Threshold and transition
Terrace
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It is an open, walkable surface on top of a house or next to it, in the open air or under a pergola.
What it solves
It adds a place to be outdoors with breeze and views. On the roof it can cool the night and host plants that protect the slab from heat.
Today
Waterproof carefully, slope it toward the drain and add shade with a pergola or plants so it can be used by day.
Common mistake
Leaving it without shade or enough drainage, so that it overheats and becomes a storage area or leaks.
Tomorrow
The terrace is the natural place for hot nights, with open sky and air. With low, warm light that does not point at the sky, the night can be enjoyed without disturbing neighbors or nocturnal wildlife.
Where it comes from
- 1House of Najd and Hejaz Arabian Peninsula, traditional
In summer people slept on the roof to take advantage of the night breeze. - 2Modern Movement France, 1926
Le Corbusier proposed the roof garden as the most valued place in the building.
Masters
- Charles Correa Kanchanjunga Apartments, Mumbai, India, 1983
He opens double-height terrace gardens at the corners of the tower that protect from the sun and the monsoon. He brings the idea of the house with verandas to a tall building.
Appears in the routes
See also
Also in Threshold and transition
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.