Patricia Fox, Aralia
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Patricia Fox
roof terraces for their prestigious
mixed-use development at Chelsea
Creek, London. At the time London
was in the depths of a recession
and property was generally pretty
hard to shift. Aralia were given an
open brief to design and deliver
some truly amazing, original, roof
terrace designs which included
features such as outdoor kitchens,
outdoor fireplaces, automated
pergola structures, water features,
bespoke art (original paintings on
glass & bespoke sculptures), green
walls and lush abundant planting.
Roof Terraces generally up until this
time comprised mainly of paving/
decking and some planters. The
twist in the trend, was to offer a
much fuller experience to the end
user, not just a swanky looking
roof terrace, but a useable space
which was cleverly arranged to also
work well on multiple levels; as
an external space for entertaining
larger groups; somewhere to relax
in with a few friends; intimate
spaces for solo reflection;
somewhere to cook; and finally
a private space to enjoy the hot
tub! Clients were then purchasing
a lifestyle, not just a penthouse
apartment. This is the essence of
what great landscape design is
currently about.
This translates equally well into
larger landscape schemes, whether
it be within the hospitality sector or
for a private estate. The end user
is now expecting a broader, more in
depth experience. As an example
a recent project we have been
working on ‘Westlands’, was
Landscape & Urban Design
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