PROJECT OVERVIEW

The city’s master plan linked new market-rate development to the creation of affordable units, and Highgarden Tower was designed to help meet that requirement. The 19-story building provides 219 permanently affordable apartments. The project team wanted those apartments to offer residents safe, spacious, and thoughtfully designed homes while giving the tower the limestone-inspired character of nearby market-rate developments.

Read more about this project in the Fall 2026 issue of Ascent.

PRECAST SOLUTION

Construction had to proceed efficiently on a site bordered by rail lines, neighboring offices, and overhead power lines, with little room for material storage. By tailoring several precast concrete systems to the building’s varied conditions, the team balanced design, budget, and construction demands in service of the people who would call Highgarden Tower home.

Owner

Georgica Green Ventures

Architect

Stephen B. Jacobs Group

Engineer

WSP Engineering

Contractor

West 20th Construction

Precast Concrete Producer

Smith-Midland Corp.

Photo Credit

Fine Line Photography

Key Project Attributes

• The city’s master plan linked new market-rate development to the creation of affordable units, and Highgarden Tower was designed to help meet that requirement. The 19-story building provides 219 permanently affordable apartments.
• The typical exterior wall assembly is just 10 inches thick, a slender profile that preserves valuable space in the apartment layouts, while the wall’s thermal performance helps make the homes comfortable and energy efficient.

Project/Precast Scope

• The building was initially conceived with a glass window-wall façade, but the team determined that the concept appeared too commercial. The architect looked for a precast concrete product that could provide a finish with the qualities of limestone, similar to the design of its market-rate buildings.
• The acid-etched enclosure combined solid architectural precast concrete panels, hybrid panels, and lightweight precast concrete wall panels.
• The precast concrete producer supplied 476 lightweight panels totaling 72,537 ft² and 121 solid architectural panels totaling 15,037 ft².
• Solid architectural precast concrete provided the deeper profiles and pronounced articulation needed around the lower levels, parapets, and other highly visible areas.