I just subscribed to Kirsten Dirksen's YouTube channel. She makes videos about simple living, self-sufficiency, and small homes, among other things. She has nearly 1.3 million subscribers and her videos have almost 500 million views. I think many of you will really enjoy her channel.

The above video is about an apartment in Lapa, Lisbon that was renovated by architect João Gameiro. Originally constructed in 1819, the top floor space had been pretty badly neglected. João renovated it by striking, what seems to me like, the right balance between old and new.

Some of the other homes featured on her channel include a laneway house in Toronto, a tiny floating home in Berlin, and an off the grid cabin in Joshua Tree.

I am working from home today, like many of you, I'm sure. The patio door is open and the news is on in the background talking about some sort of nasty bug that's going around. It's not half bad, except I prefer working in an office and being around other humans.

But never mind that, this recent article from the WSJ has me wondering where I can buy a 2,700 square foot loft for €1 and end up with the following renovation for under US$450,000 (photo by Rene de Wit):

A former school in Rotterdam, the city sold off the building as 7 residences. The loft you see here was the gym. Major foundation work was required (costing about US$565,000), but that got split up across all of the buyers/residences and factors into the number I threw around above.

At 2,700 sf, it's not your typical urban residence. But it is interesting to see how they designed the space to be suitable for a family. There's a separate children's "suite" hidden behind the millwork next to the dining area. Look closely and you'll be able to see the door.

For floor plans and more photos, including some before shots, click here. It's worth seeing more of this place. Two storeys in the city is such a luxury.

superkül (architects) recently added a new project to their website, namely the renovation and addition to Proper TV’s headquarters at Bloor and Dovercourt here in Toronto.

The original single-storey building dates back to the middle of the 20th century and used to house a Canada Post Office and distribution facility.

But why send letters when you can instead send emails and instant message that are immediately tracked for the purposes of later bombarding you with ads for things you may want to buy? 

The post office closed in 2013.

The main facade along Dovercourt was constructed of limestone and that remains today. Here is photo of the building looking north on Dovercourt from Bloor:

Notice how the road (Dovercourt) curves and the building becomes almost a view terminus.

Here is the east elevation:

And here is a close-up of the bright reddish-orange powdered coated triangulated fins that adorn the second floor:

Apparently the fins are also lit up at night with programmable LEDs. I don’t have a picture of that to show you, but I am sure they look very cool. I’ll have to do a drive-by one night.

All images from superkül.