Boston, MA
Higher Ground Farm, Boston Design Center
Scope/Solutions
Located on Boston Design Center’s roof, Higher Ground Farm is an urban garden offering a variety of local produce to the Seaport District neighborhood. SGH evaluated the existing roof structure to determine its adequacy to support the 14,000 sq ft rooftop farm.
SGH analyzed the existing roof structure and determined the structure could adequately support the proposed garden. As part of our evaluation, we considered the effects of different growing seasons and the impact of seasonal loads, such as snow.
Working closely with our client and the contractor, SGH helped develop a layout and set parameters that they could implement to safely construct and operate their farm. Highlights of our layout design include the following:
- Locating planting beds to avoid damming or blocking roof drains
- Establishing a planting arrangement to fit within the capacity of the existing roof
- Strategically placing planting beds based on their weight to maximize the usable rooftop space
1 of 4
Project Summary
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Structures | Performance & Code Consulting
Markets
Culture & Entertainment
Specialized Capabilities
Risk & Resilience Assessment
Key team members
![Greggrey Cohen](https://www.sgh.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Greggrey-Cohen-1024x970.jpg)
Greggrey Cohen
Structural Repair and Rehabilitation Division Head, Boston
![Gustavo Tumialan](https://www.sgh.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Gustavo-Tumialan-Headshot-Cropped-1024x970.jpg)
Additional Projects
Northeast
University of Maine, Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine
The Michael Klahr Center, named in honor of a Maine resident who survived the Holocaust, houses the Holocaust and Human Rights Center (HHRC) at University of Maine at Augusta (UMA). SGH designed the structure for the building.
Northeast
Edward A. LeLacheur Park
The City of Lowell wanted to build a stadium for the Division A Lowell Spinners minor league baseball team on a site formerly used as an urban landfill. SGH was the structural engineer and building enclosure consultant for the 4,670-seat baseball stadium designed by HOK Sport.