Editing Loft (section)

==Loft apartment==
[[File:Cotton's Gardens.jpg|upright|thumb|Warehouses converted into loft apartments in [[Hoxton]], [[London]], [[England]]]]

Loft apartments are apartments that are generally built from former [[Manufacturing|industrial]] buildings. When industrial developments are developed into [[Condominium (living space)|condominium]]s instead of apartments, they may be called '''loft condominiums'''. The general term '''warehouse-to-loft conversions''' may sometimes be used for development of [[industrial architecture|industrial buildings]] into apartments and condominiums. "Loft-style" may also refer simply to developments where a street-level business occupies the first floor while apartment "lofts" are placed ''above'' the first floor.{{Citation needed|date=November 2011}}

Sometimes, loft apartments are one component of municipal [[urban renewal]] initiatives that also include renovation of industrial buildings into [[art museum|art galleries]] and [[studio|studio space]] as well as promotion of a new part of the city as an "[[arts district]]".

Originally popular with [[artist]]s, they are now highly sought-after by other [[Bohemianism|bohemians]] and hipsters, and the [[gentrification]] of the former manufacturing sectors of medium to large cities is now a familiar pattern.<ref>{{cite book|title=Loft living: culture and capital in urban change|url=https://archive.org/details/loftlivingcultur00zuki|url-access=registration|first=Sharon|last=Zukin|publisher=Rutgers University Press|year=1989|isbn=0-8135-1389-8}}</ref> One such sector is [[Manhattan]]'s [[Meatpacking District]]. The adoption of the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance (2001) in the City of [[Los Angeles]] (primarily the [[Arts District, Los Angeles, California|Arts District]]) is another example of such legislation to encourage the conversion of no longer economically viable industrial and commercial buildings to residential loft communities.

Such is the demand for these spaces that [[real estate development|real estate developers]] have taken to creating ready-made "lofts" in urban areas that are gentrifying or that seem primed to do so. While some of these units are created by developers during the renovation of old buildings, a number of them are included in the floor plans of brand new developments. Both types of pre-fab loft offer buyers or renters proximity to urban amenities afforded by traditional lofts, but without perceived safety risks of living in economically depressed formerly industrial areas.

===Industrial/hard loft===
Real estate industry distinguishes between two kinds of lofts. "Hard lofts" are former industrial buildings converted to residential or live/work use. Many of these conversions retain open ceilings with exposed beams, electrical wiring, and HVAC ducts, instead of covering them with modern [[suspended ceiling]]s or [[sheetrock]] ceilings.

===Soft loft===
"Soft lofts" are loft-style residential buildings built entirely anew. They are open-concept spaces with high ceilings, large windows, brickwork, and cement ceilings. Soft lofts can look more residential and have modern finishes, but lack the character and history of hard lofts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.homesweetkaryn.com/buying-a-loft-in-toronto/|title=Will It Be Hard or Soft When You're Buying A Loft in Toronto?|author=Filiatrault,Karyn|access-date=2017-04-03|location=Toronto|date=2013-07-13}}</ref>