Project Description
OFFICE LIVING ROOF RENOVATION / RETROFIT
Redefining the 17th floor of the historic Western Publishing Building in midtown Manhattan, HM White created a contemporary garden terrace as an extension of Shorenstein Properties’ new corporate offices. The 6,500 square-foot living roof establishes a biophilic transformation of the office environment and daily employee experience. A lush garden wraps the building and visually merges interior office spaces with a meadow landscape.
The entire garden is carefully engineered to knit with building infrastructure to prevent potential wind uplift, accommodate significant weight restrictions and support a sophisticated, multi-seasonal plant palette tolerant of extreme growing conditions. The elongated meadow design incorporates drought tolerant grasses, perennials and spring bulbs—punctuated by flowering trees in structurally specific locations.
The office interior links with the exterior via a series of wooden platforms embedded in the landscape creating flexible “break-out” meeting spaces and places of respite. The intimate garden rooms connect with a perimeter path system framed by a translucent wind protection screen along the building’s edge.
On the northwestern side of the building, an isolated roof space is transformed into an outdoor golf putting green providing a retreat instantly popular with staff.