The Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) is pleased to announce a generous gift from Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co. Ltd. (NSKRE) to establish the NSKRE Studio Fund, which will support an advanced option studio and related research focused on Tokyo’s Akasaka and Shinagawa areas. This initiative will examine innovative urban and architectural strategies in these fast-growing districts. Guided by leading faculty, GSD students will undertake in-depth, on-site research, working closely with NSKRE staff, government officials, community representatives, and other stakeholders to develop visionary design approaches for Japan’s evolving cities.
Aligned with the GSD’s broader vision under the leadership of Sarah M. Whiting, Dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture, the NSKRE Studio Fund will open new avenues for students to explore contemporary development, urban design, and architectural practice across international settings. “This studio fund exemplifies the GSD’s commitment to engage globally with critical questions facing cities today,” said Whiting. “We are grateful to NSKRE for enabling our students and faculty to work directly with the complexities of contemporary urban development in Tokyo.”
Grace La, Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture, will direct the fund, providing academic leadership and overseeing collaboration with faculty and students. “To counter the homogenizing forces of global expansion, we are committed to an ‘architecture of place’—developing innovative thinking that distills and elevates a city’s distinct character,” said La. “As a critical agenda for our department, I am excited that Shinagawa will serve as a real-world learning laboratory, integrating new infrastructure, architecture, mixed-use development, public space, and inclusive community planning.” Students will develop rigorous, speculative frameworks that test new models for the next generation of urban life in Japan and internationally.
“Through the establishment of the NSKRE Studio Fund, we are supporting a platform where emerging design leaders can test bold ideas in real urban contexts—ideas that honor local character while advancing long-term social, environmental, and economic resilience,” said said Mr. Masahiro Miwa, President and CEO, Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co. Ltd. “We are honored to help advance the GSD’s work in envisioning how these districts can become models for the cities of tomorrow.”
Early-phase architectural and urban research is already underway with the seminar “Contingent Grounds: Site Analysis for the 21st Century,” taught in spring 2026 by Elizabeth Bowie Christoforetti, Associate Professor in Practice of Architecture. This initial phase presents a complex, open-ended design challenge: balancing quantitative, data-driven site analysis with qualitative insight and local character. By supporting immersive research, international cooperation, and direct engagement with real-world conditions, the NSKRE Studio Fund will enable students and faculty to explore new ideas, test innovative approaches, and contribute to ongoing conversations about the future of cities and the architecture of urban life.