Harvard Graduate School of Design

The Harvard Graduate School of Design occupies Gund Hall, a building designed around five open studio levels beneath a sloping glass roof that floods the workspace with natural light. The school houses a research library with extensive holdings, computer labs, and digital design facilities supporting work in architecture, landscape, and urban planning.

Harvard began design education in 1874, but the Graduate School of Design was formally established as a separate school in 1936. This separation reflected growing recognition that design required its own dedicated academic structure and faculty.

The school's name reflects its focus on design spanning architecture, landscape, and urban planning as interconnected disciplines. Students display their work throughout shared spaces, making the creative process visible to anyone passing through the building.

The building is open to visitors, though active studio areas are primarily for enrolled students during the academic year. Walking through the public sections and atrium gives a good sense of the work and facilities without needing advance planning.

The school operates a Fabrication Lab equipped with robots, 3D printers, and laser cutters where students build architectural models and test new construction methods. This allows them to move directly from digital design to physical prototypes without leaving campus.