The 8000 SF interior courtyard is a green roof over a below-grade grocery store. a major constraint that drove many design decisions was the prohibition against reducing ceiling height in the retail space below. As a result, in order to gain enough soil depth for planting, the central panel had to be raised 18” above the floor level of the building. This proved to be a benefit, however, because it afforded the opportunity to ring the courtyard on all sides with private terraces of the adjacent units; the resulting walls became seating. The raised panel is reachable both from the lobby and from each private terrace. It is organized around a central seating area, shaded by a steel trellis. The striped pattern of turf and stone dust paving enlivens the view from upper-floor units. In addition, twelve-foot tall light columns set in the turf emit a soft glow, giving gentle illumination to the courtyard and to the adjacent terraces, while creating a pattern of light that further enhances the view from above.
