Landscape Architect Articles

A Rooftop Fit for The Big Apple08-04-16 | Feature

A Rooftop Fit for The Big Apple

Vert Gardens built the fresh look that this Tribeca, New York rooftop needed, designed by Gunn Landscape Architects. Previously, the roof had only parapet walls and exposed roof membrane. The client requested an outdoor extension of the indoor space: an urban terrace garden for lounging, dining and relaxing. An ipe deck includes an elevated spa with waterfall, installed by manufacturer Diamond Spas. The elements to create this had to be lifted to the roof with a hoist: a spa cannot fit in the building's elevator. A carpenter placed the LED strip lights on the steps. Nearby, a green roof area has 18" x 30" custom colored concrete pavers set into grass.

The roof has two distinct areas, connected by this decorative stone path laid with stepping-stones. A bamboo garden provides privacy screening. Beyond, an area of artificial turf connects the path to a patio composed of custom white pavers installed on pedestals, allowing for drainage. The color white was used throughout the rooftop, chosen for its solar reflectivity, meeting LEED standards and helping the building be more energy efficient.

In the neighborhood of Tribeca, New York, N.Y., Vert Gardens built the design created by their sister company, Gunn Landscape Architecture, to transform a barren rooftop into a 2,600 square foot outdoor terrace and garden expansion. The client wanted a fully developed area with a garden and outdoor living spaces, privacy hedging, a dining area, a lounge area, a spa with waterfall, and intimate garden spaces located off the bedrooms. The final design includes two distinct areas for the rooftop, with the dining and lounging area to one side and the intimate garden and spa area to the other.

A small artificial turf area connects to a patio of 30" x 30" custom white concrete pavers installed on pedestals for drainage on the roof. Ceramic planters hold deciduous trees, which are illuminated at night. This space also includes patio furniture provided by the client and a fully equipped outdoor kitchen.

The dining and lounging area connects to the garden and spa area through a path of decorative white stones with pavers set into them like stepping-stones. The color white was chosen to serve multiple purposes: first, to coordinate with the interior of the home, second, to draw the eye towards the landscaping, and third, to meet LEED standards for solar reflectivity and emittance.

The other side of the rooftop includes a green roof space with 18" x 30" custom colored concrete pavers, cut with a paver saw and set into steppable ground cover. An elevated spa is located on an ipe deck next to the green roof. The predrilled boards were cut to size with saws, and installed by a carpenter. The steps that lead to the spa are lit underneath with high-density waterproof RGB LED strip lighting installed on-site by the carpenter. The spa installation was subbed out to the manufacturer. Due to the size of the elements, everything for the roof had to be lifted there with a hoist: for example, a spa could not fit in the building's elevator, and the stairs were not an option.

Most of the challenges came about in the prepwork, including getting approval from multiple city offices and the board of the building. Due to the rooftop location, the weight of each element had to be carefully calculated to make sure weight limits were not exceeded. Once the build began, however, it was smooth sailing, with a crew of 10-15 completing it in less than six months. The eco-conscious urban rooftop is set to accommodate the client's growing family. It won a Gold Award for landscape design from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers in 2015.

As seen in LC/DBM magazine, August 2016.