Hidden Gem.
A private rooftop patio linking three office towers, its distinctive L-shape recognized as the Central Business District’s sole expansive outdoor office patio amenity.
An exceptional outdoor space that stayed obscure, hidden in plain sight above three downtown office towers.
Reinventing The Gateway.
The Gateway transformed from a deteriorating shopping mall, colloquially a “ghost town” for its vacant storefronts, into an entertainment, dining, residential, and employment destination.
Vestar, orchestrating most of the work, set out to fundamentally reimagine The Gateway beyond retail. Converting vacant storefronts and derelict office towers into tech-focused workspaces was a major strategic element.
Loft Six Four partnered with WOW Atelier’s creative studio to develop the outdoor patio adjacent to their premium interior amenity, The Parlour. The brief: turn an overlooked roof into the reason a tech firm signs the lease.
Planters arranged along the roof deck’s distinctive L-shape maximize visual greenery while minimizing structural slab penetrations for irrigation and drainage.
When we were tasked with designing a seamless interior/exterior space that was cutty, urban, and reminiscent of a secret pocket park that you might stumble upon in a new city, we knew we had to collaborate with Loft Six Four. They bring awesome ideas, energy, and passion to the table on every project we work on with them, and no one does rooftop space better. Full stop. Their team is legit, and we love collaborating with them every chance we get.
One continuous outdoor room above downtown, programmed so a single rooftop reads as a quiet morning coffee, a midday meeting in the planting, and a warm gathering after dark. Movable seating and a green L-shape edge do the work, so the patio flexes without losing its hidden-garden feel.
On-structure work, done right.
On-structure outdoor amenities carry substantial design and coordination complexity. Building atop an existing structure raises the challenge, and needs teams with real rooftop expertise.
For Hidden Gem the design called for abundant greenery to create a revitalizing natural retreat. Rooftop expertise handled structural integrity, irrigation, and drainage for the planters.
Loft Six Four collaborated with WOW Atelier so the outdoor patio reads as one continuous experience with their interior amenity, The Parlour. Their interior, our exterior, one idea.
Amenities that attract.
Modern workplaces expect compelling amenities, and a rich workplace experience improves employee retention and helps tenants. Urban workers face elevated stress from a disconnection with nature, and research shows nature exposure improves memory, concentration, energy, and creativity.
Hidden Gem’s challenge was creating a sense of nature within limited planter constraints. Arranging planters along the deck’s L-shape maximized visual greenery while minimizing slab penetrations, delivering surprising verdancy at substantially reduced expenditure.
The space helped recruit new tenants, including WeWork, whose rigorous office standards were satisfied by the quality amenities. It is now recognized as the Central Business District’s sole expansive outdoor office patio, a modest but significant part of a tens-of-millions-of-dollars effort to revitalize The Gateway.
We’re poised to be the urban extension of Silicon Slopes.
