Reach for the sky

Skylights, a natural material palette and living bamboo plants enhance the unexpected tranquillity of this Chicago loft office

Views looking through the interior of the office. ceiling, flooring, interior design, lobby, wood, brown — Views looking through the interior of the office.

Exterior View of the front doors of the architecture, ceiling, daylighting, door, facade, glass, home, house, lighting, wall, window, black

Views looking through the interior of the office. architecture, ceiling, daylighting, floor, house, interior design, wall, wood, brown, gray

Views looking through the interior of the office. architecture, ceiling, home, house, interior design, lighting, lobby, wood, brown

Looking through the board room of the office. architecture, ceiling, daylighting, floor, flooring, hardwood, interior design, lighting, wall, wood, wood flooring, brown

Kitchen and dinning area of the office. - architecture, ceiling, countertop, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, interior design, kitchen, real estate, table, wood, wood flooring, brown

Looking through the board room of the office. architecture, ceiling, conference hall, daylighting, floor, interior design, lighting, room, table, wall, wood, brown

Views looking through the interior of the office. art, art gallery, flooring, interior design, museum, sculpture, tourist attraction, brown

Views looking through the interior of the office. ceiling, exhibition, floor, flooring, interior design, wood flooring, orange, brown

Views looking through the interior of the office. architecture, ceiling, daylighting, floor, interior design, lighting, lobby, wood, brown

Views looking through the interior of the office. architecture, ceiling, daylighting, estate, floor, flooring, hardwood, home, house, interior design, lighting, lobby, real estate, wood, wood flooring, brown

Banbo plants in the office. - Banbo plants bamboo, grass, grass family, plant, green, brown

Inner-city loft renovations are commonplace in major American cities, such as Chicago. Although most of these projects are designed to expose a building's raw brick structure and heavy timber ceilings, the designers of this office fit-out took a different approach.

Architect John Ronan says that right from the outset, property development and real estate company CMK expressed a desire for a very serene, calming environment.

"The company wanted clients to step off the elevator into another world, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the street below," Ronan says. "The office needed to feature natural, sustainable materials, and also incorporate an extensive collection of Asian antiques."

As with most loft renovations, the building was gutted, but for this project, it was also re-lined to create a tranquil, Zen-like interior.

Banbo plants in the office. bamboo, grass, grass family, plant, green, brown — Banbo plants in the office.

"It is an unexpected look," says Ronan. "But we didn't completely isolate the building's structure. The interior incorporates cutouts that provide glimpses of the masonry walls and the timber beam ceiling. These function like windows onto the building."

The office entrance is a 4.5m-long passage, which Ronan describes as a tunnel that provides a transition zone between the outside world and the office. Television monitors mounted behind glass display videos of the company's projects.

A pair of antique stone lion dogs marks the entrance to the guest reception area. The statues are mounted on stone plinths set on a pebble base within the bamboo floor. The sense of tranquillity is further enhanced by a wall of living bamboo that extends up towards a long skylight.

"The office has a big square floor plate and it was essential to bring natural light into the centre," says the architect. "Similarly, sandblasted glass doors to the conference rooms allow light to filter through."