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
Photo courtesy of Recover Green Roofs, LLC
Photo courtesy of Recover Green Roofs, LLC
Photo courtesy of Recover Green Roofs, LLC
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Project Summary
2013
Completion Date
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Structures | Performance & Code Consulting
Markets
Culture & Entertainment
Specialized Capabilities
Risk & Resilience Assessment
Key team members
Greggrey Cohen
Structural Repair and Rehabilitation Division Head, Boston
Additional Projects
Northeast
Symphony Hall
The auditorium, a National Historic Landmark, is home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). The BSO hired SGH to investigate the condition of the building enclosure and design repairs to extend the useful life of their highly regarded concert hall.
Northeast
Harvard University, Fogg Museum, Werner Otto Hall Addition
Soon after construction, occupants observed leakage through the plaza deck into the art storage room below and other issues outside of climate controlled areas with elevated humidity levels, including wet stains on the limestone facade.