TWIGs on Calm Roof Deck Zen Garden

In Fairfax County, Northern Virginia, sits the town of Merrifield, surrounded by highways on all sides. Merrifield has undergone an amazing amount of reconstruction and changes and has basically been reinvented. It used to be known as a “suburban wasteland,” yet is now home to new neighborhoods, great restaurants, retail and office spaces, hotels, and shops. One neighborhood, in particular, is the 31-acre Mosaic District.

We’re taking a fresh look at a project installed in this district at the Mill Creek Residential Modera Mosaic Apartments. Modera Mosaic collaborated with architects from SK & I Architectural Design Group out of Bethesda, MD, and landscape architects from Parker Rodriquez, Inc., from Alexandria, VA. Parker Rodriquez created an amazing Zen Garden in the apartment plaza on the 3rd-floor roof deck.

For the garden seating, Parker Rodriquez specified our modular TWIG benches which were installed by landscape contractors from Ruppert Landscape, out of Gainesville, Virginia. As part of the design, the TWIG benches were to be encompassed by the landscape and garden greenery (shown in the photos). The apartments are on the perimeter of the roof deck, yet the center of the deck is a public space for gathering. It is a great achievement in the design, as residents are able to walk out of their own unit (each with sliding doors) to have their own private amenity space/garden, yet on a public roof deck.

The TWIG bench originated with Street and Garden Furniture, our partner in Australia, in a design by Alexander Lotersztain. We make the TWIG bench from lightweight GFRC concrete. Since this is a rooftop application, the weight of the TWIG was the main consideration by Parker Rodriquez. However, it was a win-win situation because each bench only weighs 700 lbs., allowing for a lower environmental footprint during shipping and installation.

The 18 on-grade TWIG benches enhance this dynamic space. Within many color options for the TWIG, Parker Rodriquez chose the color “Shark” in the texture “Acid-Etch” - a nearly smooth, fine sand finish that is consistent, elegant, and attractive.

Another interesting feature of the TWIG benches is that they were used as retaining planting walls for the soil behind them, eliminating the need to pour concrete to hold the increased depth of soil for the landscaping.

This is a beautiful application and we were excited to see the fully grown, lush greenery, and the roof deck application where the tenants can enjoy their apartment community.