With The Loft creates The Playing Circle one month a unique shopping experience in which every object is perfectly at her right.

Initiators Floris Koch and Kassandra Schreuder: ‘We want to create a feeling like someone actually lives in The Loft. Someone with a strong taste and a good sense of aesthetics – which, moreover, a busy social life cherishes.

The ‘resident’ The Loft organizes its habitat throughout the month meetings cozy living room concerts and movie nights, lectures on various subjects for his intimates. On 18 July the housewarming.

Playing for The Circle is a logical sequel to The Loft where they have for years been intensively involved; creating spaces where people feel at home, be inspired and their imaginations free reign. “Many people who come to our meetings or to organize a workshop, ask for our interiors. They are curious about our furniture and wonder where we get our accessories come from. ” In recent years, that kind of talk all kinds of interior design projects rolled for several companies; from corporates to advertising agencies and even some yoga studios. “It seemed like fun now one of our areas to focus on an experience where people can take a bit of inspiration to take home.”

All properties in The Loft are carefully curated. Kassandra Schreuder: ‘We have a passion for design that withstands the test of time, but there its traces can leave. That is also because we love natural materials – such as wood, leather, glass, steel, wool and ceramics.

Floris Koch: “We love designs that provoke curiosity. Products that you want to touch. Which you want to know the story. What kind of wood the author used and where does it come from? We also find it important that the ancient crafts of glass blowers, tanners, blacksmiths and weavers continue to exist and new life is breathed. ”      

This former church in Haarlo, the Netherlands has been transformed into a unique loft. The starting point for the design were the retained (mostly with a need for restoration) qualities of the 1928 dating monument; the façade, the bell tower with clock, the volume, the iconic location on the outskirts of the village and nice details like the wooden roof construction, the old panel doors and arch windows with leaded glass.

This project demonstrates that a transformation of a church with limited resources is possible, when using a smart design and an efficient plan. The concept was; strip, isolate and furnish. The execution represents the motto of the owners: “Cherish your inner child; remain pure, playing, exploring and a little bit naughty!”

It was a conscious choice, not to fill the volume of 1100 m3 completely with as many rooms as possible, but to minimize the demands, in order to retain the spaciousness of the building. The only architectural additions are the mezzanine for the relaxation room (couch, bed and bath) and the multifunctional “stairway to have fun” (stairs, room divider, closet, kitchen, acoustic element and exhibition wall).

The used materials are pure, sober, functional and budgetary; concrete on the floor, the original wooden floorboards from the church as cladding for the “stairway to have fun”, stainless steel kitchen elements, a hard glass partition to retain openness, white stucco for making the space light inside and strategically chosen red accents.

This project shows great passion, humor, respect, love and creativity. This is being reflected in the, specially for this project realized, elements like the swing “swinging sister”, the “KROONluchter” (inspired by the original organ), the “gate of heaven” flanked by a wall of guardian angels, the “stairway to have fun”, the “holy shit” on the toilet, birdhouses with lamp for strange birds that have seen the light and the wooden “lost sheep” in the garden.

The modern garden has large plastered planters, made by left-over-bricks. There is a herb garden, a vegetable garden, a flower garden and an orchard; a contemporary nod to the old monastery gardens. The outside shed with a porch is a 40ft container, integrated into the wooden fence and equipped with a green roof. By deepening the garden, a private garden is created yet still a view at the church is remained intact.

This project by LKSVDD Architects is an exemplary example of architectural transformation and sustainable conservation of religious heritage.

The loft’s chic, minimalist aesthetic is made to soothe the soul while still satisfying the most demanding style cravings.

Using coloured walls, the inventive play between the open plan & the cosy, natural light versus subtle artificial lighting, old and new elements merge into a comfortable and colourful home environment.

The greenhouse on the roof, which houses a whirlpool tub but no plants, offers bathers a panoramic view of the city.

Mr. Bruggink and his dog, Bart, on the new stairs to the third-level sleeping quarters. The brick wall is original.

The antique dining table in the kitchen was modernized by Studio Rolf.fr, using orange laminate. The appliances are from Ikea, and the cabinet doors are made out of old wood salvaged from the house.

A sink designed by Roland Manders sits under the stairs to the roof garden, at right. On the left, a bathroom and walk-in closet off the sleeping quarters.

