High-rise living offers many benefits — proximity to work and entertainment, less maintenance than a single-family home, building amenities, and more. However, the hidden gem of high-rise living is the amenity deck.
High above the city streets, rooftop amenity decks can provide a range of options for residents to take advantage of that can improve their quality of high-rise life.
Designing an amenity deck requires taking many factors into consideration and taking the time to truly understand the needs of the residents along with the possibilities of utilizing the space.
Factors Impacting Amenity Deck Design
Many factors impact amenity deck design, including resident demographics, sustainability, amenities offered, health and wellness benefits, and the building itself.
Resident Demographics
An amenity deck design should, first and foremost, spring from the needs of the building's residents. Most buildings will likely have a diverse mix of people, so understanding the overarching needs of the residents will help guide the amenity deck design.
If the building is primarily populated by young families, a game area or projection screen may draw families to the common space. For buildings with a high population of professionals, creating workspaces can draw busy people from their apartments or condos and encourage them to get work done outside. Keeping the resident demographics in mind can really impact how much the space gets used.
Sustainability
Using rooftop space for an amenity deck offers a number of opportunities to increase the building’s level of sustainability. Rooftop gardens can help capture water runoff and increase the amount of greenspace that residents have access to. Sustainable materials can also be used to reduce the building’s carbon footprint.
Amenities Offered
It should go without saying that a factor in amenity deck design is the amenities that will actually be included, but having a clear plan at the outset can mitigate issues that could arise later on. There is a big difference between an amenity deck that includes a pool or garden and one that only features lounge areas or a spot for yard games.
Health and Wellness Benefits
Amenity decks can offer much in the way of health and wellness. They provide access to the outdoors where sun and fresh air have noticeable benefits for mental and physical health. They also provide an area where residents can meet and build community relationships, which can also have benefits for health and wellness.
The Building
Creating an amenity deck may require adding structural support to the building depending on the dead weight and live weight that the space will hold. The actual amenities, like a pool, garden, lounge area, etc., along with the materials used, including decking, structures, etc, add weight to the building that must be accounted for.
6 Amenity Deck Ideas
We’ve gathered some ideas for your amenity deck, but the options are truly limitless.
1. Rooftop Gardens and Greenspaces
Rooftop gardens and greenspaces provide residents with a natural escape above the city. Produce from the garden can be harvested by residents as well as used in an on-location bar or restaurant. Flower gardens can provide cut flowers as well as attract bees, birds, and butterflies that residents can watch.
The amenity deck can even include a meditation garden or zen space that allow residents to escape the stressors of everyday life and take a deep breath.
2. Work Areas
In a building populated by professionals, there may be a high demand for work areas. As many jobs are remote and many people work outside of office hours, creating a comfortable outdoor space in which to work can be a draw for current and prospective residents.
3. Exercise Spaces
Including exercise spaces in an amenity deck can encourage residents to get outside and stay active. Outdoor fitness equipment is a popular addition to playground areas and could be included on the amenity deck as well. Rooftop gyms can also be designed with movable glass walls that can be opened in good weather and closed in bad weather.
4. Bars and Restaurants
Always a popular rooftop deck amenity, a bar or restaurant gives residents options for dining out without actually leaving the building. Having cocktails under the stars or dining in the fresh air can be a nice change of pace and will draw residents to the space.
5. Lounge Areas
Lounge areas offer residents a place to just…sit. Equip the space with comfortable chairs, handy side tables, and maybe even a pillow or two, and it’s a great place for people to sit and read, listen to music, gather, or just enjoy the sunshine.
6. Special Events
An amenity deck is the perfect place to host a resident mixer, a wine tasting, a movie night, and more. Opening up the space for community events can also add extra value to the space.
Aspire Can Make an Amenity Deck a Reality
Aspire’s lightweight composite pavers can make an amenity deck a reality. This sustainable material is made with up to 95% post-consumer recycled material and is eligible for LEED credits.
Our patented grid installation system allows for quick and easy installation over the existing decking. Unlike pedestal installation systems with concrete or porcelain pavers that make installation difficult and add weight to the roof that could result in the need for additional structural support, our system is lightweight, and weighs just one-third of traditional concrete pavers.
Contact the experts at Aspire today to discuss how we can help you create the perfect amenity deck for your high-rise building.
