Living spaces in the sky

Decker52 · Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 1

Relax in your own terrace garden, watch the setting sun or dine under the stars, far above the din and bustle of the streets. The high life offered by a penthouse apartment is appealing to an increasing number of well- heeled residents in the city.

A penthouse is perhaps the most iconic urban living space. It implies wealth and status, with an emphasis on space, views and an enviable lifestyle. For those who can afford the cost, a penthouse offers the best of both worlds - the privacy of a luxury villa with the amenities of an apartment. Generally, a penthouse occupies the entire top floor of an apartment complex with the living area set back from the perimeter of the building. The front portion is left open to the sky, to create a terrace garden.

The concept of a terrace garden for apartment dwellers is nothing new. A handful of builders had experimented with the idea, but in a normal apartment, it meant compromising on the living space. Very often, the children's room, additional bedroom or living room had to be cut down to provide space for the garden, resulting in cramped interiors.

The emergence of a moneyed clientele willing to splurge on upmarket trends is fuelling the demand for penthouse accommodation. At least a dozen new apartment projects in the city will have penthouses as a premium feature. Life in a penthouse is indeed a dream - it signifies a certain type of lifestyle implying luxury and glamour. The market is driven by the craving for exclusivity and a signature living space. But at the more practical level, it is the idea of a home with a panoramic vista of the cityscape that appeals to the client.

Costing at least 50 per cent more than a normal apartment, penthouses come with elegantly- appointed interiors. The living room usually opens out onto a landscaped terrace with a small lawn and a variety of flowering plants. Large doors or French windows ensure that the greenery remains in view even from inside the apartment. The garden is kept open to the sky because plants and grass need daylong sunlight.

Because a penthouse occupies the top floor of a building, the apartment tends to absorb a lot of heat during the day, which is the disadvantage with Kochi apartment also. To prevent this, the roof is provided with proper heat insulation. The most preferred method is to use terracotta tiles on the concrete surface. For now, the penthouse is a purely elitist space, with no mass-market solutions that might open up the roofs cape to everyone.