Rooftop Oases

A rooftop oasis furthers the outdoor connection. It's planted with red fescue at the client's request for a wild and unmaintained look and an experience akin to "walking through a field."

A view over the lap pool and roof deck, which provides a respite for the couple, shows the dense beachside neighborhood. The couple bought the Richard Schultz chaise longues at Studio 111 in Palm Springs.

Architect Don Dimster integrated a new roof deck and custom furnishings into Chris and Marjorie Rice’s 1960s Buff, Straub and Hensman home in Los Angeles.

“Tel Aviv is different from the rest of Israel. This is one of the most modern cities in the world.” —Architect Pitsou Kedem

The roof deck of Kogan's Cube House offers a spectacular view of the sun.

To most eyes, Ezequiel Farca’s 1970s-style concrete home in Mexico City looked like a teardown. Even the lot itself—shallow and crammed against a steep hillside—wasn’t particularly alluring. But Farca saw through all the restraints to create a spa-like refuge in one of the world’s most energetic cities. "It’s is such a hectic place. You’re bombarded by so much information the moment you step into the streets," says Farca, who first gained prominence as a furniture and interior designer. "So we envisioned this house as a retreat, a kind of a temple." The rooftop courtyard is lined with a verdant mix of indigenous plants, including banana trees, palm trees, lion’s claw, Mexican breadfruit, and native vines. The chaise longues were designed for Farca’s EF Collection.

The rooftop is wired for a solar farm, but they are waiting for better prices and tax breaks before investing.