Terrace, Mumbai |
Project Area : 6000 sq.ft
This South Bombay terrace garden is designed as a sanctuary, separated from the burdens of the outside world.
Carefully curated layering of dense foliage at the periphery creates a screen that blocks off unsightly views of the concrete jungle, whilst also serving as a dust barrier. The plant palette consists of a rich mix of tropical favourites— the tall fragrant blades of pandanus, an assortment of ferns, and dainty white flowers of the ever-delightful Frangipani envelop the patch of lawn space that lies in the centre. Subscribing to biophilic design principles, nature is welcomed into the immediate living environment, which seems vital in a city with a dearth of open green spaces.
A key intention was to design for the client’s lifestyle, ensuring that the space had a range of seating typologies that can adapt to varied social situations – including an intimate al fresco dining area, and a gazebo sheltered natural stone deck replete with a sofa set and coffee tables. Rocking armchairs are an ideal accent, amplifying the restful, leisurely quality of the space.
Urns that mimic boulders of different sizes have been placed across the site as interstitial, decorative landscape elements. At the edge of the lawn, patches of green are interspersed with paving, creating a seamless blend between the softscape and the hardscape.
The site is like a model that should be replicated in sky-rises across the city— roof planting intercepts rainwater, reduces runoff, and if scaled up, would serve as a key tool in flood-risk mitigation in the dense urban fabric. Additionally, the increased foliage would contribute to cool microclimate creation, battling the urban heat island effect that Mumbai faces.
Image Credits : Gajendra Mandrekar
