Lifescape Colorado

  For decades, big cities worldwide have implemented initiatives to increase the amount of green space within their concrete-laden streets. And the reasoning makes perfect sense: Living trees, plants, and flower and vegetable gardens add a sense of vibrancy and warmth to cold, urban environments—their healing and rejuvenating qualities can highly benefit city dwellers—while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and purifying the smoggy air found in densely populated areas. Since available ground space to cultivate these green spaces is nearly impossible to come by in bustling cities, many commercial building owners have looked up for an alternative solution. Once an underutilized piece of real estate, rooftops are now being used for community gardens, outdoor lounges, and verdant areas that tenants can escape to when they need a break from their stuffy offices or apartments—an especially important quality in the COVID era. This rooftop landscaping trend has even carried to privately owned residential properties in metro areas. Senior Landscape Architect Dan DeGrush of Lifescape Colorado—a landscape design, construction, and property care company based in Denver—says more homeowners are following in the footsteps of commercial buildings in downtown areas and converting their rooftops into green spaces to make the most of their property’s limited square footage. “We’ve seen some rooftop gardens outside the city, but by and large, they’re in the metro areas where space is at a premium,” he says. “As Denver grows at a rapid pace, there is less room for development. Yard sizes are decreasing, so creating an outdoor ...