A Roof That Breathes

An exposed penthouse roof, 32 storeys up, designed to be lived on rather than merely looked at from indoors.

Wind was the whole conversation here. At this height the planting brief is written by the gusts, not the sunlight, so we worked from a palette of low, flexible, salt-tolerant species and screened the seating zone with a band of taller greenery that bends rather than breaks.

Everything is lightweight by design. Raised planters sit on adjustable pedestals over the existing waterproofing, drip irrigation runs on a timer, and the whole scheme can be lifted for maintenance without disturbing the membrane below — a detail we coordinated closely with the building’s engineer.

The owners host on it now in a way they never did before. The roof finally feels like the best room in the apartment, which is exactly what a sky garden should earn its keep doing.