Theories and Practices of Landscape Architecture

What do you need to know in order to understand this landscape? How do design culture and design thinking transform over time? How are cultural values embedded in the design of landscapes? This course is framed in terms of the relationship of landscape architecture to the evolving theorizations of nature and culture. In each class, we will map various critical assumptions, ideologies, and aspirations that inform how landscape is designed and interpreted. By learning to read landscapes and related projects of landscape architecture, we will study the constructedness of landscape. Conversely, we will also examine the capacities of landscape architecture to shape identity and ecology, reproduce or contest power relations and inequality, and commemorate diverse cultural meaning.

The course elaborates a working definition of theory as it relates to landscape practice. It contextualizes the discipline’s transition from a modernist paradigm in the West, to the gradual eradication of conceptual binaries and the pluralization of narratives in the late twentieth century. It considers landscape’s ‘social’ engagements to include non-human actors, and concludes with recent materialist approaches to landscape that emphasize its performance and flows in the era of global warming.

The course weaves together three kinds of investigations: one that focuses on built forms, another on the ideas and conceptual frameworks that guide the production of those forms, and a third that examines the retrospective interpretation of those forms. We will attend to diverse projects and topics, that may include border regions, urban landscapes, agricultural landscapes, colonial plantations, scientific gardens, territories of extraction, zones of environmental risk, successional forests, migrating ecosystems, national parks, native lands, domestic spheres, and postcolonial gardens. Through these sites, we will critically explore the spatial forms of exclusion, inclusion, conflict, and cooperation between and among people and their surroundings.

At the end of this class, students will understand the value and make use of theory in design, will be able to articulate the diverse intellectual, social, and political dimensions of landscapes, and to refer to a history of landscape architecture projects oriented to related issues. Students will also be able to articulate their priorities within the discipline. Assignments will include a combination of case study presentations, written responses to assigned readings and hands-on exercises designed to train students in the analysis of landscapes.

This course is open to all Harvard GSD students and also accepts cross-registered students.

Thesis project / Project Thesis

As the culminating effort for the Master of Architecture degree, a “Thesis” entails multiple expectations. It is a demonstration not only of competency and expertise, but of originality and relevance. A thesis is an opportunity to conceive and execute work that is both a specific project (delimited in scope, with a specific set of appropriate deliverables) as well as a declaration of a wider “Project” (possessing disciplinary value, and contributing to a larger discourse). This class will address both valences of the architectural  “project,” while providing space for students to develop methodological approaches for their own thesis.  Over the course of  a series of lectures and seminars, we will study the theory and practice of the architectural thesis by examining its institutional history and disciplinary development, in order to understand the conventions and possibilities of the format. In workshop sessions, as preparation for their own theses, students will work towards the articulation of their topics. This will include: identifying relevant precedents and existing literature; defining a site and program (however broad); and working through first iterations of working methods.  With these efforts, the aim of the course is for students to be equipped to undertake a thesis project in every sense.

 

Computer Vision (at SEAS)

Vision as an ill-posed inverse problem: image formation, two-dimensional signal processing; feature analysis; image segmentation; color, texture, and shading; multiple-view geometry; object and scene recognition; and applications.

Note that this course follows the FAS academic calendar. See the FAS calendar for information on the first day of classes. 

This course meets in Allston in SEC LL2.223.

Advanced Introduction to Robotics (at SEAS)

Introduction to computer-controlled robotic manipulators. Topics include coordinate frames and transformations, forward and inverse kinematic solutions to open-chain manipulators, the Jacobian, dynamics and control, and motion planning. In addition, special topics will be introduced such as computer vision, soft robotics, surgical robots, MEMS and microrobotics, and biomimetic systems. Laboratory exercises will provide experience with industrial robot programming and robot simulation and control.

Related Sections: Laboratory TBA

Prerequisite: Linear algebra (e.g., Mathematics 21a,b, Mathematics 22a,b, Mathematics 25a,b, Applied Mathematics 22a,b); introductory mechanics (e.g., Physics 15a, Physics 16, Physical Sciences 12a, Applied Physics 50a,b); programming experience (e.g., CS 50; MATLAB recommended).

GSD SCI 6274 is jointly listed with SEAS as Eng-Sci 259. Students may not take both for credit.

Note that this course follows the FAS academic calendar. See the FAS calendar for information on the first day of classes. 

This course meets in Allston in SEC 2.118.

Innovation in Science and Engineering: Conference Course (at SEAS)

This class integrates perspectives from leading innovators with collaborative practice and theory of innovation to teach and inspire you to be more innovative in your life and career. Our approach is to engage with leaders and learn their perspectives and align this with innovation sprints where you learn the best tools, processes, and methods to innovate. You can see a course overview here https://youtu.be/CqfvXf33TCE.  Find out more information on Instagram @engsci139 or https://www.instagram.com/engsci139/
 
Offered jointly with SEAS as ENG-SCI 139 and ENG-SCI 239. The course will be taught in two sessions per week, each with a different focus. One session will focus on Innovation Perspective and often contain guest lectures by innovators. The second session will focus on Innovation Practice and will contain interactive group work, case studies, and other educational formats about specific innovation ideas and tools. These may be taught on different days or both days, with first-half Perspective and second-half Practice. The course will be held in person. Some classes may be held at alternative times depending on the schedule of guest speakers.

Note that this course follows the FAS academic calendar. See the FAS calendar for information on the first day of classes. 

This course meets in Lowell Hall Lecture Hall.

