Dear Alumni and Friends,

At the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, we pride ourselves on providing an innovative learning environment that defines the vanguard of design education and research. As unprecedented demands affect our cities and infrastructure, the environment, and our society as a whole, the GSD recognizes that the power of design has never been more important. The dynamic relationship between design knowledge and societal impact is increasingly central to the School’s mission.

In September, the launch of our Grounded Visionaries campaign brought our community together for a memorable celebratory weekend in Cambridge. Many of you helped us to commemorate the GSD’s impact in the world, and to reflect on pressing design issues through the “Pedagogy and Practice” exhibition, as well as via panel discussions, presentations, and interviews. This timely fundraising campaign lays out a global framework that reinforces our aspirations for the GSD, calling on the full extent of our talents and the commitment of our entire community.

During the 2014–2015 academic year, the School expanded programs to broaden our influence, achieved strategic success in creating a more diverse student population, and inspired engagement across campus. Our Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Design, and Design Studies programs all met our deliberate growth objectives, creating a richer environment that is more multidisciplinary, collaborative, and supportive of the School’s ambitious research agenda. Furthermore, the GSD’s leadership in promoting the arts has elevated its stature within the University and allowed faculty and students greater influence in creative affairs, from academic programs to the future of the University’s Allston campus.

The GSD seeks to boost access for our students to innovative learning and offer unrivaled experiences outside of the classroom, from international design studios, to community service fellowships, to research travel. While we expanded our footprint with programs in Africa, India, and Latin America, we also renewed our pledge to investigate American cities. From reconsidering the plan for the South Side of Chicago, to developing housing strategies in Mexico and Berlin, the School is engaged in the global discourse on design like never before.

This GSD Annual Report represents the School’s many initiatives, activities, and statistics from the past year. As we look ahead, we will continue to strengthen our leadership role as design educators, researchers, and innovators. By so doing, we ensure the education of grounded visionaries who are dedicated to constructing an inspired future.

Best,

Mohsen Mostafavi Dean and Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor of Design

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Faculty

2

3

After six years of exceptional leadership, Charles Waldheim, John E. Irving Professor of Landscape Architecture, stepped down as head of the Department of Landscape Architecture, and Anita Berrizbeitia MLA ’87, Professor of Landscape Architecture, was appointed the new Chair. Berrizbeitia specializes in theory and criticism of 19th- and 20th-century public landscapes in the United States and Europe, with particular interests in material culture, design expression, and the productive functions and roles of landscape in processes of urbanization. Taking over the Director of the Master of Landscape Architecture Degree Programs role (vacated by Berrizbeitia) is Bradley Cantrell MLA ’03, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture.

In the Department of Urban Planning and Design, Diane Davis, Charles Dyer Norton Professor of Regional Planning and Urbanism, was named the department’s new Chair. Davis will build on the achievements of her visionary predecessor Rahul Mehrotra MAUD ’87, Professor of Urban Design and Planning, who helmed the position for five years. Davis’ research focuses on urban transformations in the Global South, particularly the urban social, spatial, and political conflicts that have emerged in response to globalization, informality, and political and economic violence.

After concentrating much of its recruitment efforts on hiring senior faculty to lead important strategic initiatives and direct growing research ambitions over the past few years, the GSD shifted its attention to bolstering junior faculty numbers last spring. With an emphasis on teaching in core and option studios, and in supporting design research projects, the School appointed Andres Sevtsuk and Sai Balakrishnan PhD ’13 as Assistant Professors of Urban Planning; Stephen Gray MAUD ’08 as Assistant Professor of Urban Design; Jennifer Bonner MArch ’09 and Andrew Holder as Assistant Professors of Architecture; Jeannette Kuo MArch ’04 as Assistant Professor in Practice of Architecture; and Gareth Doherty DDes ’10 as Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture.

# of Ladder Faculty

73# of Multi-Year Faculty

18

4

% of Faculty Born Outside of the United States

# of Visiting Faculty*

93Total

Faculty by Department

91Total

42 26 25 ARCH LA UPD

35%Total

*Departmental numbers may be slightly higher than total head count due to faculty members in dual departments.

Other notable appointments across the School included Christopher Herbert MPP ’88, PhD ’97 as Managing Director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies, and John Peterson LF ’06 as Curator of the Loeb Fellowship.

