20/01/10 – Los Angeles – Apt./Lofts

Posted on: January 20th, 2010 | 24 Comments

Part 2 – Completed Design ( video )

Los Angeles: Apt./Lofts – Day 3 (PDF)
Los Angeles: Apt./Lofts – Day 3 (JPG)
Los Angeles: Apt./Lofts – Day 3 (Demo)
Los Angeles: Apt./Lofts – Day 3 (Full Symbol Library)

  • John Brown

    [img]week1desprojexisting.jpg[/img]

    Good morning everyone.
    I received a couple of emails overnight saying that they had trouble posting the project to the site. For those of you new to the process, the site will only accept jpeg images. We provide pdf’s for those slow homers who would like to print them out but the best format to work is in jpeg.

    If you don’t have Photoshop or another image manipulation program and are working on a pc I suggest that you use microsoft paint. It is available from the Accessories folder. If you are using a Mac you can download a free version of paintbrush. Each program has its own quirks. I will locate the demo we did several months ago and post a link to it later today.

  • BradW

    [img]shdp481.jpg[/img]

    A white storage unit bisects the loft. The kitchen island defines that space and provides plenty of counter space.

    Another option is to use the nook to the left of the door for laundry and storage (a bike could fit there) and reduce the size of the kitchen. You could easily market several configurations for this unit.

    Also, congrats to John and Matthew for trying something new on the site. I have found so many great places to live in LA I am thinking about getting my own late night talk show and moving there. :)

  • Jodi J

    [img]jodijamesadjustedfloorplan.jpg[/img]

    I just couldn’t leave the plan alone.
    Here’s my final, revamped version.

  • Lacey

    [img]laceypeterrevisedfloorplanjan.jpg[/img]

    Here is my plan.

  • Paul C

    [img]1_picture1.jpg[/img][img]picture2.jpg[/img]

    John and Mathew,
    Congratulations on the tremendous response to the project thus far. I think it is good that the first full on test drive of the SH Test has been on Loft/apartment spaces. I have been following along and venturing along some of the posted links, especially the ones were the resulting score suggested a fast home.

    I wonder if going forward it would be possible to post images along with the SH Test scoring? If (and this is a big if), but if the scoring/reviews are predominately based on floor plan review, I would suggest that may not be in depth enough and again that is why I think it was good that lofts/apartments were the first to be done.

    For example, delving a little deeper into the Barker Block website yesterday it was possible, I believe, to find images, which I posted here, of how the sleeping was dealt with for the particular floor plan reviewed. While the “sleeping arrangements” that might be considered typical of loft spaces could be characterized as free spirited and may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I wonder if that would constitute fast?

  • Laura K

    [img]revisedfloorplan.jpg[/img]

    For this floor plan I tried to improve the circulation through the apartment. I also wanted to create more of an entry. The kitchen and bathroom were in ridiculous places so I rearranged those. I wanted to keep most of the private rooms in the same block- bathrooms, laundry, and bedroom. I also created a second bathroom thats private for the bedroom occupant and a public one for guests. I wanted to keep the open living areas connected together- living, dining, kitchen, outdoor.

  • Corey

    [img]week1desprotostudentsjmodelcopycopy.jpg[/img]

    As John and Matthew pointed out, the Patio is near useless and I wish we would have been able to rework that as well!

  • Laura K

    [img]3_revisedfloorplan.jpg[/img]

    For this floor plan I tried to improve the circulation through the apartment. I also wanted to create more of an entry. The kitchen and bathroom were in ridiculous places so I rearranged those. I wanted to keep most of the private rooms in the same block- bathrooms, laundry, and bedroom. I also created a second bathroom thats private for the bedroom occupant and a public one for guests. I wanted to keep the open living areas connected together- living, dining, kitchen, outdoor.

    Sorry for all the posts. The image keeps getting cut off.

  • Doug Roberts

    [img]laapt.jpg[/img]

    Whereas most others put the kitchen in the nook next to the entry, I decided to leave the bathroom and laundry there and bring the bedroom over. The millwork piece at the foot of the bed could either be tall, if more privacy is desired, or low if more openness is desired, and could contain a flat screen TV that could be rotated to face either the living room or the bedroom. I toyed with putting the kitchen at the south end of the unit but ultimately decided to put it in the middle, immediately to the right of the entry, to minimize the distance that groceries need to be carried. I also took the liberty of reversing the swing of the entry and terrace doors and moving the terrace doors to the south end of the terrace

  • Sarah Williams

    [img]newplan.jpg[/img]

    Here is my plan; I didn’t change it all that much. I basically switched the bathroom and kitchen – I didn’t want to add any more walls since this is a small space and I wanted to keep the area as open as possible. Something is bothering me about the entry area right now – maybe a wee bit of wasted space that I could have done something with. I will keep working on it this afternoon and maybe post again if I think of something else.

