Revolutionary new materials and methods of fabrication are having a profound impact on the continuing evolution of design thinking. The impact is felt in many areas, including design methods, the conception of form, and modes of production.

Explorations in material research at Harvard's Graduate School of Design find expression through publications, exhibitions, colloquia, and course offerings that explore the research interests of members of the faculty. Examples of materials from commercial vendors and materials resulting from faculty/student research are gathered in the Materials Collection, housed in L33 Gund Hall. The collection database can be searched to discover material examples and vendor contacts.

The Materials Collection, database, and website are the result of the collaborative efforts of the following individuals:

Liat Margolis (MLA'05; Presidential Instructional Technology Fellow)
Toshiko Mori (Chair, Department of Architecture, Robert P. Hubbard Professor in the Practice of Architecture)
Hugh Wilburn (Librarian of the Frances Loeb Library & Assistant Dean for Information Services)
Wilson Lee, Daniel Tsai, Bryan Boyer, Ciprian Stratulat (Development Consultants)
B. Kevin Lau (Head of Instructional Technology & Library Information Systems)
Stephen Ervin (Director of Computer Resources & Assistant Dean for Information Technology)
Anita Kan, Adam Kellie (Photographers)
Genevieve Baudoin, Bryan Boyer, Lucie Flather, Laura Gilmore, Zaneta Hong, Vanessa Lindley Palmer, Patricia Sakata, Beatrice Saraga, Kimberly Shafer, Anna Szybowski, Gia Wolff (Student Researchers)
GSD Faculty members who were consulted during the design process:
Toshiko Mori, Dan Schodek, Ron Witte, Marco Steinberg, Niall Kirkwood, Christian Werthmann, Peter Del Tredici, Laura Solano.

The development of the Materials Collection has been greatly aided by The Presidential Instructional Technology Fellowship (PITF) program, initiated in 2004 by the Office of the President and Provost to stimulate and support the development and integration of digital applications and materials that enrich the Harvard curriculum. Liat Margolis (MLA’05) has been the PITF for the Materials Collection during the academic year 2004/2005.