toronto backyard homes

These futuristic pre-built apartments can be dropped right into Toronto backyards

Following a landmark ruling from the Ontario Land Tribunal in July 2022 to allow garden suites to be built in backyards in Toronto, one company is offering futuristic-looking apartments that can be installed in your yard in less than four months. 

Happi Builds is a new company that specializes in climate-friendly, prefabricated accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The company's modern made-in-Canada units can be installed as a rental unit on eligible properties or be used for personal purposes such as multi-generational housing, a home office, a yoga studio, or a gym. 

According to the company's news release, over 500,000 properties in Toronto currently meet the criteria to build backyard housing. The announcement also cites a 2022 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. report, which revealed that 5.8 million new affordable housing units are needed by 2030 in Canada. 

"Often requiring a lawyer, architect, and contractor, building an accessory dwelling unit is typically an intensive endeavour with fluctuating costs," the release reads

With the concierge service the company provides, homeowners can install an ADU in only 12 to 16 weeks, and the company says they'll handle everything from the initial consultation to design and permitting through to financing and installation. 

The contemporary backyard apartments are built and delivered by Toront0-based architects at R-Hauz using low-carbon technologies, and are installed via a three-phase process, which includes an assessment, design, and building stage.

Lead photo by

Happi Builds 


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