Alma Street | Thomas Balaban Architecte

A conversion and extension of an existing 180 square meter, working class duplex on the outskirts of Montreal’s Little Italy neighbourhood. The existing 1930s duplex was renovated and two rooftop volumes were added to convert the building into a single-family residence for a young couple with three children.  Integrating itself into the structure the new home is organized around a meandering circulation court that reaches out to street, garden, and sky to bring light, view, and a series of unexpected experiences inside three relatively simple volumes.

A roof extension was favoured due to the shallow lot, preserving the rear yard as a green space and children's play area. The maintained shallowness of the house also allows better penetration of light into its center. The extension is split into two volumes: a master suite and a workspace. The division and their simple formal and material presence propose an equilibrium with the existing condition without sacrificing the contemporary character and nature of the intervention. Internally this dialog is pushed one step further as the intervention seeks to suture itself into the fabric of the existing building as sober forms, monolithic materials, and bright, open spaces play against the exposed assembly of the existing ‘pièce sur pièce’ wooden structure.