The Outdoor Room - Mayfair roof terrace
Designer James Aldridge Landscape & Garden Design
Suppliers Capital Garden Products, CED Natural Stone, Millboard, Urbis Design
The brief was to create a terrace for employees to use on a daily basis for breaks and lunch and provide different areas for small to larger meetings while providing a suitable setting to entertain clients and be a venue for parties.
A composite deck path leads onto a grey granite raised platform with a bar/storage area. A single step down leads onto the main deck area, where there is a 4m-long table. The space is enclosed by lines and groups of "sticks" by Belgium company Extremis — fibreglass rods mounted into solid rubber bases.
Gaps between the sticks lead onto a second deck area at the front of the building. This has been designed as an area for low seating with a high degree of privacy for more intimate meetings. The terrace is enclosed on its outer edges by a row of faux lead planters with a staggered row of Panicum ‘North wind’ to provide additional shelter. The only other planting is four large Yucca rostrata in shallow bowl planters by Urbis design.
"This small roof garden provides a breakout area for staff to relax or hold informal meetings," the judges noted. "The requirement to provide privacy from an adjoining office was met by the innovative use of plastic rods secured in rubber blocks, creating a very attractive type of screen. Composite decking and granite paving create a muted, clean and crisp feel and the limited palette gives the space a very classy ambience. Despite the logistical challenge of lifting all materials onto the roof, the contractor has achieved a stunning scheme in which the quality of the finish is excellent and the attention to detail exceptional."
Award sponsor: Woodscape
