Location: Denver
Company: Lifescape Colorado

This project sits 14 stories above a Denver street that overlooks the home of the Colorado Rockies, Coors Field. The client contacted Lifescape Colorado to build an outdoor living space on their half of the rooftop patio.

Michael Hupf, director of pre-construction services for Lifescape Colorado, says that after a review of the rooftop space, the contractor found potential for a larger project for both residents of the apartment’s penthouse level. The addition of a secondary client transformed a 600-square-foot project into a 2,200-square-foot patio.

“We wanted to keep that open feel with the city skyline so the clients could enjoy the views of downtown and Coors Field,” he says. “But at the same time, we wanted to give each resident their own bit of privacy.”

Hupf says the building’s elevator only reached the floor below the roof, so Lifescape coordinated with the construction contractor on the use of a crane to lift heavy materials to the project. The Lifescape crew carried lighter materials up the stairs from the penthouse level.

Lifescape also had to contend with city code issues related to environmental and safety problems, according to Hupf. Notably, he says, those included solar reflections, permeable water and weight restrictions. Hupf says Lifescape irrigated the property with drip irrigation placed underneath pavers.

“We had about 20 inches to work with underneath the pavers,” he says. “(The irrigation system) runs underneath the decking and penetrates through the tile pavers, drilled with precise holes, then up through the containers themselves. We had to penetrate the paver and the container and then apply water individually to the plants. So, it’s very focused and controlled.”

The project earned Lifescape Colorado a Gold Award from the 2022 National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Awards of Excellence program.

Lifescape Colorado constructed the patio to allow for unobstructed views of the Rocky Mountains.

Lifescape worked alongside the building’s contractor to use a crane to lift heavy materials to the rooftop.

Michael Hupf, director of preconstruction services for Lifescape Colorado, says the two clients had different views of the space, with one wanting a space to entertain and the other wanting a family space.

Lifescape used the building’s staircase to carry up lighter materials and eventually had a say in its final look.

Lifescape designed both spaces with multiple seating areas and outdoor living spaces.

To combat the ambient noise from the downtown streets, Lifescape included several fountains to provide noise cover.

Lifescape installed a 4-foot-long wall containing boxwoods to create a natural privacy screen.  

Lifescape installed several Colorado-centric plants in a wildflower garden designed to emulate the state’s high-country scenery.