Projects

What was a pocket-sized, underutilized terrace has transmogrified into a cool, cozy, and seemingly spacious terrace garden. With less than 70 SF available, custom fabrication and flexible use principles were critical to maximizing usability and increasing the sense of scale for this residential green space. A versatile dining area, also doubling as a comfortable sofa for lounging, was formed by an L-shaped aluminum and black locust wood bench. For the capacity to host up to six people in the small area for a proper meal, one of the end tables can be pulled out and used as a stool, while a shelf under the bench holds space for two more folding aluminum bistro chairs. Alternatively, when more floor space is desired, the dining table can be folded away and slid effortlessly out of sight into a designated gap behind evergreen foliage. As the backdrop to this nook, a tall custom planter hosts lush and protective greenery for beauty and privacy, with a modern acrylic cladding backlit by LED light strips that create a surreal evening experience. Meanwhile, the inner corner harbors a custom-designed mirrored trellis, creating an interesting effect which further expands sense of space, juxtaposed against interlaced stainless-steel cables that reflect into mirrored acrylic and provide support for vines.

A key component of this project are the naturalistic, “no maintenance” (faux) plants, requested by the client for ease and convenience. Strategically configured to emulate living plants, the verdant ferns, shrubs and sedges give the sensation of being in a wild grove. At night, the plantings divert the eye to dancing shadows casted on the ceiling for a deliberate evocation of an abstracted canopy (on the underside of the balcony overhead). Despite the confined area, each corner of this project has become transformed to provide quality respite and a distinctive outdoor living space nestled within an 8’x8′ balcony in Manhattan.