Higher Ground Farm, Boston Design Center
Solution

Higher Ground Farm, Boston Design Center

Boston, MA

Service: Structural Design
Market: Cultural
Keywords: Green Roofs, Structural Adequacy Assessment

Client

Higher Ground Farm

Completion

2013
Higher Ground Farm, Boston Design Center
Higher Ground Farm, Boston Design Center

Photo by Recover Green Roofs, LLC

Higher Ground Farm, Boston Design Center

Photo by Recover Green Roofs, LLC

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.

Scope | Solutions

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

Project Contact(s)

Gregg Cohen

Greggrey Cohen

gustavo tumialan

Gustavo Tumialan