Apartment complexes and office buildings aren’t often surrounded by acres of green space. Sports fields, walking or biking paths, and other recreational areas do not always fit within an urban center where you can reach out the window and hold hands with your neighbor.

There are many ways rooftop amenities add value to properties. Not only do they add value to residential rental properties, they also add value to commercial and office buildings in urban areas that don’t have adjacent green space.

Providing Amenities in Tight Spaces

Especially in urban environments were space can be limited, a building that offers rooftop amenities is more desirable than one that does not. People naturally gravitate to the outdoors, and buildings that provide amenities that get them outside, even for a short time, become the preferred choice over a building that does not.

Million Dollar Views Without a Million Dollar Price Tag

Creating rooftop amenities allows you to give residents and workers in a building the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with the same outdoor amenities a suburban building may offer. While suburban properties often have more green space and a separate building for amenities, a building with rooftop amenities offers the bonus of city skyline views with little added cost to the resident or business owner renting office space.

Stand Out & Get Noticed

Imagine two apartment complexes that are the same in every way: they offer the same number and type of units, similar cost/square foot, and even the same amenities like a gym, pool, hot tub, community garden, and outdoor kitchen facilities. It may be difficult for renters to decide which one they’ll move to.

Take some of those amenities, like the outdoor kitchen and community garden, and move them to the roof. Not only have you saves some space on the ground, you’ve added an amenity the other doesn’t have: rooftop recreation. Despite the amenity being exactly the same (an outdoor kitchen or community garden), moving it to the roof immediately makes it unique and attractive.

The rooftop amenity often brings in and retains more renters than any other style of amenity.

Plan for Rooftop Amenities

You can’t merely decide your amenities will be on the roof and then make it so. There are a number of steps you must take to ensure the safety and durability of rooftop amenities. If you’re building a new development, Structr Group will help you develop plans that will carry the load of your desired amenities and those you may want to add in the future.

If you’re looking to add to an existing structure, we can help make sure your building can handle the load and take steps to make sure you have a safe and secure launch pad for your outdoor amenity dreams. Things to ensure include:

Proper Load Bearing Capacity

Adding anything to a surface adds weight. Even if your plan is just a few tables with umbrellas and chairs, you need to calculate for that added weight. The bigger your dreams, the stronger your load bearing capacity needs to be. The weight of things like soil, the plants, and other materials for a community garden, or the concrete needed for an outdoor kitchen increases load your building needs to handle.

Weather Resistance

As with anything outdoors, you want to choose building materials that will be weather resistant. The harsh sun of the Arizona desert, monsoon winds and rains, and more need to be considered in your choice of decking/flooring as well as the materials of the amenities themselves.

Shade

Shade is a valuable commodity in the Arizona desert. Rather than parking close to the front of the store, I search for a shaded area – a tree, the shade of the building itself, etc. when looking for a place to park while running my errands.

When planning for rooftop amenities, make sure there is plenty of shade. Cabanas, umbrellas, retractable awnings, pergolas, and more offer the shade people need when using a rooftop amenity.

Railings

Make sure to follow building codes when it comes to height as well as width when it comes to securing your rooftop deck with railings and fences. There are plenty of options that offer safety and security as well as a touch of style.

Types of Rooftop Amenities

Now that you know some of the benefits of rooftop amenities and what it takes to make them a reality, it’s time to decide which ones you want to include.

A Comfortable Place to Crash

No matter what other amenities you offer, having comfortable seating is a must. Plush lounge chairs, outdoor living room furnishings with sink-into-me cushions, and appropriate height tables and chairs provide a space where residents and occupants will want to spend their free time.

Heat Things Up

A fire pit is a great way to lure prospective tenants, especially for the winter months when weather is cooler and burn bans aren’t as prevalent. A rooftop fire pit with comfortable seating around it offers hours of fun socialization for residents and keeps the space in use after the sun goes down, unlike amenities on the ground level.

Make a Splash

Save space on the ground for conveniences like parking, walking paths, and other amenities that can’t necessarily reside on the roof. Moving amenities like pools, spas, and hot tubs to the roof clears that ground space and also makes a unique environment for a popular activity.

Outdoor Eats

Large built-in grills, counter tops, a small wet bar, and even amenities like a small fridge and microwave make an attractive rooftop outdoor kitchen. Paired with any of the other amenities on this list, you’ll create an outdoor space where people can spend the whole day.

Escape the Sun & Heat

When planning for rooftop amenities, especially in the Arizona desert, you want to make sure there is plenty of shade. Providing things like shade canopies, cabanas, and umbrellas shield users from the sun and offer a cool, dry place to relax, read, or listen to music while enjoying the outdoors.

Light Up the Night

The Arizona sun provides plenty of heat and light during the day, but when it goes down, darkness falls quickly. If you want to make your rooftop amenities accessible after dark, you’re going to need ample lighting. Consider energy-efficient solar lighting that will keep the fun going into the night.

Heat It Up

Visit any business in the area and you’ll see outdoor patio heaters standing tall and providing heat in the cooler months so people can continue to enjoy outdoor spaces. For businesses like restaurants, it means maintaining the profits brought by extra outdoor seating. For your property, it means residents and occupants can continue to use the other amenities they paid a premium to have access to.

Free Wi-Fi

Your ground-level clubhouse and other public spaces likely already offer free Wi-Fi, but you’ll want to make sure your rooftop amenity area does as well. While people are coming to enjoy the amenities there, they will undoubtedly bring their phone, tablet/e-reader, or possibly even a laptop to set up and work in the fresh air and cozy environment.

Having an internet connection readily available will allow them to enjoy the space for as long as they want without having to cut things short to go home to send a short email.

Charging Stations

Hand-in-hand with free Wi-Fi, providing access to charging stations for devices is a great added perk for any rooftop space. You built the rooftop space and all its amenities to capture more residents or occupants, and providing them with a place to plug in means they can stay and enjoy it even longer – and keep them coming back, knowing their needs will be met.

Resident Events

Much like a community center, a rooftop deck with amenities provides a place for people to hang out and relax, as well as a prime spot for a gathering or event. Hold community events, business mixers, and more on your rooftop deck, inviting talent like DJs or live bands.

Final Thoughts

These aren’t the only benefits of adding rooftop amenities to your property. When you work with Structr Group to create the perfect rooftop playground for your residents and occupants, we can discuss your goals, needs, and wants to help you create the paradise you dream of.

Contact us today!