Patio

The ceiling of the exterior patio and soffits is crafted from inexpensive sheets of plywood cut into smaller pieces, assembled in a custom pattern, and stained.

Pops of blue throughout, from the chairs to the coffee mugs to the washroom vestibule, are an affectionate nod to the original Fergie's Cafe. "It's smartened up, but the heart is the same," Jake says.

"You can see [with] this building how the design is in the small details and at the urban scale," says Cynthia.

The back garden is a perfect metaphor for what the couple hoped to achieve with their project. "We feel a part of the city, but there’s still this sense of privacy," says Ali.

Alloi's design solution for the exterior envelope included exterior rigid insulation to reduce solar heat gain, and recycled newspaper blown-in cellulose insulation at interior and exterior walls, creating an energy efficient and peacefully quiet home.

"The courtyard was a feature of the home that was conceived almost immediately as a peaceful respite from the urban density just outside,