Problem
A vast part of the earth’s surface, in a town, consists of roofs. Couple this with the fact that the total area of a town which can be exposed to the sun is finite, and you will realize that it is natural, and indeed essential, to make roofs which take advantage of the sun and air.
Solution
Make parts of almost every roof system usable as roof gardens. Make those parts flat, perhaps terraced for planting, with places to sit and sleep, private places. Place the roof gardens at various stories, and always make it possible to walk directly out onto the roof garden from some lived-in part of the building.
Related Patterns
… in between the sloping roofs created by Sheltering Roof (117), the roofs are flat where people can walk out on them. This pattern describes the best position for these roof gardens and specifies their character. If they are correctly placed, they will most often form the ends of Wings of Light (107) at different stories and will, therefore, automatically help to complete the overall Cascade of Roofs (116).
Remember to try and put the roof gardens at the open ends of Wings of Light (107) so as not to take the daylight away from lower stories. Some roof gardens may be like balconies or galleries or terraces - Private Terrace on the Street (140), Gallery Surround (166), Six-Foot Balcony (167). In any case, place the roof garden so that it is sheltered from the wind - Sunny Place (161), and give part of the roof some extra kind of shelter - perhaps a canvas awning - so that people can stay on the roof but keep out of the hot sun - Canvas Roofs (244). Treat each individual garden much the way as any other garden, with flowers, vegetables, outdoor rooms, canvas awnings, climbing plants - Outdoor Room (163), Vegetable Garden (177), Raised Flowers (245), Climbing Plants (246) …
Reference for full-text of Pattern: p. 575medium-confidence