The extraordinary daylight flooding a raw loft space in a former bottling plant became the inspiration behind the design of this new home for an archival preservation specialist. The interplay between direct, diffuse, and reflected light defines the spirit of this minimalist loft.

The quality and the quantity of that light was optimized through the layering of the spaces within the open plan and articulated with the texture and detailing of the loft’s architectural elements.

The owner’s simple program, which required the creation of kitchen, dining, living, and sleeping areas and the redesign of the existing bathroom and outdoor balcony, was presented with the request for a modest, modern solution.

A niche beside the front door and a coat closet form the entrance and begin an ingress sequence that flows through the kitchen and dining areas into the main living space. Custom kitchen casework extends into the living area as a bar for entertaining guests, then wraps back toward the private study as bookshelves and storage for the owner’s collections. The cohesiveness between the different function areas is enhanced by the brick and concrete surfaces maintained through out the loft, including a tall, ribbed concrete ceiling.

The height available in the unit enabled stacking of the program elements, adding 400 square feet of living area to a 1200 square feet footprint. The private spaces were placed at the back of the unit, with the master bedroom and walk-in closet set above the new study and bathroom. Floating opaque and translucent wall panels at the stair, sleeping loft, and study visually screen these private areas from the full height open living areas, while uninterrupted luminous colors provide a connection linking all of the areas. Layers of light radiate inside the loft and offer varying levels of transparency and privacy.