Varada Office Terrace Garden
Himatnagar, North Gujarat
Located in Himatnagar, North Gujarat, the Varada Office Terrace Garden demonstrates how underutilized rooftop spaces can be transformed into functional landscape environments suited to the climatic conditions of the region. Designed by Urban Nexus Design Studio in collaboration with Keystone Architects and Interior Design, the 154 sq m fourth-floor open-to-sky terrace was developed as an extension of the workplace, providing a comfortable outdoor setting for employees and visitors while showcasing the potential of terrace landscapes in emerging urban developments.
At a time when terraces in commercial buildings are often treated as residual spaces, the project sought to establish a more integrated relationship between architecture and landscape. The garden was conceived around the principles of xeriscaping, using hardy, climate-adapted plant species capable of thriving under North Gujarat's warm and dry conditions with limited maintenance and reduced water demand.
Area
154 sq m
Year
2022
Client
Varada Buildcone
Team
Landscape
Urban Nexus Design Studio
Architects
Keystone
Project Perspectives
The project involved several constraints typical of retrofitting landscape over existing structures. These included uncertainty regarding the load-bearing capacity of the terrace slab, concerns related to long-term waterproofing, additional weight associated with conventional soil depths, and the difficulty of achieving visual density using numerous individual pots.
Conventional rooftop garden systems often require expensive waterproofing assemblies and can pose long-term maintenance concerns. The design approach therefore focused on developing a lightweight and manageable planting system that would reduce structural load, allow controlled drainage, and minimize the risk of moisture-related deterioration.
Drawing from earlier experience with elevated vegetable gardens and raised planting systems, UNDS adopted a modular planter strategy using salvaged International Bulk Container (IBC) units. These containers were repurposed as raised planter beds and integrated with UPVC drainage lines to create a controlled growing environment with efficient water management.
The raised planter system allowed soil depths and moisture conditions to be regulated while maintaining lower overall weight through the use of specially amended lightweight growing media. This approach also eliminated the need for large numbers of pots and enabled the creation of continuous planting masses and greater visual richness.
To improve durability and aesthetics, the planters were elevated above the terrace floor and clad with wood polymer composite (WPC) panels, concealing the reused containers and integrating them with the architectural character of the terrace.