Welcome to the Department of Architecture

The Department of Architecture is rich in diversity, creativity, and scholarship. With an international faculty prominent across the breadth of the field, students are exposed to many different approaches to design. Critics and theorists from around the world supplement the faculty, and together, they introduce students to issues and trends in contemporary architectural design.

Central to the school's philosophy is the commitment to design excellence that demands not only the skillful manipulation of form, but also inspiration from a broad body of knowledge.

Instruction and research encompass design theory as well as visual studies, history, technology, and professional practice. The GSD's information infrastructure provides a foundation for design exploration and communication, offering students new ways to access design references, model buildings, and present ideas. Intelligence, creativity, sensitivity, and a thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences are essential to achieving distinguished architecture.

The educational experience at the GSD is enriched and broadened by close interaction among the departments of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning and design, as well as by many other resources at Harvard University and MIT. Architects draw upon knowledge and experience gained from the past while adapting to the changing needs of the modern world.

As new ways of thinking in the profession have emerged, the demands on design grow increasingly complex and require new interpretation. For generations, the GSD has educated committed individuals who have assumed leadership roles in shaping the built environment. Today's graduates in architecture continue this tradition by answering the challenges posed by contemporary society.

—Preston Scott Cohen, Department Chair

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