What is A Loft?

There are different interpretations for the meaning of loft. In one development, a loft might actually get you a room on the second floor of an open plan. Then at another development, you'll get the room with exposed ductwork. Which is which, then?

For the area, we don't have a governing body that regulates loft, loft thing per se.  Interestingly, New York City is probably one of the few municipalities in the nation that have a Loft Board.

Image: a NY City loft [CoolTown]

Here is the definition of loft, through Wikipedia.

The term loft mainly refers to two different types of rooms:

1. An upper room or story in a building, 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.
2. A large adaptable open space in a factory, warehouse or other commercial space, or a type of residence that results from the conversion of such a room. Such spaces generally contain very high ceilings, large windows, and concrete floors and ceilings.

Image: a DC loft (Dewita)

There you go, it turns out that there are two meanings for lofts. Some more "lofts definition," according to CoolTown Studios. There are [A]rtist lofts, Demi Lofts, New Construction Lofts (Loft Lite)." How about this, hard loft vs. soft loft?

"Unit interiors of “hard lofts” typically have high ceilings and commercial windows and are either minimally finished, limited to architectural elements such as columns and fin walls, or unfinished, with no interior partitions except those for bathrooms.

Unit interiors of “soft lofts” may or may not have high ceilings and are fully finished, with the interiors partitioned into separate rooms."

Confused yet? Don't worry. Whatever you think is a loft -- it could be a loft or look like loft.

For the DC metro region, we get two different types of lofts. Conversion lofts and new construction lofts. For condominiums, a builder might offer a combination of lofts and classic condos. Lofts would be either build for the first and second floors. And the regular condo style (no exposed ductwork, the regular ceiling heights) above the lofts, to name a few developments like Park of Courthouse, Elan, Residences at Station Square, Carlyle Square, Shirlington Village (recently completed) and Park Crest Lofts. At other developments, loft is the only choice you have, like the Lofts in Columbia Heights.

Image: Northern Virginia lofts (Dewita)

Can you tell the difference now?

If you are into lofts, there are more choices available in the District than across the river, in Northern Virginia, simply because there are more older warehouses or industrial buildings built in the District. As always, there are new construction lofts and resale.

Comments

[Dewita]

Glad you enjoy reading this! Thanks for your comments.

[Jason]

The loft style has become popular in urban areas and Raleigh is no different. The problem is that there arean't enough buildings areound to be converted! Durham is doing a great job and are converting the old tobacco wharehouses to apartments, condos, offices and retail space. Great article Dewita!

[geno petro]

Dewita, I love reading about places I used to live--D.C. being one of them. Not many (any) Lofts there in the 1980s, as I recall.

I sell and/or list a fair amount of Lofts each year in the Chicago Loop area:'Timber', 'Conrete', 'Raw',
'Finished', 'Live/Work' and 'Soft' being the main categories here. Generally these are converted factories and wharehouses (shoes, candy, catalogs, meat packing...) One of my favorites was an old 3 story brake shoe factory with one commode on the top floor and six sinks in the basement (???). Sold 'As Is" for a little under 3 Mil. My client passed on that one and went instead with an old casket factory...scariest basement in the history of real estate!