An Office Tower Rooftop Designed for Outdoor Productivity

Hopefully for anyone still stationed at their desk during this annual period of Out of Office auto-replies, August at least affords a few opportunities for extra-long lunches and early happy hours. Workers at 100 Altair, an office infill project in Sunnyvale, California, are particularly well-positioned to take advantage of the summer sun, thanks to a roof garden designed by landscape architecture firm SWA.

An aerial view of the office roof garden at 100 Altair featuring zigzagging paths and angular planters filled with grasses. It is designed by SWA in Sunnyvale California.

What makes the lush amenity most impressive is not just the way that it accommodates the occasional off-duty break, but the way that it also facilitates real work — from casual meetings to full-blown team summits. In this way, it reflects Silicon Valley’s growing focus on outdoor extensions of the office.

A ground-level view of 100 Altair, a black modern office building in Sunnyvale California. The glass walls have been slid away to open the lobby up to the street.

The overall landscaping strategy at 100 Altair starts down at the ground floor, where the curbless streetscape flows naturally into the surrounding urban environment. Adding to this spirit of connection, walls in the HGA Architects-designed building slide away entirely to reveal an open-air “community lobby” that allows commuters to breeze right in from the CalTrain station nearby — or to stroll right out to the Plaza del Sol park across the street come lunchtime. Meanwhile, vertical green walls tease the garden that awaits on the roof.

A wooden bench in front of a triangular bed of grass on the office roof garden at 100 Altair.

Looking out from under a white shade trellis structure to a zigzagging paved path that cuts through landscaped planters in the office roof garden at 100 Altair designed by SWA.

Sure enough, for employees seeking a quieter, more private greenspace — either for working en plein air or for corporate events — the upstairs park provides an additional, more business-oriented oasis. Angular planters and zig-zagging pathways give the space a geometric identity while sectioning off various zones suited to a range of different work activities.

Looking ahead to a patio area with green adirondack chairs and a white shade trellis structure on the office roof garden at 100 Altair designed by SWA. The mountains and a water tower can be seen in the distance.

Sheltered inside intimate nooks that veer off the main pathways, benches accommodate smaller, more focused conversations. On the other hand, a raised area beneath a white shade trellis creates a lively central common space. Along with introducing a stage suited to big presentations, performances and other special events, this platform also serves as a social patio (complete with green Adirondack chairs) during day-to-day use.

Looking through a cluster of tall dry grasses to a white shade trellis structure on the office roof garden at 100 Altair designed by SWA.

While 100 Altair may offer a secluded escape from the street life below, the open visual corridors created by its dynamic composition ensure that it still feels connected to the city beyond. Clear glass balconies allow workers to admire the mountain ranges in the distance, while subtle grade changes in the planting beds echo this rugged topography. The planting strategy, for its part, recalls the meadows of the San Francisco Bay Peninsula, with a mix of native tall grasses.

A wooden pathway leads to a bench on the office roof garden at 100 Altair designed by SWA. In the background are grasses and a white shade trellis structure.

As a private office amenity that is still deeply informed by its broader context, the overall roof garden manages to strike a balance between vibrant park setting and productive workspace. So, if you’re looking to get down to business at 100 Altair? Head to the roof.

The post An Office Tower Rooftop Designed for Outdoor Productivity appeared first on Azure Magazine.