Littleton, MA

The Littleton Trials

Scope/Solutions
Project Gallery
Project Summary

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