West Loop Loft and Roof Deck

West Loop Loft is a 6,000 sq ft (557 m2) interior renovation that knits four existing lofts in Chicago into a single open living space across three levels. At the heart of the plan, the kitchen and eating area sits at the centre to create a communal social hub, with fireplaces marking each end of the L-shaped living space as focal points.

Built-in shelves and cabinetry both separate interior rooms and quietly connect them, providing storage for the owners' substantial book collection and travel pieces. Bedrooms, bathrooms, and offices are tucked upstairs under the building's original wood ceiling. New cantilevered metal grate floors with open rails increase the upper-level live/work area and allow light to filter down to the spaces below.

Above, a 1,900 sq ft (177 m2) roof deck designed in collaboration with Douglas Hoerr Landscape Architects extends the living space into the open air. Treated as an outdoor family room, it provides room for entertaining, playing, and relaxing. The wood deck and lush plantings soften the urban industrial setting, and a lawn area gives the children somewhere to run through the sprinkler. An asymmetrical wood trellis frames views of the city, while stainless steel mesh panels separate the garden from mechanical equipment, signalling a refined new way to occupy this formerly industrial neighbourhood.

Project size: 6,000 sq ft / 557 m2 interior, plus 1,900 sq ft / 177 m2 roof deck. Completion: 2015. Building levels: 3.

Architect: Scrafano Architects. Landscape architect: Douglas Hoerr Landscape Architects. Photographer: Catherine Tighe.