This loft was designed as a model unit in a larger project. The space was a typical column bay in an older industrial building. Somewhat atypically, however, the space had daylight from both ends. Rather than cut the unit in half to create a living space and a private sleeping space, the approach was to preserve the long vista (front to back) by moving the sleeping quarters to one side so they occupy only half the unit width. The open effect was further enhanced by not using full height walls to separate the sleeping area, but rather achieving privacy by raising the floor level of the bedroom approximately four feet.

An inexpensive "feature wall" was created using full sheets of plywood and batten strips. The wood surface helped soften the industrial feeling of the exposed metal deck and stained concrete floors. Moving back into the unit, the wood wall pulls away from the demising wall to create the bathroom and the partition between the dining area and bedroom. At various points the wall gets modified: at one corner the plywood is replaced by translucent glass creating an internally illuminated lantern the full height of the space. At another location the wall gets cut in two to create bookshelves.

Products/Materials:

• Concrete countertops
• Stained concrete floors
• Birch veneer plywood
• Kohler plumbing fixtures
• Furnishings by Herman Miller
• Audio/visual by Bang & Olufsen