Equitable Development and Housing Policy in Urban Settings (at HKS)

An introduction to policymaking in American cities, focusing on economic, demographic, institutional, and political settings. It examines inclusive and equitable economic development and job growth in the context of metropolitan regions and the emerging “new economy.”  Topics include: federal, state, and local government strategies for expanding community economic development and affordable housing opportunities, equitable transit-oriented development and resiliency. Of special concern is the continuing spatial and racial isolation of low-income populations, especially minority populations, in central-city neighborhoods and how suburbanization of employment, reduction in low-skilled jobs, and racial discrimination combine to limit housing and employment opportunities. Current federal policy such as Opportunity Zones and tax credit initiatives will be examined relative to policy goals of addressing communities that have historically been discriminated both by the public and private sectors.  During the semester, students will complete a brief policy memorandum, and participate in a term-long group project exploring policy options to address an urban problem or issue for a specific city.

This course is offered by HKS as SUP 600. It will meet in Rubenstein 304.

Note that this course follows the HKS academic calendar, which has an irregular start of term with Monday, Friday, September 6th held as a Monday. The first class meeting will be on Friday, September 6th. It will meet regularly thereafter. 

HKS Shopping Days are September 3-4. See Shopping Day schedule for more information. 

Digital Production at Scale

Digital design and fabrication technologies have become integral to contemporary design and architectural practice discourse. The translation from design to realization is mediated by a range of tools and processes whose development is informed over time by material properties, skill, technology, and culture. As a whole, these systems are the vehicle by which design teams, manufacturers, installers, and, ultimately, users engage the materiality of architecture and design. Parallel technological developments relating to the way in which things are designed (digital modeling, simulation, generative design, AI, etc.) and the way things are made (automation, computer-controlled equipment including robotics, advanced materials, etc.) have afforded new opportunities and challenges related to the realization of new forms in architecture, part customization, user-centered design, and enhanced building performance.

Within this context, this course will explore the materialization of design as both a technical and a creative endeavor. Special attention will be given to the interplay between digital information and physical artifacts, the opportunities and shortcomings of those translations, and the impact these technologies and outcomes may have on society. Beyond technology for the sake of technology, the course will explore how climate change, destabilized supply chains, and material life cycle considerations have begun to challenge our reliance on singular global material flows in favor of increasingly distributed systems. Further, the course will focus on how design-related disciplines might leverage advanced design-to-make workflows in areas where population growth coincides with significant resource limitations and the development of local capacity is critical.  

Through lectures, hands-on workshops, and making-centric assignments, students will engage with a range of methods and materials that underpin a foundation in digital fabrication. Guest lectures will highlight how digital technologies are impacting the construction and manufacturing industries across scales and contexts. Through early assignments and a term project, the course is designed to provide hands-on experience with the digital fabrication equipment available in the GSD Fabrication Lab — including CNC mills, 3D printers, and industrial robotic arms — and is suited for novices and experts across all disciplines.

The first day of classes, Tuesday, September 3rd, is held as a MONDAY schedule at the GSD. As this course meets on Tuesday, the first meeting of this course will be on Tuesday, September 10th. It will meet regularly thereafter. 

The Project and the Territory: Japan Story

What is the future of urbanization?
What role can design play in shaping that future? 
What will happen to the conflicting tensions between urban and rural?
How might technology transform our experience of the physical and social worlds?

This seminar will use the concept of the project, as idea and implementation, to consider contemporary urbanization both reflectively and prospectively. Using an analysis of the development of Japanese cities and regions, and their encounters with disruption and continuity, WWII, Olympics, bubble economy, Kobe earthquake, etc. we aim to question and reimagine the future relations between the physical and social worlds. 

The hybrid and multi-representational method of the seminar will include discussions of architecture, urban design, technology, theory and practice, infrastructure and nature, institutions and memory, as well as the ecologies of literary and visual culture. Though the focus of the seminar will be on Japan, ideas and examples will be considered in the light of parallel developments in other parts of the world. 

The course will include lectures, guest speakers from near and far, and class discussions based on readings, films, photography, and other visual materials. Access to these materials will be provided online for students to consult at their own pace. Over the course of the semester, students will be tasked with investigating an issue of their choice, culminating in a speculative project. 

The first day of classes, Tuesday, September 3rd, is held as a MONDAY schedule at the GSD. As this course meets on Monday, the first meeting of this course will be on Tuesday, September 3rd. It will meet regularly thereafter. 

Real Estate Investment and the Macroeconomic Environment [Module 2]

Through presentations and discussions, this course explores the value of key macroeconomic concepts in real estate investment decision-making. These concepts include the relationship between economic growth and real estate cycles, the impact of inflation on real estate investing, and the impact of interest rates and the cost of capital on real estate valuation. The course also explores how governmental policy can have an effect on credit markets, the yield curve and cross border capital flows, which in turn affect real estate valuation and investment decision making and risk adjusted returns. Students should have fluency with real estate financial analysis as this topic is not covered in this course.

This course provides students with the knowledge and tools to:

MRE students have prioritized enrollment in the Limited Enrollment Course Lottery. All MRE students who select this special MRE elective in the Lottery will be enrolled, with additional seats potentially available to other students.

Public Transit

In order to meet the emission reduction goals that will allow us to minimize the climate impacts of our cities, urban populations will need to shift towards low-carbon transportation modes. Public transportation, in the form of high-occupancy vehicles transporting passengers on fixed routes and schedules, is one such mode. In this course, students will learn methods for evaluating transit service at the level of the region, the route, and the station in terms of operational and financial feasibility as well as in terms of the passenger experience. Students will develop the skills to plan transit service and develop conceptual designs for transit infrastructure. Students will demonstrate their learning through hypothetical and realistic transit planning projects.