For many Americans, moving to an urban apartment is about tapping into the excitement and cultural opportunities of the big city and can also mean a shorter commute to work. But finding a place in the city can mean sacrificing the larger living spaces found in the suburbs or country. Increasingly, urban dwellers are finding that loft apartments offer the location and opportunities of city life with far more space than average condos or apartment homes. What's the idea behind lofts, and why are they so popular?

Architect Jonathan Glasgow is originally from the Midwest, where he earned a Masters in Architecture and an MBA before starting his professional career by designing high-tech industrial facilities for Chicago firm Litton Industries. After moving to Southern California, Glasgow spent time adapting buildings in the Los Angeles Loft District, and is now a founding partner in Interstices Architecture and Interior Design. Here he fills us in on the unique joys of the loft life:

• Industrial buildings.
  According to Glasgow, The term loft began in New York and Chicago when renters and owners began turning old industrial buildings into living spaces. The original tenants were artists who craved the high ceilings, large windows and open floor plans typical of converted warehouses and factories.
  
• Open spaces.
  The primary benefit of loft living is the large open spaces that allow you to live and move how you want, rather than having your movement defined by a permanent floor plan of walls, doorways and rooms.
  
• Define your areas.
  In a loft, the floor plan can be fluid and ever changing. You can set up a sleeping area in one part of the space, then move it somewhere else if you have guests or if you just need the area for another use. Kitchens and bathrooms are more permanent, of course, but temporary partitions, hanging curtains, or even changes in floor covering can define other spaces.
  
• Eclectic style.
  Another nice aspect of many lofts is the opportunity for eclectic design and decorating. For example, a loft might feature soft, delicate window treatments on reinforced factory windows, or a modern couch sitting on a hundred-year-old hardwood floor. This mixture of old with new and practicality with comfort can form a wonderful esthetic that makes the most of a loft's mixed-use nature.

For more information about apartment and loft living, check out the following organizations and websites:

Lofts Online
www.loftsonline.com

A Brief Loft History
www.loftsorlando.com

Apartment Style
www.apartmentstyle.bigstep.com

Apartment Living.net
www.apartment-living.net