Design concept · Landscape & outdoor
The Shaded Roof Garden
A villa rooftop in Riyadh turned into a garden and outdoor majlis, shaded by a slatted canopy and screened for privacy.
The concept brief
Design narrative
A concept for a 220 m² rooftop garden and outdoor majlis on a villa in Riyadh.
In Riyadh, evenings on the roof can be among the most pleasant hours of the day, yet the villa roof is often left to plant rooms and water tanks. This concept turns 220 m² of it into a garden room for family and guests. A slatted canopy on slender bronze-finished columns shades the central majlis, while perforated screens at the parapet, patterned on traditional geometric lattice, give privacy from neighbouring houses and let the evening breeze through.
The majlis is a low, U-shaped travertine seat with deep cushions in outdoor fabric, set around a sunken fire bowl for cooler winter nights. Planting is gathered in raised travertine planters along the edges — olive, bougainvillea and native grasses — keeping the weight at the perimeter of the roof. A small outdoor kitchen, a coffee corner and warm lighting set into the canopy complete the space for gatherings after sunset.
- Nature
- Studio concept study — not a client project
- Typology
- Landscape & outdoor living
- Setting
- Saudi Arabia
Design concept · Visualisation
Concept visualisations
Studio reference visualisation — dedicated render in production 
Studio reference visualisation — dedicated render in production 
Studio reference visualisation — dedicated render in production
Materials
Material palette
- Honed travertinePaving, the majlis seat and planters
- Timber-toned slatsThe canopy
- Bronze latticePerforated privacy screens
- Sand outdoor fabricMajlis cushions
- Olive and bougainvilleaPlanting in raised planters
Key design moves
- 01A canopy over the majlisSlatted shade over the seating makes the roof a room for the evening.
- 02Lattice privacyGeometric perforated screens at the parapet give privacy and let the breeze through.
- 03Planting at the edgesRaised planters keep the weight at the perimeter and green the edges.
- 04A fire bowl for winterA sunken fire bowl carries majlis evenings into the cooler months.
Design concepts
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