The High Line, a little-known, long-abandoned elevated railroad that spans Manhattan, has been transformed into a public park and playground. The line, which runs for 22 blocks from West 34th Street to Gansevoort Street in the city's meatpacking district, has views of the Hudson River and unique glimpses of the cityscape from its third-story vantage point.

Buro Happold was appointed to the team tasked with creating a masterplan for the development, starting with an assessment of the existing structural and building services systems.

Following this review, the approach to rehabilitation and renovation focused on systems that required repair, based on their proposed use. New systems, whether structural or building services, were considered on the basis of both cost-effectiveness and issues of sustainability.