Redefining Rustic

The design of today’s typical loft revolves around the concept of creating valuable, quality living spaces within existing urban buildings. This definition of the loft is limiting. The perspective that the loft is a purely urban building typology overlooks a large segment of the population, and furthermore, excludes an important new market.

With vast spaces, a picturesque landscape, and ultimate privacy, the rural countryside offers an appealing setting for a new kind of loft:

A rustic barn – transformed into the enclosure for a dynamic and modern loft space.

This loft is defined by the convergence of old and new. The barn is untouched; honest; historic. It acts as a shell for a modern living space, which pierces through its wooden skin to reveal itself. The modern, glass-clad structure reflects the importance of new ideas; it expresses the 21st century lifestyle that exists within. Striking a balance between old and new – historic and modern – is the foundation of this project. This design is a true expression of this dichotomy in a pastoral setting.

Like its urban counterpart, this rural vision of the loft puts an underutilized building with good bones to use. In doing so, this intervention is fundamentally linked to the Loft typology as we know it. It is also environmentally conscious in the same way. Finding good use for the barn – often a neglected structure in our era – is a rewarding design opportunity and a novel way to achieve the
“new vision of the loft.”