When it comes to
architecture and design, the term “loft” can ultimately hold several
different meanings. Sometimes it depends who you ask.
But the most common connotation for many is that of industrial warehouses and
commercial structures that have been converted into loft living spaces. They
are most often associated with urban living, especially on the East Coast,
but in truth loft spaces exist anywhere there are buildings with an
industrial past. In truth, lofts can be found in major cities across the
country.
Some of the oldest lofts are indeed found in Manhattan, where many of the
manufacturing buildings of the industrial age were abandoned when the narrow
streets could handle the changes in transportation and the advent of large
vehicles. These abandoned spaces became popular during the 1960s when artists
needed big spaces and found it in unoccupied industrial buildings.
The loft-style of architecture (as seen here on Pinterest) generally describes large, open spaces
with exposed industrial features.
Here are some key elements:
Open space. The traditional “hard”
lofts feature completely open floor plans and usually have a minimum of
1,600 square feet with few interior walls, creating flexible,
utilitarian space.
Exposed features. Traditional lofts leave
features such as air conditioning ducts, sprinkler lines, columns and
structural beams out in the open, showing their roots as industrial-use
buildings.
High ceilings. Most “hard” lofts
include ceilings that are 10 feet or higher.
Authentic materials. The use of
turn-of-the-century materials – such as concrete or hardwood floors, tin
ceilings, wood beams, original timber and brick or thick plaster walls –
is common.
Lots of light. Built before the advent
of electric light, old industrial buildings and factories utilized huge
windows – often floor-to-ceiling – to let in as much daylight as
possible.
