Boston, MA
31 Heath Street
Scope/Solutions
The Possible Zone (TPZ) is a Boston-based nonprofit helping local high school students grow their entrepreneurship, design, and creative skills. Looking to establish a new headquarters, TPZ purchased 31 Heath Street and undertook a project to renovate the interior of the 1890s unreinforced brick masonry building and 1990s steel-framed addition. SGH provided structural engineering services for the rehabilitation.
As the structural engineer of record for the project, SGH designed structural modifications, including:
- A new steel-framed monumental stair between the basement and Level 2 of the 1890s building, including floor openings in Level 1’s concrete and heavy timber floor framing and in Level 2’s brick jack-arch floor assembly to accommodate the new stair
- A reconfigured landing and run for an existing stair
- Strengthening of a third stair to support additional load and accommodate a new door at Level 1
- Wall anchors to connect the existing unreinforced brick masonry walls to the floors and roof to provide out-of-plane support in accordance with the Massachusetts Building Code
- Cantilever framing in the existing atrium to support new meeting rooms in the 1990s building
- Galvanized steel dunnage framing to support new mechanical units on the existing 1990s roof, a screen wall to shield the equipment from the street, and strengthening of existing steel roof framing to support the additional loads
- Upgrades to the front entry, including new concrete stairs, site walls, and foundations for the new vestibule
- A concrete loading dock and foundations for deliveries at the back of the building
1 of 4
Project Summary
2022
Completion Date
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Structures
Markets
Commercial
Client(s)
Utile
Specialized Capabilities
Repair & Strengthening
Key team members
Additional Projects
Northeast
Crye Precision
SGH assisted Crye Precision by designing structural modifications to support the build-out of their new 80,000 sq ft facility.
Northeast
50 & 60 Binney Street
Anchoring the eastern corner of the Alexandria Center at Kendall Square, 50 & 60 Binney Street offer 500,000 sq ft of rentable area for science and technology tenants and ground-level retail and restaurant space. SGH consulted on the building enclosure for the project.