Roof Gardens

Penthouse Roof Terrace Design

Designed by Melanie Driver & constructed by The Garden Builders

Penthouse Roof Terrace Design

The Garden Builders tendered for and were successfully awarded the execution for the removal of the existing roof gardens and installation of the new roof gardens design for a Penthouse at Imperial Court, Regents Park, London.

The roof terrace is designed and split into two distinct spaces divided and accessed via a roof top conservatory.

The bigger space 'The Main Garden' comprised of a multi levelled Porcelain tile terrace. The tiles are a dedicated roof terrace - friendly porcelain, lightweight and robust and suitable for a pedestal laying system, perfectly suited to the requirements for a roof terrace floor. To one side we constructed a large full-length plinth, fully clad with the Porcelain tiles. This plinth supports large scale Urbis planters and feature lighting. The Urbis pots, draw your eye to and frame the stunning London Cityscape view and integrate successfully with it when both are light-up. An in-situ Western Red Cedar screen fully encloses two sides to help protect this roof-space from the violent winds you can expect at this height, on the other sides a frame-less glass balustrade helps to shield the garden too, whilst allowing an un-obstructed view of the London Sky-Line. The main planting is contained within a large-scale multi-levelled planter, constructed from lightweight blockwork and clad with powder coated aluminium rolled sheeting. A comprehensive, lightweight drainage layer at the base of the planter allows water to effectively discharge into the roof top drainage provision. Feature lighting and a music speaker system nestle within the planting and help bring the space alive in the evening. Planting is a mix of evergreen focal and screening planting with mid- level perennial/herbaceous planting, then lower level seasonal, instant bedding plants. These all combine into a summery, multi-coloured palette designed to produce the maximum joy for our client during their Summer stay in their London Penthouse home.

The smaller space 'The Rose Garden' is a smaller, repeat of 'The Main Garden' but with the planting focus all about the 'Rose' and its interaction with other plants. This space is designed to be enjoyed on a more personal scale, rather than the larger garden which can easily accommodate a large family party.

Overall this roof terrace design garden was a huge challenge to bring in on time, on budget and to the exacting standards demanded. This was mostly due to access, in that our only means of removal and importation of materials was via a single lift (which had to be shared) and the emergency staircase, this Penthouse being on the 9th and 10th floors meant a lot of leg work. There was no possibility of cranes or scaffolding, so manpower and determination were our only aid. Strict time-frames, other residents and the building management considerations all had to be observed and adhered to.

The result though, is a breath-taking roof terrace design space, which combines modern and traditional styles and encapsulates un-rivalled views of the City of London and beyond.

Planted by Rod Tootel.

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