50% UPD

43% LA

46% ARCH

42 26 23 ARCH LA UPD

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UndergraduateEducation

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The fourth year of the undergraduate track in Architectural Studies within the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) continued to build upon the long tradition of a humanities-based architecture program at Harvard. The program is co-directed by K. Michael Hays, Eliot Noyes Professor of Architectural Theory and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and includes specialized studios and courses that are taught by numerous faculty members at the GSD.

Within the architectural studies track, two broad areas of emphasis are made available to the Harvard College students enrolled in the program:

History and Theory includes the study of architecture, cities, landscapes, designed objects, ornament, architectural photography, and material culture. The work spans a host of diverse places including Africa, the Americas, China, Europe, India, the Islamic world, and Japan—all from antiquity to the present.

Design Studies investigates the social and aesthetic dimensions of contemporary architecture, landscapes, cities, and territories, emphasizing issues of sustainable environments, new forms of urbanism, and the use of digital media for visualization and analysis.

Sample of FAS Courses Taught by GSD Faculty

Course Title GSD Faculty # of StudentsConstruction Lab (elective lecture) Mark Mulligan MArch ’90 11 and Mike Smith MArch ’13

Transformations (first year studio) Megan Panzano MArch ’10 8

Connections (second year studio) Zaneta Hong MLA ’07 10

# of Undergraduates

187

Research at the GSD is grounded in the belief that many of the key challenges and opportunities of our era require cooperation among the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as across the academy, industry, and the public sphere. Projects undertaken by the School inform policy decisions and convene critical discussions on a broad range of issues.

Research

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Research Centers

Harvard Center for Aims to transform the building industry through a commitment Green Buildings and Cities to a design-centric strategy that directly links research outcomes to the development of new processes, systems, and products.

Harvard Joint Center for Advances the understanding of housing issues and informs policy Housing Studies through research, education, and public outreach programs.

Over the past five years, with support from both philanthropic dollars and sponsored research, financial assistance for research programs at the GSD has grown more than tenfold—from less than $500,000 in 2009 to well over $10 million in 2015. Furthering the School’s interdisciplinary work, this additional influx of funding provided for well-established programs and centers, new research projects and programs, design labs (D-Labs), and studio pedagogy.

In November 2014, the Inaugural Challenge Conference sponsored by the Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities (CGBC) convened leaders from industry and academia on campus to discuss pressing questions for the fields of sustainability and design. Along the same themes, the GSD established a collaboration with Peking University in early 2015 on the subject of ecological urbanism. Soon after, an exhibition of Platform 7 at Gund Hall featured a sampling of current research activities, including: Exuma; Urban Theory Lab; HAPI: Health & Places Initiative; Energy, Environments & Design Lab; Responsive Environments & Artifacts Lab; Materials Processes & Systems Lab; and the aforementioned CGBC. The active participation of GSD students in research labs, and the measurable increase in the number of master’s programs in which students are opting to do a research thesis, substantiates the School’s commitment to design research as an essential component of its pedagogy.

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Design Labs

Energy, Environments & Investigates novel agendas for energy at a range of design scales. Design Lab

Geometry Lab Engages with core questions of architectural geometry and computational design.

Material Processes & Understands, develops, and deploys innovative technologies in Systems Group the promotion of design as an agent of change in the quest for a better future.

metaLAB A program of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society that serves as an institutional hub for Harvard’s digital art, design, and humanities' communities while actively collaborating with partners both locally and worldwide.

New Educational Connects members of the GSD community who conduct Environments research in new spaces for teaching and learning.

New Geographies Lab Focuses on urban transformations in the Muslim world, casts them in the larger regional and territorial landscapes, and proposes alternatives for their improvement by design.

Responsive Environments & An interdisciplinary look at the design of the physical Artifacts Lab environment with regard to technologically augmented experiences.

Social Agency Lab Studies the ways in which individuals, institutions, and organizations shape social outcomes in cities.

Urban Theory Lab Builds upon the notion of generalized urbanization to investigate emergent sociospatial formations under twenty-first century capitalism.

Programs & Initiatives

Aga Khan Program for Dedicated to the study of Islamic art and architecture, urbanism, Islamic Architecture landscape design and conservation, and the application of that knowledge to contemporary design projects.

Health & Places Initiative Investigates how to create healthier cities in the future, with a specific emphasis on China. By bringing together experts from the GSD and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, it creates a forum for understanding the multiple issues that face cities in light of rapid urbanization and an aging population worldwide.

Real Estate Academic Initiative An interdisciplinary program focused on University-wide research and education in real estate design, development, and finance.

