loft

A former warehouse for printing presses converted to a loft apartment on Chicago's Near West Side

Look up Loft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A loft can be an upper story or attic or basement in a building, directly under the roof. Alternatively, it can be a loft apartment which is a large adaptable open space either created or converted for residential use.

Attic

An upper room or story in a building, mainly in a barn, directly under the roof, used either for storage (as in most private houses), for a specific purpose, e.g. an "organ loft" in a church, or to sleep in (sleeping loft). In this sense it is roughly synonymous with attic, the major difference being that an attic typically constitutes an entire floor of the building, while a loft covers only a few rooms, leaving one or more sides open to the lower floor. In barns a hayloft is often larger than the ground floor as it would contain a year's worth of hay.

An attic loft can often be converted to form functional living accommodation (see loft conversion).

Loft apartment

Warehouses converted into loft apartments in Hoxton, London

Loft apartments are apartments that are generally built from former industrial buildings. When industrial developments are developed into condominiums instead of apartments, they may be called loft condominiums. The general term warehouse-to-loft conversions may sometimes be used for development of industrial buildings into apartments and condominiums. "Loft-style" may also refer simply to developments where a street-level business occupies the first floor while apartment "lofts" are placed above the first floor.

Sometimes, loft apartments are one component of municipal urban renewal initiatives that also include renovation of industrial buildings into art galleries and studio space as well as promotion of a new part of the city as an "arts district."

Originally popular with artists, they are now highly sought-after by other bohemians, and the gentrification of the former manufacturing sectors of large cities is now a familiar pattern. One such sector is Manhattan's Meatpacking District. The adoption of the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (2001) in the City of Los Angeles (primarily the Arts District) is another example of such legislation to encourage the conversion of no longer economically viable industrial and commercial buildings to luxurious residential loft communities. Such is the demand for these spaces among the well-off that real estate developers have taken to creating ready-made "lofts" in urban areas that are gentrifying or that seem primed to do so. While some of these units are created by developers during the extensive and costly renovation of old buildings, a number of them are included in the floor plans of brand new developments. Both types of pre-fab loft offer wealthy buyers or renters the proximity to urban amenities afforded by traditional lofts, but without the perceived safety risks of living in economically depressed industrial areas.

Other lofts

Commercial loft

A commercial loft refers to a building that has ceilings over 17 feet (5 m) in height and a second story area for storage or offices above. These are usually industrial spaces with an added office element on a second level.

Live/work loft

A live/work loft is a space designed to house a resident and their business. This concept has been a vital part of the redevelopment of major downtown cities inner cores. The concept of cutting costs on space, travel and more is essential in the live/work loft.

Rigging loft

A raised area or gallery in a shipyard where workers stand while fitting rigging.

Parachute loft

A large, open, high ceilinged space where parachute riggers re-pack parachutes into parachute containers.

Sail loft

A large open space used by sailmakers to spread out sails.

Church architecture

Some churches have a choir loft, where the singers stand or sit during services. Sometimes the church organ is located in a loft.

Loft Conversions

It is fairly common to convert a loft instead of moving home, with the most common additions being an extra bedroom or study. The loft area of a building tends to be unused, but when converted can add a large amount of floor space.

See also

• Attic
• Loft bed
• Manhattan loft
• Warehouse District
• Loft conversion

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Loft

• Article about loft conversions
• Loft Conversion Advice and Ideas
• Planning Permission Guide

Sources

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (July 2006)