DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The South Group sent a press release out on Business Wire today saying that they've broken ground on Luma, their second new residential construction down in South Park. I haven't been down that way much lately, but the release says that project number one, Elleven, is now 50% complete.

What I really liked about the release, though, is the way developers present everything as lofts these days. Luma is a "softloft" development, which I guess means sort of takes a few asthetic things from lofts but leaves all the comfortable bits of a normal condo. The flashy Luma site says that softlofts offer

a living space that is open and deconstructed like a loft, yet refined and sophisticated. Its loft heritage is evident in its lack of walls, and in industrial elements of exposed concrete and open ducting. Its soft, refined side shows through in its detailed finishing, innovative materials and modern accessories.

Is it just me, or is this loft craze the best thing to ever happen to developers? Now they can just not include walls and call it a feature.