S o l a r . . . . . L o f t
AN ARCHITECTURAL URBANISM
TRADITIONALLY, A LOFT IS AN UNPARTITIONED UPPER FLOOR OF A BUILDING; A SAIL LOFT -LARGE ENOUGH TO LAY OUT THE SAIL OF AN OCEANGOING VESSEL. HABITATION OF LOFTS MAY HAVE BEGUN IN AMERICA WITH THE ARTIST URBAN PIONEERS OF NEW YORK TAKING OVER INDUSTRIAL SPACES IN SOHO DURING THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES.
THESE SOLAR LOFTS FEATURE THE OPEN UPPER FLOOR SPACE - THE MAIN ROOM - WITH A SLEEPING MEZZANINE ABOVE IT. HOWEVER THE GROUND FLOOR IS A HYBRID - GARAGE AND GARDEN ROOM WHICH MAY SERVE AS AN OFFICE OR LIBRARY - GIVING THE FEELING OF A GARDEN APARTMENT. A ROOF DECK OFF THE MEZZANINE CONNECTS SPATIALLY AND VISUALLY WITH THE URBAN FABRIC. THIS VERTICALITY EXPRESSES THE FULL NATURE OF THE CITY, GROUNDED, YET HELIOTROPIC.
TRADITIONALLY, A LOFT IS AN UNPARTITIONED UPPER FLOOR OF A BUILDING; A SAIL LOFT -LARGE ENOUGH TO LAY OUT THE SAIL OF AN OCEANGOING VESSEL. HABITATION OF LOFTS MAY HAVE BEGUN IN AMERICA WITH THE ARTIST URBAN PIONEERS OF NEW YORK TAKING OVER INDUSTRIAL SPACES IN SOHO DURING THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES.
THESE SOLAR LOFTS FEATURE THE OPEN UPPER FLOOR SPACE - THE MAIN ROOM - WITH A SLEEPING MEZZANINE ABOVE IT. HOWEVER THE GROUND FLOOR IS A HYBRID - GARAGE AND GARDEN ROOM WHICH MAY SERVE AS AN OFFICE OR LIBRARY - GIVING THE FEELING OF A GARDEN APARTMENT. A ROOF DECK OFF THE MEZZANINE CONNECTS SPATIALLY AND VISUALLY WITH THE URBAN FABRIC. THIS VERTICALITY EXPRESSES THE FULL NATURE OF THE CITY, GROUNDED, YET HELIOTROPIC.
