Joel Sanders Architect

Pushing green design beyond the familiar incorporation of a list of LEED certified materials; this NoHo loft renovation rethinks the notion of an urban garden by literally bringing the outside in. Exterior wood decking and vegetation flow into the heart of the loft forming a planted core, a living green veil that screens the public living/dining room from the private master bedroom. The stair bulkhead doubles as a skylight and provides access to a roof terrace planted with sedum and grasses.

This green core is tactile as well as a visual: the owner can bathe surrounded by lush vegetation visible through a glass wall that separates the bathroom from this planted zone. The rear of the bathroom is clad with modular plant panels. Surmounted by a skylight, this living wall is yet another element that vertically links roof and interior. An eco-friendly palette of natural and synthetic materials confound traditional distinctions between natural and artificial. When seen from entry, the planted core merges with the living lounge: the upholstered floor and seating evoke a textile garden, the interior counterpart to the roof terrace, where a bed of sedum defines a walk-able planted surface.