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Rooftop Escapes |
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Urban residential projects are sprouting a greener look
Things are looking up for downtown dwellers seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban living. Rooftop decks, lounges and even tropical gardens are on the rise in newly constructed condominium projects, with residents using these sky-high open spaces for socializing, recreation or simply retreating from the cacophonous cityscape below.
“Rooftop retreats are a cool amenity where residents can gather and build community,” says Russ Hailey of CityMark Development, which has installed a pocket-size sundeck atop Doma in Little Italy.
These roofscapes also enhance the skyline by providing visual interest to residents and the public alike, says Hailey, noting local architect Jennifer Luce’s crystal canopy on the sixth-floor deck of M2i in East Village.
Perhaps the best asset of SmartCorner at Broadway and Park Boulevard is its 20th-floor rooftop terrace, equipped with barbecue grills, outdoor spa and bird’s-eye views from Balboa Park to San Diego Bay. Planters, terraces and other lush landscape treatments create intimate and attractive outdoor spaces that, according to Jaimi Thompson of downtown’s Artisan Design Group, “help elevate the spirit and soothe the soul.”
Gail Nakamura of Intracorp says a verdant retreat between the two Park Terrace residential buildings helps residents—especially those coming from suburbia’s lawn-and-garden lifestyle—adapt to a paved urban environment.
Baseball fans who want to live in a place that offers rooftop viewing of the action at Petco Park might want to take up residency at Icon. On game days, the building’s residents flock to the 26th-floor “open skybox” overlooking the baseball field and replete with bleachers, barbecues and big-screen televisions. Another option for baseball lovers is The Legend, with its spacious seventh-floor patio bedecked with pool, spa and container garden overlooking the grassy Park at the Park.
Other downtown residences are sprouting an even greener look. At 43-story Electra, the recently opened residential tower in the Marina District, a fifth-floor sanctuary offers homeowners an outdoor fireplace lounge and barbecue area, along with a meticulously landscaped courtyard and expansive grassy lawn.
“It’s an urban oasis that gives residents a peaceful respite from the concrete sea of downtown,” says Dennis Serraglio of Bosa Development.
These green spots also offer significant environmental benefits. Studies show green roofs can help reduce regional smog and lower summer temperatures by as much as 4 degrees. Some rooftop gardens also provide “therapeutic” plots where residents can grow flowers and vegetables. They may attract small, winged wildlife and mask the hum of traffic below with decorative waterfalls.
Because green roofs add cost and can cause water damage if not installed correctly, some developers and homeowners are hesitant to install them. But Bosa’s Serraglio says, “Going up green is the right thing to do.” The Vancouver-based company’s newest residential high-rise—Bayside, under construction at Kettner and Ash—will soon grow “the city’s first full-on green roof” atop its 36-story tower.
With these eco-friendly efforts, greener pastures are on the horizon for San Diego’s urban rooftops.
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