Greetings from Cambridge, where today we celebrate more than 150 years of architectural education at Harvard. The Department of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, which has been shaped by the hands of legendary architects such as Walter Gropius, Josep Lluís Sert, and Rafael Moneo among many other luminaries, consistently prepares students to practice design excellence.
Architecture emerges at the vital intersection of culture and space. The Department of Architecture at Harvard GSD prioritizes nourishing the intellectual, formal, creative, social, and ethical dimensions of the designer along with cultivating technical and professional expertise. The discipline is also experiencing transformations across a number of areas, for example in design computation, ecological responsiveness, and methods of practice. The Department is committed to strategically evolving its research and pedagogy to remain at the forefront. Studios and seminars explore and advance environmental expertise, social investment, and formal artistry, promoting design methodologies that remain responsive to contextual conditions.
Our proudly comprehensive curriculum strengthens students’ understandings of the discipline while expanding the boundaries of the field. The department brings together forward-thinking students and faculty – including visiting critics and practitioners from around the world – to engage with urgent questions about the future of our built environment. Core colloquia, various presentations in person and in podcasts, and an unparalleled public lecture program (which has hosted almost all winners of the Pritzker Prize, often before they were awarded this honor) expand students’ exposure to the issues that continually drive the discipline forward.
The Department of Architecture at Harvard GSD has the most internationally diverse student body and faculty of any architectural education program in the world. We are also delighted that so many of our students come to the GSD from a broad array of disciplinary and personal backgrounds; these conditions broaden horizons and create an atmosphere of dynamic learning. The unique working environment of the “Trays” – where all three GSD design departments share a single, common, workspace that cascades across five sunlit floors – is a cauldron for the rich cross-pollination of ideas and approaches.
The Architecture department at Harvard GSD has prepared generations of dedicated graduates to lead in shaping the built environment. As new complexities emerge within the practice of architecture – from climate stress to AI, intense urbanization to rapid social change – today’s students continue our tradition by developing robust responses to timely and ever-emerging challenges.
Eager to see you in Gund Hall!
Grace E. La
Professor and Chair
Harvard GSD Department of Architecture