor dining room, Vancouver
Photo by Tina Kulic
Sculptural stramp stair-ramp feature at Rail Yard outdoor dining room by Measured Architecture
Photo by Tina Kulic
Accessible stair-ramp in the Rail Yard courtyard dining room, Vancouver
Photo by Tina Kulic
Reclaimed materials and layered planting in the Rail Yard outdoor dining room courtyard, Vancouver
Photo by Tina Kulic

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Anicka Quin

Anicka Quin

Anicka Quin is the editor-in-chief of Western Living magazine and the VP of Content for Canada Wide Media. If you've got a home design you'd like to share with Western Living, drop her a line at [email protected]