8 item post loop layout in Wordpress

page-home.php

<?php
/*
Template Name: Homepage
*/
?>

<?php get_header(); ?>

<?php if (have_posts()) : while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>

<div class="articles">

    <div class="row">
    <?php 

    $postCount = 1;

    // WP_Query arguments
    $args = array (
        'post_type'              => array( 'post' ),
        'has_password'           => false,
        'posts_per_page'         => '8',
        'order'                  => 'DESC',
        'orderby'                => 'none',
    );

    // The Query
    $homepage_posts = new WP_Query( $args );

    $postCount = 1;

    // The Loop
    if ( $homepage_posts->have_posts() ) { 

        while ( $homepage_posts->have_posts() ) {
                $homepage_posts->the_post(); ?>
            
                <?php if ( ($postCount == 1) || ($postCount == 5) ) : ?>

                    <article id="post-<?php echo $postCount ?>" class="col-xs-12 loop-article full-width-article">

                        <div class="row">

                            <div class="col-sm-6 col-sm-push-6 col-md-8 col-md-push-4 col-lg-8 col-lg-push-4 article-feature-img" style="background:url('<?php the_post_thumbnail_url( "feature-col-8" ); ?>');">
                                
                            </div>

                            <div class="col-sm-6 col-sm-pull-6 col-md-4 col-md-pull-8 col-lg-4 col-lg-pull-8 article-content">

                                <header>

                                    <div class="page-header">
                                        <h2 class="page-title h3" itemprop="headline"><?php the_title(); ?></h2>

                                        <meta>By <?php the_author(); ?> - <?php the_date(); ?></meta>

                                        
                                    </div>

                                </header>
                                <section>
                                         <div class="hidden-xs"><?php echo content(25); ?></div>
                                         
                                         <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" class="more-link" title="Read '.get_the_title($post->ID).'">Read more</a>

                                </section>
                                <footer>

                                </footer>

                            </div>

                    </article>


                <?php else : ?>

            <article id="post-<?php echo $postCount ?>" class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-4 col-lg-4 loop-article third-width-article">

                        <div class="row">

                            <div class="col-xs-12 article-feature-img" style="background:url('<?php the_post_thumbnail_url( "feature-thumb-std" ); ?>');">
                                    
                                
                            </div>

                            <div class="col-xs-12 article-content">

                                <header>

                                    <div class="page-header">
                                        <h2 class="page-title h3" itemprop="headline"><?php the_title(); ?></h2>
                                    
                                        <meta>By <?php the_author(); ?> - <?php the_date(); ?></meta>
        
                                    </div>

                                </header>
                                <section>
                                         <div class="hidden-xs"><?php echo content(25); ?></div>
                                         
                                         <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" class="more-link" title="Read '.get_the_title($post->ID).'">Read more</a>

                                </section>
                                <footer>

                                </footer>

                            </div>

                    </article>        

                <?php endif; ?>
        <?php $postCount++; ?>



<?php	}
} else { ?>
	// no posts found
<?php
}

// Restore original Post Data
wp_reset_postdata();

// end post loop
?>
</div><!-- end row //-->
</div><!-- post articles //-->


<?php endwhile; ?>		
					
<?php else : ?>

<article id="post-not-found">
    <header>
        <h1><?php _e("Not Found", "rbtv"); ?></h1>
    </header>
    <section class="post_content">
        <p><?php _e("Sorry, but the requested resource was not found on this site.", "wpbootstrap"); ?></p>
    </section>
    <footer>
    </footer>
</article>

<?php endif; ?>

<?php get_footer(); ?>