The view from the kitchen to the living room at the back of the house. The stairs at the right lead to the sleeping quarters; the ones at the left, to Mr. Bruggink’s workshop.

The new construction separates the living area and the kitchen without creating closed rooms, which “expands a relatively narrow space,” Mr. Bruggink said.

The windows of the bedroom on the third level open onto a small balcony; the shower is hidden in a closet to the right of the bed. The bench is a modernized antique.

The church was covered with metal plates and looked like a hangar. Up until a family came along and wanted to make it their home. With the help of Ruud Visser Architects and Peter Boer, the church was adapted into a home for a family of four.

Being a former community space, the church is six times as big as a family house in that area. The architects could have just create a huge house with equally huge rooms. Alternatively, they could have made a house with twenty rooms. But that was not their goal.

Their starting point was to design a

luxurious house of normal measurements

for a family with two children. This ‘house†will be situated inside the church as an independent object. So you can actually walk around the new house, while walking inside the church.

The back part of the church, the transept where the pulpit was, lightened by the original coloured-glass windows. The architects held this space open as an immense void, where the original church can be seen as a whole.

Situated on the back of the church, directly behind the transept, a smaller volume was placed. This volume was about 7 meters deep and stands with its back façade directly on the banks of the river De Rotte. Originally this was the place of the church-choir. The architects replaced the church-choir with a new modern volume, with exactly the same form as the original choir, with floor-to-roof windows.

With this, the church is opened to the beautiful landscape. The transept has become a buffer, between the public outside and the private house inside.

Where possible, the architects brought back the front-façade and the side-facades in their original 1930â€s state.

However, since the movement of production facilities in the late seventies, the building became vacant in 1998. Several developers have made plans for the redevelopment of the Lichttoren. Eventually, developer Trudo has revived the Lichttoren with a mix of the functions dwelling, working and recreation. The architecture of the building combined with the specific program has resulted in metropolitan qualities, unique for a city such as Eindhoven.

Part of the 16.000m² dwelling area are a number of loft spaces that can be furbished by the buyer/dweller to own taste. The lofts have been put in the market with just a loggia and the necessary utility connections.

De Bever Architecten has made the interior design for a loft on the eastside of the Lichttoren, on the head of the building. The loft has a surface of 110m² and a height of 4,2m. A big interior element contains all service and storage space and divides the loft into an open living space with kitchen and a private bedroom with bathroom. The built-in closets have been clad in veneer wood on the outside and orange wood on the inside. The upper level of the element is dedicated as a study, in open connection with the living space. Also, a guest bedroom has been built-in here, closed of with a folding door.

The height of the loft has been utilized to a maximum by stacking functions and thus maintaining the open character of the space. The concrete construction of the building has been finished with a transparent lacquer and kept completely in sight. The interior walls have been painted white, and bright yellow at the entrance and the kitchen.

Located in a historic building in one of Amsterdamâ€s famous canals; the canal house occupies a total area of 250 square meters. It is located in an 18th century warehouse with a panoramic view over the city. The owners wanted to keep the original open plan layout of the space so UXUS created a series of dramatic curtain walls which could be opened and closed accordingly to the needs of use. All the interior decorative items were selected to reflect the owners†eclectic taste.

Before the renovation the loft was not set up as a residence and was an empty void. Curtain “walls”, lighting and a kitchenwere added to make what was an old industrial empty space livable.

When entering the house one could but notice the most abundant material in the house which is wood. The entire loft is supported on large wooden beams and pillars which create a very warm and welcoming effect. The hard wooden floor runs length-wise of the house adding an elongated effect to the space. The virtual dividers to this open plan layout are the long draped curtains in a neutral sand tone which divide the spaces as if you are in a hospital examining room. The curtains allow for visual privacy, as this is very essential in any open plan layout. The brick walls of the loft were left untouched and have been painted in a cool white tone to compliment the wood. Some walls were painted in a blue gray tone and are used as the background, as in a painting. The plumbing pipes are exposed and run along the brick walls.

Old vintage furnishings have been selected and some have been modified to compliment the lofts interior design. Two notable furniture pieces of the loft are the Eames molded plywood chairs, 1946 which have been referred to as the “most famous chair of the century,” with a low-slung form that relates directly to the human body and holds no secrets as to how it succeeds technically. Buffets and armoires, bedside tables, and a bed for the royal and the noble; pieces where each and every one of them has a character of its own which speaks of its history and its status.