Transforming Urban Transport Advances our knowledge of how, when, and where political leadership has been critical to the successful implementation of path-breaking transportation policies.

Zofnass Program for Develops and promotes methods, processes, and tools that Sustainable Infrastructure quantify sustainability for infrastructure with a goal to facilitate the adoption of sustainable solutions.

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Executive Education

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GSD Executive Education had a banner year in FY ’15, extending the School's global footprint while growing profits by high double digits. The Executive Education team delivered successful programs in all kinds of weather (historic snowstorms and heat waves) and landscapes (deserts, crowded city centers, and islands), with direct impact on shaping the future of the built environment. As a result of the Smart Building Materials program in Medellin, Colombia, for example, the city is constructing signature government buildings without air conditioning for the very first time.

Programs were delivered in Cambridge, jointly with the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and areas abroad in critical need for conservation, including Saudi Arabia, Colombia, and Exuma, an archipelago of Caribbean islands in The Bahamas. Among the dozens of program topics covered, the most in demand were smarter cities, real estate development and finance, organizational leadership, lean construction, energy modeling, sustainable tourism, and schools of the future.

Revenue increased and overall enrollment rose substantially from 2014 with a total of 968 participants in 31 programs. Participants this past year hailed from 51 countries and all regions of the United States. They represented a range of industries and practices, including real estate development, architecture, design, banking, corporate real estate acquisitions, nonprofit development, city planning, and housing finance.

Increase in Average Enrollment from FY ’14

18%

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# of International Participants

464# of Countries Represented

48%InternationalParticipants

Total # of Participants

968

5152%DomesticParticipants

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Students

14

15

Last fall, from a pool of over 2,300 talented applicants, the GSD welcomed 325 new faces to its student body. They arrived in Cambridge from all over the world to embark on a new journey, advance their studies, develop leadership skills, and build connections that will last far beyond their years at the School.

While much of their time is devoted to the classroom and studios, GSD students found ways to actively engage in the life of the School throughout the year. Events, organized by over 40 student groups, provided much respite from the rigor of the GSD curriculum, including the beloved Friday night tradition, “Beer and Dogs”; the annual Beaux Arts Ball on Halloween; the xDesign Conference, a collaborative effort with the Harvard Business School; and a host of other lectures and symposia. When the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal in April, students quickly initiated support and set up advocacy projects in Gund Hall, driving collaborative relief and awareness efforts throughout Harvard.

At the end of the school year, the GSD community came together to celebrate the accomplishments of its graduating students. Rick Lowe LF ’02, public art pioneer and 2014 MacArthur Fellow, addressed students and their families at GSD’s Class Day, where he encouraged the graduates to build on his model of collaborative design and to rethink traditional definitions and standards of “value.”

During Harvard’s 364th Commencement, the School awarded 324 degrees to its Class of 2015 in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Design, Design Studies, and Doctoral programs, while also conferring certificates to the 2014-2015 Loeb Fellows. Of the 313 program graduates, 11 earned dual degrees. In addition, nearly half of the Class of 2015 was international students, with 38 nations represented.

Average Age

27# of Matriculating Students

839# of Countries Represented in the Student Body

58

16

17

% of International Students

48%

% of Minority Students

21%

Female 51%Male 49%

% of Male and Female Students

Financial Aid

18

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With the cost of attendance at $66,158, a large percentage of students required support from the School in FY ’15 to help pay for their design education. Financial aid was distributed to 90% of all GSD students. Among those who sought assistance were international students, who comprised 48% of the student body. The GSD addressed the critical need for financial aid last year by awarding grants averaging $18,500 to its students.

It is the goal of the School to financially support its students so they may make career decisions driven by their creativity, imagination, and commitment to social impact, not by their debt burden.

Cost to Attend the GSD in FY ’15

$43,700Tuition

$22,458 Other

$66,158Total

Average Grant to GSD Students Per Year

$18,500Increase in Grant Expenses, FY ’09 to FY ’15

$5,633,917

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% of Students that Received Financial Aid

90%

Breakdown of Grand Aid

10% Outside grants

83% GSD grants

7% University grants

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Fundraising

The GSD raises funds for many of the School’s programs and initiatives, including student financial aid, design technology innovations, faculty research, studios, and facilities. The contributions received from alumni and friends of the GSD ensure that the next generation of design leaders will be fully prepared to shape our world’s increasingly complex built environment.

