For a while now I have been writing on all things cool about loft and urban living, but often I get asked if it is so great why doesn't everyone do it? And the proponents of that questions are on to something, because in truth, there are a few things about loft living that are hard to get used to, and some things that urban loft designer just get wrong. Here are my basic two complaints that either need to change when designing loft spaces, or that architects and designer just get wrong, and they mirror the number one complaint from LoftyWords readers.
Parking
Parking is an evil, it chews up plantable land, it produces fields of multi-colored metal beast that can ruin the lines of even the most beautiful design, but it is a necessity. Most loft projects are designed with only one parking space per unit, never mind that almost 50% of the tenants and owners that purchase these types of dwellings are two person households, and as such have two cars. And before you think, well that isn't very green, I'll agree with you and say no it isn't, but it is also practical in todays modern world. Outside of a city that has a well equipped mass transit system such as New York, or Chicago, most cities don't have a developed urban mass population movement system in place, at least not to the extent that it makes a one car family practical.
Often I don't write about myself personally but today I will, as my wife and I fit the average loft dweller demo. I run a media consulting business as well as BAM 2 Media's websites, and as such often visit many clients in a given day, my wife is a journalist for the local newspaper, and her working hours and mine are skewed enough that we can't share a car going in as many directions as we do.
Another example is one of my neighbors, she owns a mod furniture, flooring, accessories shop in downtown Austin, and as such is often zooming between the shop, her clients, and her daughters engagements, yet her significant other is a designer, and he is doing his own amount of zooming from client to client, again making one car impractical.
But this is not limited to my community (it in itself is not the flaw per se), this is common with many designs built, being built, or are in the design phases today, one car parking is just a bad design principle, no matter how green it is.
And this doesn't even touch on visitor parking....
Storage Space
Lofts are designed to mimic the original open converted warehouse spaces of the early squatter pioneers of the east coast (mainly New York City during the late 60's and 70's). These spaces are large, open, and welcoming, but I have yet to meet a loft owner who says they have adequate storage space.
Most lofts these days are either constructed as such, or are converted spaces, designed by well educated men and women, yet we still can't seem to find a balance between interior usable living space and adequate storage space.
Some rugged individualist like there kayak or mountain bike hanging from the roof in their living room, but most do it because it is the only secure space large enough to adequately store it away until it's next use. Even if we disregard a space large enough for outdoor equipments, what does one do with all those christmas ornaments, the large collection of vinyl from your youth, or the carefully packaged wedding gown, dried flowers, and memorabilia that you intend on giving to your children?
Writing for this site, I get the opportunity to see a large array of designs for a whole host of great properties across North America, but I notice more often a lack of planned space to store the accouterments that follow us through the years. I see too many 1300 square foot, one and two bedroom lofts, with one postage stamp closet, and a lack of a qualified pantry. I see to many designs that do not have a storage area attached to the units parking space to store all of those outdoor toys that we really do use.
Designers, Architects, please don't read these words and mumble some unrepeatable phrase, these two items are the number one complaints that I get from readers, and these are the things that we need and want in our great spaces. You have done a brilliant job giving us the living space that has become our manna, now is your chance to improve the next generation of designs, and give us what we need in our practical day to day lives.
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