Home of the Week: Alma Residence by Microclimat

What this Montreal home offered in location, it lacked in architectural refinement. But seeing the possibility of the site and the existing structure, the homeowners set out to transform the two-storey duplex into a contemporary residence. To do that, they enlisted Microclimat, a Montreal-based design-build firm.

To create a sense of spatial variation, Microclimat worked with ceiling heights, allowing the interiors to offer expansive openness on the one hand and close-knit coziness on the other. In the kitchen and dining room, a soaring double-height space gives this central, shared environment a presence, whereas in the living room, the architects used a more intimate sense of dimension, turning the focus not on the ceiling height but on the views to the rear yard.

Daylight was a priority. To maximize it, Microclimat pushed the staircases to the wall shared with the neighbouring home, as it could have no windows. They did, however, include a skylight above the stairs, which brings a warm light deep into the space. And rather than expanding the footprint of the house, drawing it close to the neighbours, they maintained the original to bring in as much daylight as possible.

With input from Jamais Assez, EDB, and Studio Meliora, the interiors convey a warm contemporaneity, emphasized by dark-wood accents throughout the residence.

For the primary bedroom suite, Microclimat created a separate rooftop addition. Perched at the level of the tree canopy, it creates a tranquil hideaway. With two open-air terraces, it also provides private, upper-level outdoor spaces that make both the primary bedroom and the bathroom indoor-outdoor environments.

Photography by Félix Michaud.