SCHOOL has one of Toronto's most distinct restuarant brand identities — tightly kerned Helvetica in all caps, a black, white, and red palette, and a playful school-themed visual language that has been central to its success as one of the city's top brunch spots. When the opportunity arose to extend the experience outdoors, the challenge was creating something cohesive with the established interior while feeling fresh and unmistakably its own.

In collaboration with interior and set designer Catherine Liddell, a pitch was developed around the theme of Field Day — an extension of the school world that translated naturally into an outdoor setting. The concept drew on sporting goods, netting, ropes, artificial grass, and athletics visual language to create an immersive, inviting patio experience that felt both true to the brand and highly Instagram-able. Crucially, everything had to be temporary and fully dismantleable, designed to come down and go back up seasonally without losing its cohesion or impact. The result was a space designed not just to seat guests, but to be experienced and photographed, further reinforcing SCHOOL's reputation for environments as considered as the food itself.