Our client for this project challenged us to transform 600 square
feet of asphalt roof in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood into a unique
outdoor space for their family. To make their challenge more difficult,
the space is at the bottom of a 100' deep brick and stucco canyon formed
by neighboring buildings.Since the prime feature of most
roof terraces - a skyline view - was not available to us, JCA decided
to create an outdoor room, open to the sky.At the north &
west sides of the terrace, where adjacent buildings are close, we
designed tall walls topped with greenery to maximize privacy. To the
east, the nearby buildings step back, and we allowed new elements,
including a large planter, to drop lower. This lower height maintains
visual privacy from neighbors, while allowing those on the terrace to
take psychological possession of the greater space beyond the roof's
edge.At each end of the terrace, we created built in seating
arrayed around custom light fixtures whose nighttime pools of light
create natural gathering spots, 21st century versions of a campfire.
Every element of the roof had to be carefully designed to be delivered
via a narrow and circuitous path through the building - and through our
client's fully furnished residence. We also utilized a number of
material and construction innovations to keep every element light enough
to be safely supported by the 100 year old roof structure without
problem.