My wife and I recently found out that we have a baby on the way.. We live in a historic downtown 1800 sf split level loft.. Does anyone know of any projects that have incorporated a 'nursery' into a loft without sacrificing the open space?
don't know off the top of my head, but as an architect you should be able to make it happen real nice. props to you for not ditching for the suburbs...
for the first several months, the baby is likely to be next to your bed in a bassinet anyway. you'll be able to figure out what the baby (and the baby's stuff) is going to do to your place in the first month or so and then have a few months to make your adjustments.
like any other time you need to zone space in a loft, why not just float a series of partitions out in the space, stop 'em short of the ceiling? you could surround the walls with storage shelves/bins for some sound separation. maybe put a lid on it eventually.
how are the bathrooms, etc., done in your loft. maybe do something consistent with the way spatial separations are already handled in your loft.
check out the loft work of resolution 4, the new york firm that did the dwell house. before they got into freestanding houses - and partly the reason they have been able to make very efficient single-family houses - is their background in making the most of ny lofts. that's what they did for years.
you're going to have to figure out a permanent and separate bedroom situation for the little one eventually, anyway, or you'll never have your own space again. 1800sf should be plenty of space in which to do this.
Were puppy sitting for the next couple of weeks. Sunday morning was a get to know one another morning. Mia came for a short house
visit so the boys could get to know her. Frito, doesn't know what to think. He just runs around her in circles and barks. Mia thinks it is a game. Matisse....just stands off to the side with his head resting on the coffee table, with the expression "What has my Life come to." Mia went home across the street to take a nap and the boys oh they are both sacked out on the floor. Matisse next to me in the office and Frito in the LivingRoom within vision distance. I'm hoping this all works out or it might be a long two weeks.
Actually there was a piece in a recent dwell on exactly that question, featuring a pair in NYC. I didn't love the architectural response, but to each his own... might give you some ideas. I'll see if I can track down the issue. Would have been in the last few months.
Check out the 'Z Box' project by Architect Dan Hisel (his website is danhiseldesign(dot)com). In this project he created a functional and sculptural addition to the open dwelling of his client; a very nice project and it might spark some ideas for your own.
congratulations, prospecto. i think one way to approach it would be to use flexible partitions of sorts for privacy. there must be all kinds materials to use: translucent glass or perspex frost screen seems to have been used in lots of projects... even washi or fabric you might want to consider. another way to approach it, i think it could be more fun at least until the little guy starts to claim for bigger territory, might be a microstructure like a spaceship or a box with legs or something, which can be moved around. ronan & erwan bouroullec built a few cute rooms with 5-60 sf.
we had a 650sf bungalow when my first daughter came along. rigorous refusal to by crap was the successful strategy.
we put her in a moses basket for a few months; takes hardly any space and has a good scale for the kiddo that they feel secure. one splurge was a glider an ottoman. i'd put my daughter in the basket and place it on the ottoman next to my side of the bed, down by my foot. whenever she'd stir, i could stick my foot out and rock her on the ottoman. sweet.
That apartment has some ingeniuos ideas, but it wouldn't function well for us. I know I would give up sleeping 'upstairs' and just nap on the couch for th first few months of the kids life. And privacy is very important to us. If we couldn't seperate ourselves from our son, we'd go crazy.
I reccomend the cube idea. Maybe you wall it off with frosted glass, or something, but definately have the ability to shut the door. We put our son to bed at 8pm, close the door, and have an adult only movie night. It keeps us sane, and helps our marriage.
