Loft Living .

Given that this topic is of the architectural nature, I'll probably also post this same post up on Life as an Architecture Student -- so don't be fooled if you read that blog too; they are in fact the same post.

Now! On that note. I follow a ton of groups on LinkedIn (probably far more than I would ever need to in order to stay relatively up to date on things. Each morning I usually get about 15 emails or so with updates from the various groups and firms and companies I follow on LinkedIn about new topics added for discussion, or previous topics that have been added to. While I used to be relatively active on the forums, school has begun to take precedence over reading articles and forums (even though those things might help me stay up to date on knowledge in my field!).

Recently I encountered an discussion about loft apartment interior design and was intrigued by what it had to offer. While it was hardly a full article, including basically just a photo with a short blurb above, it got me thinking about what it's like to live in a loft-style apartment.

In my search for a place to live while I attend the University of Oregon for the next two years earning my Master's in Architecture, I've come across a few loft apartments. It is my understanding that the term "loft" can be taken one of two ways, or even a combination of the two. The first is that it is simply the last thing in the building before you hit the roof. This usually means you are either in a finished attic, usually have higher ceilings, and of course have some great views (assuming that the building is a moderate number of stories tall).

Then there is the other viewpoint, which is the one I think of when I hear the term "loft". This would be a one story apartment with a two story ceiling, where a part of the first story is covered by a lofted space. The whole concept of this is awesome to me. You give a person the best of both worlds; a semi-private second floor that is your bed space, in addition to comfortable living spaces. However, your sleeping area is not in a secluded box, but rather still lets in the ambiance and light from the public space.

If I ever get the opportunity to design my own house, I would love to put in an office loft; something that is my own personal design space that is entirely my own. While it's likely that this won't happen for quite some time (if at all, eh?), a guy can still dream, right?

What are your thoughts on lofts?