LOFT Small Commercial And Residential Design Study Of The Space Environment

The great philosopher Mencius once said" Fish is something I desire, and bear’s paw is also what I desire. However, they cannot be obtained at one time, so I would rather take the paw instead of the fish." In essence, this saying tells us to how to make a choice when conflicts occur between interests. Nowadays, as the society is transferring from industrial age to information era, internet and computers are becoming more and more trendy and important in our daily work with the advent of the Network Information Age. Traditional residential or commercial buildings with single function can no longer meet the demand of the SOHO who urgently wants to work at home. SOHO, short for small office, home office, originally means small-scale office which can be used as living homes we well. Now, it has become a concept, a fashion and even a kind of life-style. However, opinions divide as to the demand and satisfaction of the SOHO. Is it economical to choose loft which can be used as office and home at the same time? Just as the metaphor of fish and bear’s paw, commercial office and living apartment are two different types of space in nature. Are they really mutually exclusive? Under the increasing strict government policies of "Limited Purchasing of Houses", commercial loft which can be used as residential homes is becoming more and more popular. Aimed at using limited space in high efficiency and delicate design, loft easily achieves the goal of increasing the area of working and live, and perfect combines work and live together.In such a broad context and prerequisite, the author conducts a field research of the loft in Jinan and Qingdao by doing questionnaires and exclusive interviews. Taking the LAVTE Community in Qingdao and the loft in Jinan High-tech Park as two examples, the author tries to summarize and analyze the buyers’ family structure, living and working requirements, and views on values. By comparing the loft with the popular small-spaced houses in function, the author thinks loft can have the fish and the bear’s paw at the same time to some extent. Then, taking into account consumers’ income, the author analyzes the possibility of flexible functional division of different space and its adaptability in limited space so as to increase comfort and economical value and to see the values in future development and research of loft with an ultimate goal to improve working and living environment to build up a harmonious society and inspire the designers’creativity on continuous basis.