Harvard Graduate School of Design facts for kids

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Harvard Graduate School of Design
Coat of arms
Type	Private graduate school of design
Established	1874 (first courses taught) 1936 (GSD established)
Parent institution	Harvard University
Dean	Sarah Whiting
Academic staff	206
Students	878 362 (architecture) 161 (urban planning and design) 182 (landscape architecture) 173 (doctoral/design studies)
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts , U.S. 42°22′33″N 71°06′50″W / 42.3758°N 71.1139°W / 42.3758; -71.1139
Campus	Urban

The Harvard Graduate School of Design (often called GSD) is a special school at Harvard University. It's a place where students learn how to design many things. Harvard is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the U.S.

At the GSD, students can study to become architects, who design buildings. They can also learn to be landscape architects, who design outdoor spaces like parks and gardens. Other studies include urban planning and urban design, which are about planning cities and towns. Students can also learn about real estate, design engineering, and other design topics.

The GSD has taught over 13,000 students who are now working all over the world. Many famous designers, planners, and architects have graduated from this school. It is known as one of the best design schools in the world.

This school has the oldest program for landscape architecture in the world, started in 1893. It also has North America's oldest program for urban planning, which began in 1900. The first architecture classes at Harvard were taught in 1874. The Harvard Graduate School of Design was officially created in 1936. It brought together the studies of landscape architecture, urban planning, and architecture into one graduate school.

History of Design at Harvard

Charles Eliot Norton helped start the first architecture classes at Harvard in 1874.

Architecture Studies Begin

The first classes in architecture at Harvard University were started by Charles Eliot Norton in 1874.

Landscape Architecture Programs

In 1893, Harvard University offered the first professional course in landscape architecture in the United States. Later, in 1900, the world's first full program for landscape architecture was created. This program was started by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and Arthur A. Shurcliff. The School of Landscape Architecture became its own school in 1913.

Urban Planning and Design Programs

Courses in urban planning began at Harvard in 1900. By 1909, these courses were part of the School of Landscape Architecture. In 1929, Harvard created North America's first graduate degree in urban planning. This program later moved to the Graduate School of Design in 1936.

In 1984, the Department of Urban Planning and Design was formed. It also included the Urban Design Program. The urban planning program officially returned to the Graduate School of Design in 1994. In 2021, the department also took on the Master in Real Estate (MRE) degree.

Forming the GSD

In 1936, the three main design areas—landscape architecture, urban planning, and architecture—officially joined together. This is how the Harvard Graduate School of Design was formed. Joseph F. Hudnut was the first dean of the school.

In 1937, Walter Gropius joined the GSD. He was a famous modern designer who helped change the school's teaching plans. He brought other modern designers, like Marcel Breuer, to the school.

In 1960, Josep Lluís Sert started the first Urban Design program in the country. The GSD's main building today, called Gund Hall, opened in 1972. It was designed by John Andrews, who was an architect from Australia and a GSD graduate.

The school also played a big part in developing geographic information systems (GIS) in the 1960s and 1970s. GIS is a technology that helps us understand and map information about places.

Leaders of the GSD (Deans)

Dean	Years in Charge	What They Did
Joseph Hudnut	1936–1953	Architect
Josep Lluís Sert	1953–1969	Architect and city planner
Maurice D. Kilbridge	1969–1980	City planner
Gerald M. McCue	1980–1992	Architect
Peter G. Rowe	1992–2004	Architect
Alan A. Altshuler	2005–2008	City planner
Mohsen Mostafavi	2008–2019	Architect
Sarah M. Whiting	2019–present	Architect

What Students Learn at GSD

Gund Hall, designed by architect John Andrews in 1972, is the main building of the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

The old Robinson Hall in Harvard Yard was where the GSD was located until 1972.

The GSD offers many different master's degrees. These include:

Master in Landscape Architecture (MLA)
Master of Architecture (MArch)
Master of Architecture in Urban Design (MAUD)
Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design (MLAUD)
Master in Urban Planning (MUP)
Master in Real Estate (MRE)
Master in Design Engineering (MDE)
Master in Design Studies (MDes)

The school also offers a Doctor of Design (DDes) degree. It also works with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to offer a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning.

