Rooftop Landscape Design & Architecture Services

Rooftop farms and gardens seem to be everywhere these days, and it is enticing to add one to your home or business. But there’s a lot to think about when putting hundreds, even thousands, of pounds of soil, water, and plant material above your living space. Thankfully, Farmscape offers a wide variety of rooftop landscape design services for homes and businesses in California in service of safe, creative, and abundant gardens in the sky.

A rooftop landscape or farm is a carefully designed outdoor space located on a building’s roof, balcony, podium, or terrace. These spaces vary greatly, from an extensive rooftop farm at Levi’s Stadium with the San Francisco 49ers to this gorgeous planter-centric rooftop at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles. But no matter how large the project, the fundamentals remain the same. Plants need organic soil and fertilizer, drip irrigation, good drainage (and good waterproofing) and a successful rooftop landscape needs a captivating planting plan- ideally from someone who specializes in landscape design for rooftop gardens.

Green roofs are generally classified into two main types: intensive and extensive. Here’s a concise comparison:

Intensive Green Roofs (example:Jonathan Club, Adobe)

• Soil Depth: Typically have a deeper soil layer, often exceeding 12”, allowing for a diverse range of plantings, including lawns, large plants, shrubs, and even small trees.
• Accessibility: Designed for human interaction, these roofs are often park-like and easily accessible, providing recreational spaces.
• Weight: Due to the deeper soil and diverse vegetation, they are heavier and necessitate robust structural support.

Extensive Green Roofs (example: Levis, Santa Monica Canyon, )

• Soil Depth: Feature a shallow soil layer, typically ranging from 0-4”4-0”, supporting low-growing vegetation such as ornamental sedums or organic herbs
• Accessibility: Generally not intended for regular human use and are accessed primarily for maintenance purposes.
• Weight: Lighter than intensive roofs, making them suitable for existing structures with limited load-bearing capacity.

In summary, the choice between intensive and extensive green roofs depends on factors such as desired usage, structural capacity, maintenance commitment, and aesthetic goals. Luckily, Farmscape can work with both main typologies thanks to our unique design-install-maintain model.

Rooftop farms and gardens provide significant benefits tailored to California’s climate and urban landscape. By converting unused rooftop spaces into productive green areas, these installations supply fresh, local produce for building occupants, reducing reliance on long-distance transportation and lowering carbon emissions. Designed with sustainability in mind, many rooftop farms incorporate drought-tolerant plants and water-efficient irrigation systems, making them well-suited for California’s dry summers. They also offer a natural cooling effect, helping to reduce energy consumption and mitigate the urban heat island effect, which is particularly beneficial in densely populated cities.

Beyond their environmental advantages, rooftop farms add economic and social value by creating usable and rentable space for businesses, community events, and educational programs. They enhance property appeal, as well as property values, while fostering biodiversity by providing essential stopover habitats for pollinators and migratory birds. By integrating agriculture into the built environment, California’s rooftop farms promote climate resilience, improve air quality, and offer a tangible way for cities to embrace sustainability while enhancing the well-being of their residents.

How do these landscapes in the sky come to life? Designing a rooftop farm or garden requires a thoughtful, step-by-step approach to ensure both beauty and functionality. A reputable rooftop landscape design firm should provide comprehensive services tailored to your property’s unique needs. Here’s how our design the process unfolds:

1. Initial Consultation

Your vision sets the foundation for the project. During this phase, we:

• Discuss your landscaping goals and how our services align with them.
• Review the details from your project questionnaire to assess feasibility.
• Conduct a virtual site evaluation to determine suitability for growing annual crops.
• Recommend either a streamlined hand-sketched design or a more comprehensive design package, based on project complexity.

2. On-Site Assessment

A thorough site visit allows us to refine the project scope and develop an informed design strategy. We:

• Meet with you on-site to better understand location parameters.
• Gather key data, including infrastructure details, soil grading, and sun exposure.
• Share initial design ideas and discuss how your rooftop space will evolve over time.

3. Design Proposal & Scope of Work

We outline the full scope of services and investment required to bring your rooftop landscape to life. This includes:

• A detailed proposal covering design elements, project goals, and estimated costs for each phase.
• A structured roadmap for transforming your rooftop space, ensuring clarity and alignment.
• A formal contract—once signed, we begin the exciting process of building your dream garden!

You may have heard the terms “landscape architect” and “landscape designer” thrown around interchangeably. While both focus on creating outdoor spaces, there are important distinctions:

• Landscape Designers: Focus on the aesthetic layout, plant selection, and overall vision of the space, but are not state-licensed and cannot stamp plans for permitting and construction. 
• Landscape Architecture: Licensed by the state, can stamp plans for construction, and are frequently required for rooftop projects that require permitting. 

In layman’s terms, if this project is for a new construction building, or involves an extensive irrigation and drainage system, you need one of Farmscape’s experts in rooftop landscape architecture to ensure a seamless and safe implementation. Or, if your project consists of lightweight planters on a terrace or balcony that has already been engineered for such use, our rooftop landscape designers are probably the right choice.

Farmscape offers comprehensive design services, including: 

• Schematic Design: We present you with conceptual design options, incorporating the agreed-upon rooftop project elements and programming.
• Design Development: Your rooftop design plan is solidified and detailed during this phase, and we provide additional details including elevation drawings, sectional views, material selection, and more. 
• Construction Documentation: The design is detailed out to a level needed to go through a permitting process and be bid for installation.

Regular maintenance is essential to keep your rooftop landscape, farm or garden thriving. Farmscape offers ongoing support, including:

• Annual and perennial plant replacement and harvesting
• Integrated pest management using organic methods 
• Irrigation system inspection and repairs 
• Aesthetic pruning and management

Ready to turn your yard into a thriving, edible paradise? Farmscape’s edible landscape design services make it easy to grow fresh, organic produce right outside your door. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and bring your edible landscaping vision to life.