Renovation Project - Outdoor Rooftop Deck Project Example

Photo courtesy of Bison Innovative Products

Project: Symphony House Apartments
Location: New York City
Architect FXCollaborative

The Project: The ninth-floor setback of Symphony House was an underused asset with a 25-year-old roof that needed to be replaced. It was transformed into a 12,000-square-foot eco-friendly tenant amenity featuring planters with trees and shrubs, seating areas, and ambient lighting thus creating valuable living and recreational space for residents and their guests. This rooftop deck includes staggered concrete pavers supported by pedestals, increasing the property value.

The Landscape Design: By contouring the roof’s landscape and strategically planting tall grasses and river birch trees, unique areas were created for the residents to use to relax, entertain, and connect with the natural environment. One of the roof’s sustainable initiatives is to collect and store rainwater to support plant life and lower the building’s impact on the environment. The vegetation reduces the roof’s ambient temperature, maintaining a cooler temperature inside the building and reducing the building’s carbon footprint, thus contributing to sustainable design objectives.

Outdoor Rooftop Deck Case Study

Photos: Brett Drury; courtesy of Bison Innovative Products

Project: Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center
Location: Denver, Colorado
Architect: Fentress Architects
General Contractor: Mortensen

The Project: The Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center opened its doors in January 2013 in the heart of Denver. Designed to be an accessible, welcoming, and educational meeting center for the people of Colorado, it combines neoclassical architecture with modern design elements that complement the classic architecture of the Colorado State Capitol building. Built to last more than 100 years, the Judicial Center is one of the few courthouses in the country to achieve LEED Gold.

The Sustainability Design: Sustainable features include a green roof to filter rainwater, a photosensitive daylight-harvesting illumination system, and drought-tolerant landscaping. The corridor surrounding the green roof utilizes 2'x2' concrete pavers that complement the neoclassical architecture. Pedestals made from 20 percent postindustrial recycled materials help to reduce the building’s carbon footprint. Sourcing local products, such as this deck’s pedestal supports also helps to reduce a building’s carbon footprint. The 4,000-square-foot green roof provides a view, natural elements, and a sanctuary for visitors creating a space to unwind, relax, and observe the natural environment and seasonal changes that are exhibited in the rooftop garden and the neighboring park. It is expected to be a showcase for sustainability and the American justice system in Denver for many years to come.

Vegetated Wall Case Study

Photo courtesy of Tournesol Siteworks

Project: The Bluffs at Playa Vista Parking Structure
Location: Playa Vista, California
Architect: Johnson Fain

The Project: The Bluffs at Playa Vista is a creative office space in a thriving community development on the west side of Los Angeles. The Bluffs was a two-phase project overseen by Morley Builders and designed by Johnson Fain who were the visionaries behind the geometric concept and design of more than 15,200 square feet of wall-mounted vegetated three-dimensional trellis panels installed between 2008 and 2010. Aligning with Playa Vista’s water conservation objectives, the renowned international design collective RIOS designed the landscaping at The Bluffs using native ornamental grasses, varieties of vibrant plants and succulents, native trees, and the drought-tolerant royal trumpet vines flourishing on the trellises.

The Sustainable Design: The LEED Gold Certified project earned its prestigious status for its energy-saving design and water conservation. Fully populated with lively royal trumpet vines, the green wall panel system creates large green facades that provide shade, cool ambient temperatures, and slow stormwater runoff through rain capture on the leaves and in the soil bed.

The Construction: Trellis panels 4' wide and in various lengths were designed to attach strategically to the face of bare concrete walls and span from multistory parking spandrels, forming engaging and playful dimensional patterns. The panels were manufactured with factory welded channel and edge trim so that when installed, there is a clean frame around the outer perimeter of each panel grouping. The trellis panels were fastened with standard adjustable clips to allow space between the back of the panel and the face of the wall. The clip's adjustable sled can slide forward or back for the desired panel distance from the wall surface. The small air gap between the wall surface and the back of the panel helps with the regular maintenance of green facades.

The Results: According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Playa Vista was the first planned community in Los Angeles to use 100 percent recycled water for landscaping. In addition to conserving precious water resources, the landscaping functions to attract pollinators, and support biodiversity. Vertical greenery also helps soften and beautify hard, hot concrete surfaces for which parking structures are commonly known.