Rooftop Lounges: A Guide for Transforming Your Urban Space

As cities get more crowded and summers get hotter, many urban structures are implementing rooftop living spaces. These areas are an optimal way to transform a high rise space into a soothing and comfortable place of relaxation. Rooftop lounges create more viable square footage in a home or building. When combined with plants and greenery, they work to cool a roof in the summer months. Follow this simple guide for help on designing the ultimate rooftop living space.

What’s Involved

A fundamental component of the ultimate rooftop lounge is the seating area. Today's outdoor furniture options look as good as many interior pieces and are built to stand up against the elements. Introducing plants and foliage is another key design. Look for plants that will thrive naturally in your environment. Space them out around your rooftop lounge area, interspersing them between furniture pieces to create the most pervasive green environment possible. Rooftop temperatures can get much hotter than the average ground temperature, so make sure you water plants regularly and that your roof has access to a reliable water supply.

Staying Cool

Maintaining a green space on a roof can create an enormous difference in temperature on a hot summer day. A green roof can be nearly half the temperature of a regular roof in an urban environment. In an experiment conducted by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc., introducing plants and greenery onto the roof of a building shifted the mean temperature of the roof on a 98-degree summer day from over 150 degrees to the mid-70s. A rooftop living room with a garden can mean the difference between a viable space on top of a building and an insufferable one.

Covering and Accessorizing

Consider adding outdoor accessories to your rooftop living room that can help the cooling process and create a comfortable living space. A pergola or other garden structure protects your outdoor furniture and accessories during inclement weather, helping to preserve its quality and your investment. Introduce climbing vines on these structures to create an enchanting and cool place to relax. Adding retractable canopies to pergolas allow you to take advantage of as much or as little shade as you like.

Don’t spend the summer sweltering away or hiding in your apartment with the AC. A rooftop lounge or living room is a great addition to urban living, and one that can give you more room, a better quality of life, and a unique place to relax on a summer day. Are you putting together your rooftop lounge? Let us know your ideas in the comments below.