The School continues to strive for growth in the GSD Fund, which provides resources towards student financial assistance, ensuring every dollar raised is put to immediate use for their design education. Combined contributions to all annual giving funds set a new record for the School, raising a total of $713,000. This support was nearly doubled with a $500,000 presidential match for financial aid from Harvard University. In addition, the School launched the Industry Council, a new initiative to engage

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# of Alumni + Friends Donors to Annual Giving Funds

1,211# of New Members that Joined the Josep Lluís Sert Council with Donations over $1,000

87# of Donors who Renewed their Gift in FY ’15

602# of Graduating Students that Donated to the Give $20.15 Campaign

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design and construction firms in providing support for GSD priorities, including conferences, research, publications, exhibitions, public programs, and professional development.

With a goal of raising $110 million in support, the GSD officially launched its most ambitious fundraising campaign ever last fall. Grounded Visionaries: The Harvard Campaign for the Graduate School of Design intends to: build the GSD’s future through leading-edge faculty and facilities for the next century; broaden the reach of design knowledge through transformative pedagogy, research, and discourse; and boost access to innovative learning at the GSD while offering unrivaled experiences outside of the classroom.

The campaign launch featured an inspiring weekend of conversations and events celebrating design. The activities began with speeches that framed the School’s priorities, delivered by Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust, Dean Mohsen Mostafavi, Campaign Co-Chairs John K.F. Irving AB ’83, MBA ’89 and Phil Harrison AB ’86, MArch ’93, Alumni Council Chair Michael B. Lehrer MArch ’78, as well as other featured guests. The following day brought a number of provocative discussions and presentations from thought leaders, culminating with Fumihiko Maki MArch ’54 offering a touching look back at his stellar 60-year career as an architect. A fun and lively closing party ended the weekend with Gund Hall lit up to commemorate the important occasion.

To learn more about the Grounded Visionaries campaign, including opportunities for engagement and support, visit GroundedVisionaries.org.

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Alumni

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As a representative body of GSD graduates, the Alumni Council’s fundamental goal is to promote the engagement of the alumni community and the advancement of the School in the world. Last year, the Council hosted regional events in Philadelphia, New Orleans, Denver, and New York, while encouraging alumni to take an active part in student professional development activities through mentoring relationships, J-Term externships, portfolio reviews, internships, networking, and recruitment programs. In doing so, the group upheld its mission to GSD alumni and students (aka “Alumni-in-Training”), further sustaining the impact of this important community on campus and around the world.

In September 2014, GSD Classes of 1964, 1989, and 2009 reunited in Cambridge to mark their 50th, 25th, and 5th reunions. The former classmates reconnected and reminisced, while also celebrating the School’s historic Grounded Visionaries design weekend and campaign launch. In December, the School hosted its annual Alumni + Friends Weekend in Miami during Art Basel, while the city was awash with creative energy. Nearly 100 alumni, faculty, and friends explored the vibrant metropolis, engaged with the design community, discussed exciting research initiatives within the region, and toured projects by local alumni. In the spring 0f 2015, the GSD traveled to Beijing for a number of satellite events held in conjunction with the University’s Your Harvard: China. This included an unveiling ceremony for the hub of a collaborative research project, and an alumni reception where guests learned more about the School’s studios, research, and other work in the country.

GSD Alumni Population

12,250# of Recent Grads that Joined the Alumni Population

310# of Countries in Which GSD Alumni Live

91

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# of Mentoring Breakfast Participants

112 26Students Alumni Council Members

Locations of Alumni Events in FY ’15

Atlanta, GABoston, MACambridge, MADenver, COMiami, FLNew Orleans, LANew York, NYPhiladelphia, PASeattle, WABeijing, China

# of Alums that Attended Alumni Events in 2015

1,106 alums at 20 alumni events

GA

COPA

WA

FL

BEJNY MA

LA

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Public ProgramsThe GSD hosted an active event program of lectures and conferences throughout the 2014–15 academic year. Highly anticipated lectures from renowned design experts included those of architects Jeanne Gang MArch ’93, Renzo Piano, Bjarke Ingels, and Pei Zhu; landscape architect Adriaan Geuze; and real estate developer Jonathan Rose. In addition, the School hosted visionaries from other cultural practices, such as Indian author Suketu Mehta; Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck; composer Steve Reich; artist Michael Craig Martin; and geographer Ash Amin, all of whom encouraged designers to understand creativity from new perspectives.

