Up on the Roof

By Shanta McGahey

When Lori Adams agreed to move from her suburban Connecticut home to her fiancé, Rick’s, seventh floor condo at 400 North Church Street in Charlotte, she had one stipulation— "I told him I had to have an outdoor space." No problem. The condominium, located in a seven-story, mixed-use development in the historic Fourth Ward district, included a rooftop terrace.

Designed by Fishero McGuire Krueger (FMK) Architects and financed by Bank of America’s former CEO Hugh McColl, 400 North Church was one of the first projects implemented to revitalize uptown Charlotte. According to Jon Krueger, a principal of FMK Architects, since 400 North Church is only seven stories high, the inclusion of rooftop terraces in the design of the building was necessary. "In an urban setting, it softens the roof visually for those looking down on it."

Of course, besides upholding the beauty of the cityscape, rooftop terraces also provide urban dwellers with an outdoor space all to themselves. In 2003, developer Buck Schimpf turned an historic, but abandoned department store in downtown Chattanooga into a four-story, mixed-use development with luxury condos. Schimpf moved from his home on Signal Mountain into one of the two-bedroom condos on the fourth floor. "We always planned to do [a rooftop terrace] even before construction started. I felt I had to have an outdoor space and I thought there are a lot of people like me." Principal Architect David Hudson of Artech Architecture & Interiors designed the terrace and says it was no simple task. He recalls, "The rooftop was originally intended to be a floor for another level of the building, so it did not have a drainage system. We put sand under the insulation to create a slight slope, so the water drains out to roof scuppers and to the downspout." Despite the extra planning and work involved, Hudson says, "Any time you’re given existing conditions that were not designed for your plan, it’s difficult, but also very rewarding."

Rooftop terraces may be private, like the Adams’ residence, or accessible to the entire building, like Schimpf’s 7500 square-foot terrace at Loveman’s on Market. Residents can walk out to the Loveman’s terrace from the fourth floor hallway, while three condos, including Schimpf’s, have back doors that open onto it. Pergolas wrapped in wisteria create definition between the three private patios and the community space, which is marked by square pavers surrounded by river stones, with plenty of benches for residents to sit and enjoy the spectacular views of seven church steeples, Lookout Mountain and Miller Plaza. In fact, Schimpf finds he has "a lot of new best friends" when summer rolls around, bringing with it the perennial Friday night concerts in Miller Plaza.

The Adams’ private terrace is no less festive than the community rooftop found at Loveman’s. An avid art collector, Lori has created a sort of outdoor gallery on the terrace, featuring a hand-forged metal tree sculpture by local artist Ben Parrish and one of Asheville artist Lana Garner’s signature cityscapes carved into steel dumpster doors.

Garner’s cityscape of Manhattan, aptly named "Happy Hour" hangs above one of the three bistro tables arranged on the Adams’ terrace. "We love to entertain," Adams says, "so we set it up bistro-style. We also like the flexibility of being able to rearrange." The whimsical mosaic tables and art deco chairs are complemented by vibrant flowers in terra cotta pots, including purple azaleas, rose trees and coleus in varying shades of pink, green and yellow. A large crimson Mandevilla reaches across the terrace half-wall, attracting the eye to an impressive close-up of the Charlotte skyline. Even one’s sense of smell is intrigued by this roof garden, with mint and oregano growing steadily in pots and confederate jasmine winding its way around a metal trellis. "By the end of the summer, it’s just bursting with color out here," Adams says.

Both the Loveman’s landscaping staff and the Adams’ plant in April, though Lori Adams says, "We’ve tried to move towards planting more perennials so I don’t have to replant every year." The two agree that the most challenging aspect of a rooftop garden is keeping the plants hydrated. "It gets pretty hot up here," Schimpf says, "so we choose plants that are able to withstand heat and sun." Plants that require partial shade will never survive on a rooftop terrace; Adams says even some that call for full sun cannot withstand the rooftop’s complete and long exposure to it during Southern summers. And, the plants that thrive on the rooftops must be watered twice a day. She has found success with "anything viny; tomatoes, cucumbers; petunias, gardenias, coleus..." the list goes on. Schimpf has found that crepe myrtles, Japanese maples and ivy prevail on his terrace, although since crepe myrtles are very heavy, they would not be suitable for every rooftop. At Loveman’s, they sit above the building’s original, load-bearing iron columns.

Although Adams finds her rooftop garden to be, "more work versus where I used to live with soil gardening," she enjoys the creativity and beauty that the terrace brings to her urban home. "A neighbor told me she used to look at my Mandevilla from her office across the way. She said it really brightened up her day."

For someone used to walking out the back door onto a one-acre lawn, the idea of a "backyard" that is 50 feet up in the air may seem artificial. But consider the perks: no lawn to mow, no sprinkler system to maintain, no leaves to rake. Simply put, an outdoor space that’s on the roof can be, as Schimpf refers to his terrace, "a place to do a combination of entertaining and contemplation" and a perfect complement to a metropolitan lifestyle. "It gives you a sense of connecting to the city. At night it becomes amazingly peaceful," he asserts. "I’m out here all the time."

For the Adams, the rooftop terrace brings a welcome respite from their hectic workdays. "We both work in the financial industry, so doing a little bit of gardening is really relaxing. My ultimate goal will be to have a kitchen out here, but right now it’s just our little haven to get away to at the end of the day."