Project
Boston Medical Center's Newmarket Farm
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Award Winner
Recover Green Roofs
Project Team
Design and Build: Recover Green Roofs
Client: Boston Medical Center
Design & Maintenance: Higher Ground Farm
Operations: Boston Medical Center
Structural Engineer: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Soil Media Supplier: Omni Ecosystems
Soil Media Supplier: Naturcycle
Newmarket Farm
Newmarket Farm at Boston Medical Center is a 7,300-square-foot rooftop farm located atop 960 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston's Newmarket District. Designed and installed by Recover Green Roofs in partnership with Boston Medical Center and Higher Ground Farm, the project expands access to fresh food while demonstrating how rooftop agriculture can support public health, climate resilience, and community well-being.
The primary objective was to transform an underutilized rooftop into productive green infrastructure capable of addressing multiple challenges simultaneously. The farm was designed to increase access to healthy, culturally relevant foods, support Boston Medical Center's Nourishing our Community program, reduce stormwater runoff, mitigate urban heat island impacts, and create educational opportunities for hospital staff, patients, students, and community organizations.
The project builds upon the success of Boston Medical Center's Power Plant Farm, which was recognized by the White House in 2022 as a model for healthcare-based food production. Together, the two rooftop farms create a network of urban agriculture that supports community partnerships, local food access, and preventative healthcare initiatives.
The design process brought together a diverse team of healthcare leaders, urban agriculture experts, engineers, designers, and green roof professionals. Boston Medical Center established the vision for expanding food access and community health programming. Higher Ground Farm led the rooftop farm design and installation with collaboration from Recover Green Roofs. Higher Ground Farm also provided operational expertise and long-term farm management guidance. Structural engineering was provided by Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, and the project received critical funding support through GrowBoston, an initiative established by Mayor Michelle Wu to expand urban agriculture throughout Boston.
The rooftop farm was designed to respond to the highly urbanized context of the Newmarket District. Deep raised growing beds, accessible pathways, outdoor gathering spaces, and pollinator habitat create a productive landscape that functions as both infrastructure and community resource. The design incorporates custom growing media developed specifically for rooftop agriculture, lightweight granular drainage media, and a highly efficient irrigation system with rain-sensing technology to maximize water efficiency while supporting food production.
The result is a multifunctional rooftop landscape that demonstrates how hospitals can leverage green infrastructure to address food insecurity, climate resilience, environmental education, and public health simultaneously.