Sep 19, 08 7:39 pm ·
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urban baby
My wife and I recently found out that we have a baby on the way.. We live in a historic downtown 1800 sf split level loft.. Does anyone know of any projects that have incorporated a 'nursery' into a loft without sacrificing the open space?
don't know off the top of my head, but as an architect you should be able to make it happen real nice. props to you for not ditching for the suburbs...
yeah, dude 1800 sf?
we lived in a 1700 sf (5 of us) for 4 years...
for the first several months, the baby is likely to be next to your bed in a bassinet anyway. you'll be able to figure out what the baby (and the baby's stuff) is going to do to your place in the first month or so and then have a few months to make your adjustments.
like any other time you need to zone space in a loft, why not just float a series of partitions out in the space, stop 'em short of the ceiling? you could surround the walls with storage shelves/bins for some sound separation. maybe put a lid on it eventually.
how are the bathrooms, etc., done in your loft. maybe do something consistent with the way spatial separations are already handled in your loft.
check out the loft work of resolution 4, the new york firm that did the dwell house. before they got into freestanding houses - and partly the reason they have been able to make very efficient single-family houses - is their background in making the most of ny lofts. that's what they did for years.
you're going to have to figure out a permanent and separate bedroom situation for the little one eventually, anyway, or you'll never have your own space again. 1800sf should be plenty of space in which to do this.
Were puppy sitting for the next couple of weeks. Sunday morning was a get to know one another morning. Mia came for a short house
visit so the boys could get to know her. Frito, doesn't know what to think. He just runs around her in circles and barks. Mia thinks it is a game. Matisse....just stands off to the side with his head resting on the coffee table, with the expression "What has my Life come to." Mia went home across the street to take a nap and the boys oh they are both sacked out on the floor. Matisse next to me in the office and Frito in the LivingRoom within vision distance. I'm hoping this all works out or it might be a long two weeks.
these are the kinds of threads that get my parentarchinecters friends all excited!
if you have a tall ceiling, just build a loft space...... baby stuff under it and mini office above......
sell the pool table/fooseball/pinball machines and you should be good
b
Actually there was a piece in a recent dwell on exactly that question, featuring a pair in NYC. I didn't love the architectural response, but to each his own... might give you some ideas. I'll see if I can track down the issue. Would have been in the last few months.
Check out the 'Z Box' project by Architect Dan Hisel (his website is danhiseldesign(dot)com). In this project he created a functional and sculptural addition to the open dwelling of his client; a very nice project and it might spark some ideas for your own.
This is the link to the Dwell article about an urban baby loft hive, or something. Might help you out there.
The three of you can sleep in a 11x17 Bedroom, trust me.
You must be kidding. 1800SF!?
Yeah here's an example - 500 square feet.
I'm pretty sure you could pull it off
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/house-tour-lj-builds-to-fit-one-morenew-york-061697
The playpen drawer ^ is awesome
congratulations, prospecto. i think one way to approach it would be to use flexible partitions of sorts for privacy. there must be all kinds materials to use: translucent glass or perspex frost screen seems to have been used in lots of projects... even washi or fabric you might want to consider. another way to approach it, i think it could be more fun at least until the little guy starts to claim for bigger territory, might be a microstructure like a spaceship or a box with legs or something, which can be moved around. ronan & erwan bouroullec built a few cute rooms with 5-60 sf.
we had a 650sf bungalow when my first daughter came along. rigorous refusal to by crap was the successful strategy.
we put her in a moses basket for a few months; takes hardly any space and has a good scale for the kiddo that they feel secure. one splurge was a glider an ottoman. i'd put my daughter in the basket and place it on the ottoman next to my side of the bed, down by my foot. whenever she'd stir, i could stick my foot out and rock her on the ottoman. sweet.
buy.
EDIT feature por favor....
That apartment has some ingeniuos ideas, but it wouldn't function well for us. I know I would give up sleeping 'upstairs' and just nap on the couch for th first few months of the kids life. And privacy is very important to us. If we couldn't seperate ourselves from our son, we'd go crazy.
I reccomend the cube idea. Maybe you wall it off with frosted glass, or something, but definately have the ability to shut the door. We put our son to bed at 8pm, close the door, and have an adult only movie night. It keeps us sane, and helps our marriage.
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