Planted Terraces : an introduction

Since most of us live in cities, it is easy to understand the value of green. It is getting increasingly difficult to get in touch with nature, and most have to travel a bit farther to be in green surroundings. As the value of village life has diminished through the past fifty years, in the eyes of the modern consumer, we are experiencing nowadays an evermore increasing urge to be closer to nature ; for our eyes, for our senses to lay off the burden of concrete, its bareness and harshness to touch.

There are those lucky enough to be close to a park, forest or meadow. There are those that still live in villages or small towns, untouched by the modern urban madness that obliterates natural variation and numbs the sensory organs. There are those that live in cities friendlier to the human being. Quality of life is not easily attainable, and in most cases nowadays, comes with a higher price.

However, we still can largely define our closest environments. Do not neglect your home, and do not disassociate yourself from nature. If you have space, preferably outdoors, then use it to your advantage. Plant, nurture, grow living organisms, and they will reciprocate by giving you joy, fulfillment ; an oasis where you can retract and recharge your batteries. Being a roof, a terrace or a balcony, you can plant and make it green, to cater either for your daily needs for vegetables or herbs, or simply for pleasure.

The wealth of information out there, with regards to how you may "terraform" your urban environments, is trully astonishing. The question is sometimes, why so few of us ever do it. Give it a try, even for as simple a solution as having a number of planted pots and containers, and you will see after some time the real strength of my argument.

Here are some examples as what you could do, if you put your mind into it (and go rather large scale). There are intended for inspiration and motivation.

This sleek penthouse located in Manhattan was designed by Joel Sanders Architecture

[Ref.] http://eclecticlivinghome.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/modern-in-manhattan/

Even the smallest bit of outdoor space can be one of the most covetable features of any Manhattan apartment. So how about over 1,600 square feet of lush, private outdoor space!?

[Ref.] http://honestlywtf.com/home/14th-paradise/

A rooftop apartment in Bayswater, London, with its external areas designed by Philip Nixon design.

[Ref.] http://www.philipnixondesign.com/bayswater/

Carnegie Hill House in New York City, designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. The first floor garden is experienced as a diptych composition framed by ginkgos. To the left, locust slabs lead to a nest-like reading nook. The stone pavers carry the interior flooring into the garden and lead to a re-circulating fountain. Native grasses planted at the street edge of the 7th floor terrace provide a translucent screen between the private terrace space and the urban environment beyond.

[Ref.] http://architypesource.com/projects/929-carnegie-hill-house