Top Rankings

In 2016, the GSD's programs were ranked first overall by DesignIntelligence. This ranking looks at programs that are approved by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.

Learning for Professionals

The GSD also has programs for professionals who are already working. These "Executive Education" classes help people in architecture, urban planning, design, and real estate learn new skills. For example, the Advanced Management Development Program in Real Estate (AMDP) is a year-long course for experienced real estate professionals.

Students at the GSD

In 2012–2013, there were 878 students at the GSD. About 42% of students studied architecture, 21% studied landscape architecture, and 18% studied urban planning. The rest were in doctoral or design studies programs. Most students (about 65%) were from the United States. The average age of a student was 27 years old.

Students at the GSD have their own clubs and are also part of the Harvard Graduate Council. This is a group that represents all graduate students at Harvard.

Research and Publications

The GSD does a lot of research. For example, the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure looks at how to build things in a way that is good for the environment. The school also publishes a magazine called Harvard Design Magazine and other books about design.

Design Research Labs

The GSD has special "Design Labs" where students and teachers do research. They try to find new ways for design to help society. Some of these labs include:

Material Processes and Systems Group
Energy, Environments and Design
New Geographies Lab
Responsive Environments and Artifacts Lab
Social Agency Lab
Urban Theory Lab
Geometry Lab

GSD Campus Buildings

The GSD campus is located near Harvard Yard. The main building is called Gund Hall. It has most of the student spaces and teacher offices. Other buildings nearby are used for research labs and more offices.

Gund Hall: The Main Building

Gund Hall's huge slanted glass roof lets light into the five levels of studio space, called the Trays.

The Trays inside Gund Hall, where students work on their projects.

Gund Hall is the main building for the GSD. It has studios and offices for about 800 students and over 100 teachers and staff. There are also lecture rooms, workshops, computer labs, a cafeteria, and the Frances Loeb Library.

The main studio space, known as the "Trays," has five levels under a large, slanted glass roof. This roof lets in a lot of natural light. Gund Hall also has an outdoor yard with a basketball court. This yard is often used for events and showing student projects. The building was designed by architect John Andrews.

Frances Loeb Library

The Frances Loeb Library is the main library for the Graduate School of Design. It has over 300,000 books and journals about design. It also has special collections of rare books and old manuscripts.

Fabrication Lab

The Fabrication Lab is a place where students and teachers can build models and prototypes. It has both traditional tools and modern technology. You can find a wood shop, metal shop, 3D printers, laser cutters, and even robotic machines there.

Famous People from the GSD

As of 2013, over 13,000 people had graduated from the GSD. They work in 96 different countries. The school also has many talented teachers.

Frank Gehry studied urban planning at the GSD. He is a very famous architect.

Philip Johnson, a famous architect who studied at the GSD.

José Rafael Moneo Vallés, a well-known architect and GSD faculty member.

Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., who helped start the landscape architecture program.

Notable Alumni (Graduates)

Many people who studied at the GSD became very famous in their fields. Here are a few:

Frank Gehry, a world-famous architect who won the Pritzker Prize.
IM Pei, another Pritzker Prize winner, known for his modern buildings.
Philip Johnson, a famous architect.
Jeanne Gang, a well-known architect.
Shaun Donovan, who was a government official in the U.S.
Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., who helped create the landscape architecture program.
Jack Dangermond, who helped develop GIS technology.
John Andrews, who designed the GSD's Gund Hall.
Cornelia Oberlander, a famous landscape architect.
Lester Collins (landscape architect), who became a professor and dean at the GSD.
Thomas Dolliver Church, a very influential landscape architect.
William LeMessurier, a structural engineer who worked on Gund Hall.

Current Teachers

Some of the notable teachers currently at the GSD include:

Former Teachers

Many important designers and thinkers have taught at the GSD in the past, such as:

Walter Gropius, who founded the famous Bauhaus school in Germany.
Marcel Breuer, a modern architect and furniture designer.
Josep Lluis Sert, a former dean who helped bring modern architecture to the U.S.
Zaha Hadid, a Pritzker Prize-winning architect.
Bjarke Ingels, a visiting professor and well-known architect.