The bathroom has light gray marble tiles running up to a certain height and is painted in an anthrax color ripolin while it is separated by a curtain divider instead of a door. The anthrax color ripolin paint acts as the background or the frame for a royal crowned polished dead bird which stands proudly on its golden throne while imposingly stepping on a skull. The bathroom portrays elegance, and a sophisticated yet ironic setting.

Art pieces and polished animals such as a dragonfly, birds, a donkey, and deer horns, skulls in all sizes and of various species, a bowl with seashells and skulls set a poetic and quixotic mood to this house. The late 19th century Victorian olive green dinning chair which royally stands next to the dinning table as it creatively wears a piano jacket. Another art piece which draws attention is the Casper-like face in a black box-like case with a handle set on a very old drawer. The space is creatively designed with a juxtaposition of mid-century modern / Hollywood era. However, the lighting is very notable as it is quite modern for the design style which is carried throughout the loft. Sputnik style hanging lights create a totally different dramatic atmosphere to the living space, while science lab light fixtures bring us back to the mad scientist scenery!

The space renovation and redesign has been creative, idiosyncratic and eclectic yet on the other hand it creates an ironic, poetic and romantic living area for the occupants of this loft! Thereâ€s so much to love about this space from individual pieces which may seem extreme and terrifying yet itâ€s livable! Amsterdam Loft has received the International Design Award for 2008, and UXUS Design has been awarded with the gold award for Best Residential Interior for 2008.

The architects Bjarne Mastenbroek and Dick van Gameren cut square openings into the hull of the decommissioned wastewater treatment plant so that the apartments have light in it. The balconies look like folded-down windows. The penthouse occupies half of the roof, letting in plenty of light for the apartments below.

Open cut cisterns

While the old water treatment basins were filled with earth and turned into a garden landscape with courtyards and play areas, the three tanks were converted to a warehouse and residential buildings. The old concrete tanks are between two residential neighborhoods and give new garden city that has grown identity, which new settlements are often lacking.

Glass facade with wooden frame

In the largest cylinder three levels and a penthouse are housed. In the concrete wall the architects opened three square openings. The light can now penetrate deep inside the rotunda. The wood and glass structure of the mounted penthouse is light and transparent.

Panoramic view from the penthouse

In contrast to the apartments below, where the view is framed through the huge concrete pillars of the openings, the penthouse has an unobstructed panoramic view over the garden city, the park and the lake. In front of the living and dining room there is a terrace with stairs to the roof garden.

White-plastered walls

As a contrast to the ubiquitous view, the architects have created a central box in the penthouse living room, where the intimacy is enhanced by a fireplace. Matching the glass fronts they have chosen white plastered walls, a light gray resin flooring and modern furniture.

Kitchen in steel

Along the southern front are kitchen and bathroom. The rows of steel, designed by a Rotterdam interior designer. Bedroom and study with terrace are oriented to the east, the living and dining room to the west.

Elevator and stairwell in a plastic cylinder

Bjarne Mastenbroek and Dick van Gameren, members of the Bureau de Groep Architect tapped deep into their creative box to give the former sewage treatment plant new functionality and aesthetics: for the lift and staircase, the architects brought in a plastic cylinder in the north.

Construction start: 1999
Completion: 2000
Location: City
Country: Netherlands / Amsterdam
Cost: 500 000
Roof : Flat roof
Flooring: Resin
Area: 135 sqm
Plot: 340 sqm

The inside of this 1930s water tower-turned-house, however, gleams white and smooth all around – quintessentially modern despite the non-linear walls and minimalist metal spiral staircases, curves that dominate each space within this completely remodeled cylinder.

Steel, concrete and glass form the basic material palette used by Zecc in this incredible contemporary home conversion – and these choices do help to transition from the aged rustic style of the preserved facade to the modern interior spaces, but they are nonetheless almost as different as can be.

The water tower is spread over nine levels. Many challenges are faced in the design: letting more daylight in and strengthening the relationship with the back courtyard by inserting a three-level high window frame; maintaining the interiorâ€s industrial characteristics by working with materials like steel, concrete and glass; and in the tower, ensuring an effective, efficient layout for several small round rooms that lay one on top of the other, while preserving the towerâ€s spaciousness.