70 Rainey Sky Garden | Austin, USA | Design Workshop

By carefully choosing its plants, Austin's Sky Garden creates a deliberate connection to the surrounding landscape and establishes a precedent for growing up rather than out. The Sky Garden creates protective microclimates 100 feet in the Texas sky by re-creating the Texas Hill Country landscape and utilizing nature as a healer.

The Sky Garden's landscapes are reduced in size and elevated, heavily emphasizing plants. Although the limestone and granite of the Hill Country are well-known, there is much to be written about its valuable plants. Practicality was a vital element of the design strategy. Echinacea, Salvias, and Asclepias feed pollinator insects. Extremely resilient yuccas and Huisache trees provide visitors with shade. The Sky Garden reacts to its immediate environment as well. The design team selected a plant palette that combines the architecture of the building and nature.

The Sky Garden was shielded from Texas's elements by numerous precautions. Data from wind tunnel tests identified areas where turbulence would result in unlivable conditions. Intentional planting interventions were used to reduce wind and foster comfort. Crossvines cling to the railings and offer protection all year long. These vines are a component of the screen plant arrangement that conceals the east and south faces from the street. The success of the microclimates in the Sky Garden is also attributed to native Huisache trees. These trees add another canopy that lowers temperatures on the deck while allowing sunlight to penetrate because they are situated in the southeast corner, which gets more than six hours of daylight during the summer. Thanks to these design choices, the Sky Garden can be enjoyed in a perfect setting.

Over 43% of the 9,300 square feet of rooftops visible to the sky are surrounded by gardens and a pool. The planting areas slow and absorb rainwater, reducing runoff to Lady Bird Lake and the city's storm system. Reoxygenation and increased pollination are two additional advantages for the environment that the Sky Garden can be credited with.

The social forces in the surrounding area influence programming. The most popular entertainment area in the city is Rainey Street, which is lined with trees. Locals and visitors can enjoy the great weather, music, and outdoors at bungalows converted into indoor-outdoor restaurants. While the south and west sides of the building take advantage of the expansive views with garden rooms and an infinity edge pool, the Rainey Street side of the building features shady gathering areas that foster community like the busy street below.

The Sky Garden offers a haven where locals can maintain their mental health, enjoy recreation, and connect with nature. A great place to see the sunrise is on the east side. On steamy summer days, garden rooms make the ideal retreat for reading and reflection. The aroma of perennials, shrubs, and grasses is carried into the air by breezes. The expansive Austin skyline, Lady Bird Lake, and the setting sun can all be seen from the west edge.

70 Rainey will be a crucial case study for rooftop gardens as cities like Austin expand. The Sky Garden successfully mimics local and natural landscapes, revivifies the environment, and offers a haven for people and wildlife.

70 Rainey Sky Garden Location: 70 Rainey, Austin, Texas, USA Project Credits: Landscape Architect: Design Workshop, Inc.; Collaborators: Markzeff; Cardno Haynes Whaley; Page/; Sackman Enterprises; Stantec; JAS Irrigation; Flintco Image Credits: Brandon Huttenlocher/Design Workshop; Design Workshop