Littleton, MA
The Littleton Trials
Scope/Solutions
With the Littleton Trials, students at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design investigated New England forestry practices, mass timber construction, and wood’s heat transfer behavior. They conducted studies on three timber-framed huts built in Prouty Woods on a property owned and managed by the New England Forestry Foundation. SGH consulted on the structural design of the huts.
By monitoring the temperature and relative humidity over multiple seasons, the project team assessed how varying the wood species and construction techniques can affect thermal performance.
SGH assisted the team with the design of the timber-framed structures. Highlights of our work include the following:
- Consulted on the laminating process for the nail-laminated and dowel-laminated timber wall panels
- Evaluated the structural stability of the huts and developed connections between wall panels
- Designed anchorage from the hut structure to the wood-framed sled that transported the huts into the woods and served as the foundation structure
Photo by Decentralized Design Lab
Photo by Charlie Reinersten
Photo by Decentralized Design Lab
Photo by Decentralized Design Lab
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Project Summary
2017
Completion Date
Award
Winner
Solutions
Repair & Rehabilitation
Services
Structures | Applied Science & Research
Markets
Education
Client(s)
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Specialized Capabilities
Building Design | Materials Science
Key team members
Additional Projects
Northeast
Bowdoin College Chapel
SGH first helped the college resolve issues with the copper roofs at the chapel and then investigated the cause of leakage and vertical through-cracking in the bell towers.
Northeast
University of Connecticut, Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts
The auditorium provides flexible space to accommodate diverse programming. SGH provided structural engineering services for the proposed modifications to the above-stage and above-house rigging.