    Sarah

  • Margo Glenn

    [img]margodrawing2layout11.jpg[/img]

    This floor plan makes separates the dining from the kitchen, increases counter space, and creates a separate laundry room. The bathroom is located nearer to the bedroom, and is down a hallway to provide privacy from the living area. The bedroom is enhanced with a wak-in closet, and lots of counter/dresser space. Additionally, there are two study/reading nooks. One is created by placing a chair and table in the bedroom, and the other, by adding the desk.

  • Terri

    [img]laloft.jpg[/img]

    I thought of moving the bedroom north as Doug did, but those terrace doors prevented me (didn’t think of moving them!). So the kitchen is in the alcove with a bench and glass partition separating from the entry.

    The closet is floating between living and bedroom. I’ve put a desk on the living side. A flat screen could be hung above it.

    I saw a 675SF apt in LA yesterday that managed to have a powder room and bathroom, which I thought was great, so I wanted to do the same for my plan. There’s a linen closet en route to the powder room. Laundry is acessed from main bathroom.

  • Vickie

    [img]1_vmelansonplan.jpg[/img][img]2_vmelansonplan.jpg[/img]

    here it is!

  • Dominique

    [img]floorplan1.jpg[/img][img]1_floorplan1.jpg[/img]

    Revised floor plan

  • Elizabeth

    Doug, Nice plan. Especially good to leave the area in front of terrace doors as circulation, since that is what it is anyway. And easily accessible from both functions of the space (bedroom and living).

  • Wayne

    [img]redesignedfloorplan1.jpg[/img]

    Here is my plan. I really like how the bedroom and bathroom work, allowing for the creation of the walk-in closet. I do wish that the bedroom wall where the desk is located could be pushed further into the bedroom, enlarging the dining and living space.

  • Matt KB

    [img]slowhomejan20.jpg[/img][img]1_slowhomejan20.jpg[/img]

    revised floor plan

  • John Brown

    [img]week1desprojcomplete.jpg[/img]

    Here is my version of the plan. Like several other options, it contemplates a relocation of the bathroom and kitchen. The primary architectural element is a free standing piece of millwork (or built in cabinetry) that separates the bedroom area from the rest of the living space while still maintaining a sense of the overall volume and space. Click on the “Part 2 – Completed Design” link in the player to view the video of my project.

  • Mid America Mom

    [img]1.20.1exercise.jpg[/img]

    HI everyone- the PDF had a preview of John’s I guess. I was thinking of moving the bath over there. So I stretched myself to work with the bath where it was. Still not happy with it.

    The kitchen still remains to be my issue here. I really was looking at adding an island serve as the sole eating area but thought the size of the unit called for an actual table. There is an opening from the Refridge to the other side of the sink which is hard to see. I opted to put the cabinets where they are so we did not feel the living space was inside the Kitchen.

    Originally I had the Washer and dryer in the spot where I have the closet in the bedroom on the inside wall of the unit. But I moved it since it felt like such an alley in the Kitchen area.

  • Anonymous

    Doug, I think you might need another door into the bath. Do you really want guests going thru your closet?

  • Doug Roberts

    I agree that having guests walk through both the bedroom area and the closet to access the bathroom is not ideal. I initially removed the stacked washer/dryer from the bathroom to create a second direct entry into the bathroom from the front entry area, but in the end I couldn’t find another good place for the washer/dryer, so I ended up putting them back and closing off the second entry. Another solution that I considered was to have the bathroom and the closet switch places, but then you would have to walk through the bedroom to access the closet, which is not ideal either.

  • Doug Roberts

    Sorry, in that last sentence I meant to say “walk through the bathroom to access the closet”

  • Mid America Mom

    Doug- I also was thinking of that for my plan. Originally I had bath near the bedroom, followed by closets across from one another, and at the end- laundry. Just felt like too much. I am still playing with this plan ..

  • Israeli

    I love Jodi’s plan it has the same logic as john’s and a very good circulation I would replace between the bath and the closet area behind the bed to gain more netural light for the bathroom but leave the toilet
    + sink in the original the place that will separate it from the bath ( I think it is quite horrible when they are situated together) it would avoid people from going into my sleeping area. Loved the dining area it is very roomy and can be used as a study area as well