Over the last couple of years, terraces have become an important part of urban life, acting as a refuge, a space for enjoyment and gathering, for contemplation or as an outdoor workspace. As a result of periods of confinement around the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, these outdoor spaces where people can exercise, connect with nature, study or work, have become particularly popular with those living in large cities.
Whether delimited by walls or railings of different materials, terraces are characterised by being open spaces whose dimensions generally exceed those of balconies. Dating back to Ancient Egypt and the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea, they represent transitional spaces between the indoors and the outdoors and, regardless of the height at which they are located, they constitute an additional space in the home that can be for shared or private use.
- Related article: Green Balconies: Gardens with Altitude
In various cities around the world, proposals and interventions have been developed with the aim of providing new spaces for coexistence to help combat the housing crisis. To cite one example, MVRDV developed a catalogue for repurposing rooftops in the city of Rotterdam, applying different uses ranging from sports facilities, community workshops and event spaces to green surfaces that enhance urban biodiversity. Here is a selection of ten terraces that are part of residential buildings in Argentina and offer great views of the city and the surrounding nature:
Residential Building YPY 1731 / Arqtipo + Paola Castelnuovo
- Year: 2021
- Location: San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Building BTE 05 / Bustamante Arq
- Year: 2020
- Location: Castelar, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Households in Lincoln Avenue / bakro
- Year: 2020
- Location: Villa Devoto, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
La Inesita Building / Andrés Alonso Arquitecto
- Year: 2020
- Location: Villa Allende, Córdoba, Argentina
Azara Building 891 / Centro Cero + Pablo Pugliese
- Year: 2020
- Location: Lomas de Zamora, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Commodore Building / Planta
- Year: 2019
- Location: Nuñez, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Urban Style Building 2 / F2M Arquitectos
- Year: 2019
- Location: Villa Urquiza, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
House 40 Building / Quaranta & Coraglio Arquitectos
- Year: 2019
- Location: Córdoba, Argentina
DCA Building / ONA - Oficina Nómada de Arquitectura + P. arquitectura I Paula Sanchez Abraham I
- Year: 2019
- Location: Mendoza, Argentina
Laprida Building 2438 / Estudio Florida
- Year: 2018
- Location: Florida, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Check out more residential projects or read our articles, interviews and news related to Terraces, Indoor Patios and Landscaping.