Roof Deck called Wood Flow by Jeremy Jih of J ROC Design
Wood Flow is the name of a beautiful and multi-functional roof deck located on top of a building in Boston’s south end. Designed by Jeremy Jih through J ROC Design, the client’s brief was for an outdoor space that could accommodate such diverse activities as yoga and large parties.
One thing yoga and large parties have in common is the love of large open spaces. To design a spacious roof deck, Jeremy Jih decided to create a space where less is more. That meant minimum furniture, organically created zones and the inclusion of green spaces.
The roof deck itself undulates in verticality to create sitting, lounging and standing areas. Each is sculpted up from the floor reducing visual clutter while still achieving both intimacy and openness.
The roof deck is located in a historic district which meant an innovative roof deck solution was unlikely to be approved. Jeremy Jih resolved this dilemma by designing the fluid roof deck with no screws or nails, meaning the finished design is a large piece of furniture that sits on top of a more standard roof deck. Clever.
Each piece of the roof deck slots together similar to traditional Japanese wood construction. Damaged pieces can easily be removed and replaced without any tools. This construction method also solved the client’s request for easy repairs.
Sapele wood was chosen due to its resistance to rot, its sustainability, workability and appearance. The Japanese wood joinery geometrics were adapted for CNC milling and the integrated grooves and tracks are also CNC milled into each individual piece.
The wood slots in the roof deck allow the pieces to connect to modular metal frames as well as integrated LED lighting.
A pergola was constructed with marine grade Sapele plywood slats and native grasses, mosses and perennial flowers were planted as a low maintenance garden.
The project is a seamless combination of traditional craft and digital tools, providing a beautiful, intimate garden space in the heart of Boston.
At only 600sqft the original roof deck was cluttered with a variety of furniture pieces and with the new modular system the same square footage is minimalist while still adapting to all of the client’s needs.
The natural and organic layout of the green space was carefully planned to lead and frame each of the various zones.
The multi dimensional wood deck is derived from a simple rectangle that has been “lifted” in various locations to create the various needs of standing, walking, sitting or lounging.
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