
Hong Kong filled with towering skyscrapers and is a jungle that is concrete — compact. Hong Kong’s rooftops can become the ideal refuge from this chaotic city, and people that have plant life can help better the air quality too.
Whether you reside in Hong Kong or Houston, if your home is on the top level of your apartment building, you hold the gold ticket into solving a city dweller’s number-one style problem: lack of outdoor space.
Have a look at these Hong Kong rooftop designs and ideas to help you raise your urban house’s square footage superbly.
Alexandra Lauren Designs
1. Choose comfortable, durable furniture. Resin rattan is an excellent alternative for outdoor furniture in Hong Kong. Unlike metal furniture, the resin will not scorch you if the furniture has been left in the direct sunlight — as it’s through sexy Hong Kong summers.
Choose fabric that will live in your climate — I look for fabrics that will hold up in Hong Kong’s humid and tepid climate.
2. Shade your space. This white pergola offers protection and shade from the sun’s UV rays with Perspex panels. Outdoor dividers installed around the perimeter provide optimum privacy from neighbors and refuge in the heat. For a DIY choice, drape cloth to create a vibrant shaded spot for afternoon tea.
First Vision Limited
3. Double your cooking area. This outdoor kitchen has a complete setup for food service, using a wet bar, an outdoor dining range and a gorgeous outdoor dining room. I love to add in a tiny herb garden — what I call a bartender’s garden — near the barbecue for fresh seasonings.
GreenRoof Asia
4. Think about a complete landscape. For people who have the area, a rooftop lawn is your greatest urban outdoor luxury. Not only does it look beautiful, but it could actually improve your building’s efficiency. Richard Cooke of Green Roof Asia says that he consistently places a drainage layer and filter fleece on the roof prior to installing a rooftop lawn. “Adding a lawn to your rooftop can work as a next waterproofing coating,” he states. “A lawn reacts like a sponge, catching rain, and also the absorption may actually help function as an additional protective mechanism between your roof and the interior below.”
S.I.D.Ltd.
5. Add simple greenery with potted plants. If a complete landscape isn’t appropriate for your outdoor area, maintain your plant life manageable with the addition of potted plants into your rooftop, terrace or balcony. If every home in Hong Kong played their role and placed one plant out or in a window, there will be 7.8 million additional plants to help keep our atmosphere.
If you’re squeezed for space, think about vertical gardening. Trellises can help foliage grow into fantastic formations, and a few contemporary metal trellises look great even when they’re not covered in crops.
First Vision Limited
6. Make use of small, efficient water elements. A health spa is a great place for decompressing and letting off some steam after a very long day. Within our hot summer months, a spa may also double as a cool plunge pool.
I also love to put in a soothing, built-in fountain into a dip pool. Smaller fountains and water features can help muffle out the sounds of town and drown from the stresses of the day.
Chinc’s Workshop
7. Look for outdoor lighting alternatives. Lighting is often the most overlooked part of an exterior layout. Outdoor lighting options can help emphasize and feature beautiful foliage, and set just the right mood. If you’re looking for something simple and ecofriendly, start looking for solar-powered options, as they don’t require extensive setups. For tenants, string lights or a assortment of paper lanterns to create ambience.
S.I.D.Ltd.
8. Produce privacy without compromising style. In Hong Kong your nearest neighbor could be at arm’s length. To appreciate a rooftop fully, you want to create privacy while still having an open feel. I enjoy using live elements, such as planted bamboo or a trellis of vines, to cover up walls or create private spaces. Passionfruit, honeysuckle and firecracker vines are just a couple of my favourite climbers which do extremely well in Hong Kong.
Alexandra Lauren Designs
9. Keep a look out for outdoor entertainment opportunities. Rooftops in Hong Kong often have shared walls with neighboring buildings. 1 way to produce great use of an exterior wall would be to turn it into an outdoor projector display — it is great for barbecues, game days or romantic film nights.