Projects

For a three-story penthouse with expansive views to the Hudson River, a highly modern aesthetic was complemented by a full suite of enriching outdoor spaces, including a riverside promenade, culinary garden, flowering terrace, and spacious roof garden and lounge. The culinary garden terrace is accessed seamlessly from the kitchen, for a convenient supply of fresh herbs and berries along a streamlined row of rail-mounted aluminum planters. With the other rooftop and terrace spaces much more exposed to high winds and sun, a rich, resilient planting assemblage was developed exclusively of indigenous species adapted to handle these tough conditions, with a unique emphasis on the native coastal plants of our region. Evolved to withstand beating sun and winds in their natural maritime and estuarine habitats, these selected flora thrive together in the built space for an intrinsically harmonious and naturalistic beauty, while also providing local birds and pollinators with necessary food and habitat. The planting design serves to frame views, screen neighbors and soften hard edges, welcoming urbanites to an outdoor retreat.

Many of the most ecologically valuable plants selected for this project were based on the native coastal plants of our region. Some of these species include Virginia Rose, Beach Plum, Bayberry, Juniper, Ninebark, Coreopsis, Asters, and Milkweed. To recreate what would be have been naturally occurring along a pre-developed Hudson River in this unlikely microclimate, confers a special sense of place to this unique abode and serves as an ode to our greater natural world.