Sean Canty

Sean Canty is an architect and educator whose work explores the capacity of architectural form to reorganize spatial norms and forms of social life. He is the founder of Studio Sean Canty (SSC), an independent architecture practice based in Cambridge, MA. SSC introduces novel geometries and materials to enrich the spaces of everyday life—working across domestic, cultural, and civic programs. The studio’s design approach draws from drawing, model-making, and immersive visualization to choreograph spatial adjacencies that balance solitude and collectivity.

Canty is also a cofounder of Office III, a collaborative design collective with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Cambridge. The group was a finalist in the 2016 MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program and designed the Welcome Center for Governors Island in New York City. Their work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and other venues.

He is currently Associate Professor of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he teaches and coordinates Core Design Studios and offers courses in design media and techniques. His pedagogy emphasizes abstraction, representation, and typological invention, drawing connections between architectural form, spatial organization, and visual communication. Prior to joining the GSD, Canty held teaching appointments at the Cooper Union, UC Berkeley, and California College of the Arts.

Canty’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale, The Cooper Union, and A83 Gallery. His writing has appeared in Harvard Design Magazine, Log, Domus, MAS Context, and several edited volumes. He is the editor of Multi-Hyphenate, Issue 51 of Harvard Design Magazine.

His accolades include the 2023 Arts and Letters Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the 2023 Architectural League Prize, and the 2020 Richard Rogers Fellowship from Harvard. He holds a Master of Architecture from Harvard GSD and a Bachelor of Architecture from California College of the Arts.