The GSD staged a number of exhibitions throughout Gund Hall for the nearly 1,000 people who pass through daily. Developed by Dan Borelli MDesS ’12, Director of Exhibitions, and curated by faculty, students, and alumni, such installations translate the intensity and range of the School’s academic work. Among the exhibitions were “Pedagogy and Practice,” which captured the global impact of the GSD community across eight distinct categories, and “Icons of Knowledge,” which looked at architecture and symbolism in national libraries. Icons of Knowledge was later adapted for installation at Massachusetts Hall at the request of Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust, where it will be on display through July 2016.

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Fall 2014 Lectures + Presentations

Sept. 4 Bjarke Ingels Sept. 9 Innovate: Wolfgang RiederSept. 11 Making the Modern Landscape: Cornelia Hahn Oberlander BLA ’47 and Susan Herrington MLA ’91 with Sonja DümpelmannSept. 12–13 Grounded Visionaries Design Weekend + Campaign Launch with numerous faculty, students, alumni, and friends of the GSDSept. 16 Martin Rein-CanoSept. 17 Architectural Imagination After May ’68: Lukasz Stanek in conversation with Neil Brenner, Eve Blau, Michael Hays, Tom Conley, and Stuart EldenSept. 18–20 Identity, Sovereignty, and Global Politics in the Building of BaghdadSept. 29 John T. Dunlop Lecture: Jonathan F. P. Rose Oct. 2 Annabelle Selldorf Oct. 7 Kenzo Tange Lecture: Peter CookOct. 9 The Urban Design Group with Jacquelin Robertson, Richard Weinstein, Jonathan Barnett, and Donald ElliottOct. 10 Radical Cities author Justin McGuirk in conversation with Felipe Correa MAUD ’03Oct. 14 Adaptive Technologies: Computation’s Deep Ancestry; with Greg Lynn and othersOct. 16 Cristina Diaz Moreno and Efrén García Grinda Oct. 17 On Art and Cities, Walid Raad and Theaster GatesOct. 21 Innovate: Nerea CalvilloOct. 21–23 Suketu Mehta Oct. 28 Olmsted Lecture: Joseph DisponzioOct. 30 Symposium on Architecture: Design Techniques with Sharon Johnston MArch ’95, Jeannette Kuo MArch ’04, Mark Lee MArch ’95, Philippe Rahm, and Camilo Restrepo OchoaNov. 4 Talking Practice with Elena Manferdini, Aaron Sprecher, Ashley Schafer, and David BenjaminNov. 6 Renzo Piano with Kenneth FramptonNov. 12 Doina Petrescu and Constantin PetcouNov. 12 Christophe Girot Nov. 13 Assistance Mortelle (2013) with filmmaker Raoul Peck Nov. 14 Tobias Armborst MAUD ’02, Daniel D’Oca MUP ’02, and Georgeen Theodore MAUD ’02Nov. 17 David Lowenthal SB ’44Nov. 18 2013–2014 Kiley Fellow Zaneta Hong MLA ’07 in conversation with Charles WaldheimNov. 18 Nicholas Fox Weber and Toshiko MoriNov. 20 Design as Survival, Resistance, and Transformative Action with Lucy Orta, Rikke Luther, and Joep Van Lieshout

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Grounded Visionaries: Pedagogy + Practice Curated by Eric HöwelerAug. 25–Dec. 18, 2014

Writing Practice Curated by Peter SealyAug. 28–Oct. 22, 2014

Ocean StateCurated by Rosetta S. ElkinOct. 27–Dec. 18, 2014

More than Mere Practicality: Modernizing Harvard at MidcenturyCurated by Elizabeth Bacon Eager and Bryan E. NorwoodNov. 3, 2014–Jan. 20, 2015

DualismsCurated by Iñaki Ábalos and Renata Sentkiewicz Jan. 19–Mar. 8, 2015

Main Gallery Exhibitions

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Spring 2015 Lectures + Presentations

