Rooftop view of the valley

Las Vegans are movin’ on up — and out. And in a city where land is at a premium, maximizing every bit of it is key.

“The desert environment allows homeowners to experience outdoor living on the rooftop deck without the limits of a house pressed against them or a covered roof on a patio blocking the organic view of the stars,” said Dana Rogers, Las Vegas Division president for CalAtlantic Homes. And, “Las Vegas is known as an entertainment city and a rooftop deck invites the lifestyle of the city into the home.”

CalAtlantic Homes, which owns the former Ryland Homes, has fully bought into the feature: Every home in their Las Vegas neighborhoods offers a rooftop deck as an option if it isn’t standard.

“In 2014, the No. 1 trend in home design was outdoor living and we really led the charge with that,” Rogers said. “The extension of outdoor living has become a very important factor due to smaller lot sizes in Las Vegas. Rooftop decks allow homeowners to have more outdoor living space.”

Summerlin requires new homes to have at least 15 percent of the living space to be outside. Because of that, the homes all feature porches, courtyards, patios and decks — on the roof or otherwise.

“Ryland’s rooftop decks offered at Capistrano and Sarasota capitalize on the prime location of the elegantly designed Paseos village,” said Julie Cleaver, vice president of planning and design for Summerlin. “Located along the elevated foothills of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, neighborhoods in The Paseos village include amazing views to the west and to the east, views of the valley. No other community in the valley can boast such incredible east-west views, and the rooftop decks offered by CalAtlantic give homeowners in these two neighborhoods the best of both views.”

The Twilight floor plan at Cadence features a spacious rooftop deck with a the kitchen on the upper-most floor to make entertaining on the roof just that much easier.

“A rooftop deck allows buyers a potential view and an open space atmosphere that you can’t achieve from a covered patio or constricted courtyard,” Rogers said. “Due to the topography and layout of Las Vegas, a rooftop deck has the potential to offer a view of the city lights and/or the mountains from almost anywhere in the valley.”