My attention was immediately captured upon viewing The Loft Tower in Lima, Peru by XTe a+d. A study in "controlled chaos". Continuous, minimal living plans repeated on each floor with a vertical green space spanning the entire structure, both inside and out. The front facade expresses an individual, but familiar character for each unit with outdoor terraces that comprises a green wall from top to bottom. The front views are framed and visually expressive, both by means of the expansive floor to ceiling glazed forms and the interior partitions that spatially guide and inform the flow of living space from the entry to the front of house. The dual-unit plan allows for sequential flow from one end to the other, providing views from the front and back, as well as visual access to the interior green courtyard. The broken down elements for each unit combined with the vertical garden wall bring the scale down to a more personal level and softens the effect of a high-rise building making it a much more effective companion with the growing and eccentric fabric that is Lima.
