The Apollo rooftop deck, Washington DC

The Apollo apartments were built next to H Street in Washington DC, on the site of the early twentieth-century Apollo Theater whose spirit the project takes up. The building holds more than three hundred and fifty apartments, a Whole Foods store and an independent coffeehouse.

At the top, an extensive landscaped rooftop deck offers a multi-use pool and fountain, an outdoor movie screen with lawn seating, benches, dining tables and a panoramic view over the city.

The project's landscape architect, Payam Ostovar of Landscape Architecture Bureau, specified Kebony modified wood for the decking. He notes that one of the benefits the owners have observed is thermal comfort: on a pool deck, the timber stays noticeably cooler underfoot than the adjacent concrete pavers. Kebony was also used for the pergola and for benches across the roof.