In just about every multi-unit residence in the city, people come home to a lobby big enough for a concierge desk and an elevator that will take them to their own walled-off hideaway.

At High Park Lofts at Roncesvalles Ave. and Dundas St. W., residents return to a sunlit courtyard filled with greenery, where they find their neighbours relaxing on indoor balconies and chatting with one another, rain or shine.

In a city where buildings are filled with residents who barely know each other — and where one can feel lonely even with neighbours in close proximity — this inner courtyard has helped residents of the building connect.

“We are definitely more than just a condo. We take care of each other and everything here by ourselves. It’s more like a small community,” said Ieva Fraser, a retired physical and occupational therapist who’s lived in the building with her husband since it opened in 2007.

The seven-storey, 94-unit building has a unique design. Each upper-floor apartment has a small balcony that overlooks the atrium. A glass rooftop allows daylight to filter through while protecting the balconies from rain and snow.

That’s allowed the residents to personalize their slice of public space. The majority of these balconies have been converted into offices, art studios and coffee nooks. Sometimes they serve as playgrounds for children.

The ground level is used for parties, concerts and casual get-togethers. There are couches and a table, a double sink and a washroom. There’s a small library facing a series of well-kept planters.

The indoor courtyard gives the impression of “a large living room,” said Benjamin Greenhill, a real estate agent with Keller Williams group who has listed and sold some units at the High Park Lofts.

“You can’t find these types of balconies anywhere else. I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Greenhill said, adding that residents can use them for almost anything — with the exception of barbecuing.

“It’s like a boutique of buildings in that you’ll often find people congregating to the rooftop or in the courtyard to eat and drink and talk. They really care about each other and the building itself.”

What do you think?

Developer Harry Stinson, who designed the building, said the intent was to have a common space that is pleasant year-round.

“This is Canada, this is not Miami, and during most of the year it’s not sunny and bright outside,” Stinson said.

He said the site formerly held a church and the atrium is meant to mimic the grandeur of a cathedral to provide an uplifting feeling. Once he settled on the courtyard, the inside balconies were a no-brainer. Otherwise, people would just be staring into a vacuum.

“It’s a relaxing space, much more animated than just flat walls,” he said. “This really created some sort of an internal courtyard village. I did obsess with the design of that building more so than others, because it is really unique.”

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High Park Lofts was a bit of a “pioneer” building as an upscale condominium in the Roncesvalles area, Stinson said, and he’s glad people who originally bought units there have got good value on their investment. He has no plans to replicate the design in any future projects, preferring to keep every building unique to its site.

Stinson added that he never felt concerned about residents’ behaviour on their internal balconies, noting people who buy condo units are usually respectful of their neighbours.

“This isn’t a student residence. People are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a nice apartment,” he said.

Indeed, High Park Lofts appears to be the picture of harmony. Fraser, the longtime resident, said the building has a number of committees, including a social committee charged with organizing get-togethers.

An environment committee looks into energy conservation and efficiency. A recycling committee collects bottles from residents and sells them at the Beer Store, passing the money on to the social committee. A music committee organizes jazz and classical concerts in the atrium.

“If we think it’s getting very loud in the atrium and we don’t want to disturb kids or families in the building, we’ll move upstairs in the party room or outside in the rooftop gardens,” she said.

“We are very self-conscious here and everyone is responsible.”

Fraser herself sits on a committee that maintains a rooftop garden. On planting days, everyone in this single-building community is encouraged to take part.

“To tell you the truth, a garden was about the only thing I missed when we sold the house,” she said. “But with this here, everything is fine for a retiree like me.”

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