Jan. 29 Aga Khan Program Lecture: Diane Singerman Feb. 3 Writing Architecture: Christopher Hawthorne, Florencia Rodriguez LF ’14, Michael Sorkin, and Oliver Wainwright on criticism, moderated by Michael HaysFeb. 5 Exhibition Opening: On Dualisms, Iñaki Ábalos and Renata Sentkiewicz in conversation with Enrique Walker Feb. 6 Film Screening and Exhibition Opening: Cold Storage (2015) with Jeffrey Schnapp Feb. 12 Francesca Hughes in conversation with Erika Naginski RF ’04Feb. 12 Jeanne Gang MArch ’93 Feb. 17 Mario SchjetnanFeb. 19 Symposium on Architecture: Design Techniques II with Momoyo Kajima, Tom Emerson, Kersten Geers, Florian Idenburg, Silvia Benedito, and Antoine Picon, moderated by Enrique WalkerFeb. 23 Innovate: David Assael and David Basulto, founders of ArchDailyMar. 3 Innovate: Hanif Kara and Daniel Lopez-Perez on Buckminster FullerMar. 3 Paul Andreu in conversation with Alastair GordonMar. 5 Lola Sheppard MArch ’01 and Mason White MArch ’01Mar. 10 South America Project: Jose Luis Uribe Ortiz in conversation with Felipe Correa MAUD ’03Mar. 11 Pei ZhuMar. 23 South America Project: Jean Pierre Crousse in conversation with Felipe Correa MAUD ’03Mar. 24 Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe VassalMar. 25 Steve Reich in conversation with Mohsen MostafaviMar. 26 Innovate: Maria Langarita and Victor NavarroMar. 26 Ash AminMar. 31 Senior Loeb Scholar Lecture: Michael Craig-MartinApr. 2–3 Cambridge Talks IX: Inscriptions of Power; Spaces, Institutions, and Crisis Apr. 7 Miloon KoothariApr. 7 Keller EasterlingApr. 9 Barry Bergdoll with Michael Hays and Mohsen Mostafavi on Walter GropiusApr. 10 Open House Lecture: Florian IdenburgApr. 14 Carla JuaçabaApr. 16 Wheelwright Prize Lecture: Gia Wolff MArch ’08Apr. 20 Daniel Urban Kiley Lecture: Adriaan GeuzeApr. 21 Ulrich Müller Apr. 22 Eva Castro and Jose Alfredo RamirezApr. 23 Iñaki EcheverriaApr. 23–24 The Design Competition Conference

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Library

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The Frances Loeb Library supports and enhances the educational programs, curriculum development, and research programs of the GSD. Its general collection holds more than 295,000 volumes, including one-of-a-kind printed and visual materials, with special strengths in twentieth and twenty-first century architecture, city and regional planning, urban design, and landscape design. In FY ’15, the library underwent the first phase of a renovation that includes bringing together the Library and the Computer Resources Group, tying information and technology together to better support work done at the School.

# of Questions Answered at Service Desk

475# of Support Consultations for Course Websites

582# of Research Class Sessions

1,946Gate Count

117,689 2.7% increase from FY ’14

# of Volumes

295,794# of Volumes Added FY ’15

2,306

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Studios

Studio Travel in the Fall Semester 2014

11 12 7Studios Students/Studio (approx.) Total Countries

Studio Travel in the Spring Semester 2015

14 12 8Studios Students/Studio (approx.) Total Countries

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The studio method of teaching is at the center of design and planning education at the GSD. Through studio work, aspiring architects, landscape architects, and urban planners and designers address a wide range of issues, topics, and contexts under the tutelage of their critics, while developing their creative potential and sharpening their analytical and critical skills.

Since 2011, dozens of GSD students have entered a popular lottery for the chance to tackle complex design problems for real-world clients as part of the School’s studio abroad program. In this unique approach to learning, students work intensely alongside GSD design critics at their firms and often have the opportunity to travel to sites such as Paris, Tokyo, Rotterdam, and Los Angeles to enhance their studies.

For the studio abroad program last fall, students traveled to Basel, Switzerland where they studied with Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, Arthur Rotch Design Critics in Architecture at the GSD. For the spring 2015 semester, ten lucky GSD students packed their bags for Berlin, Germany where they joined Frank Barkow MArch ’90 and Arno Brandlhuber for Poor But Sexy: Berlin, The New Communal, an intriguingly titled studio focused on housing.

# of Students Enrolled in Core and Option Studios

555Fall 2014

487Spring 2015

# of Option Studios Offered in FY ’15

38Total

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Loeb FellowsIn 2014, James G. Stockard, Jr. MCP ’68, LF ’78, an expert in affordable housing and community development, retired from his role as Curator of the Loeb Fellowship, a position he held for 16 years. Until a permanent successor could be found, Mark Mulligan MArch ’90, Associate Professor in Practice of Architecture and previous Program Director for the Master in Architecture Degree, acted as the Interim Curator. The search concluded in April 2015, when the GSD announced John Peterson LF ’06 as the new Curator. An architect, educator, and activist, Peterson is Founder of the nonprofit organization Public Architecture, which brings design services to underserved communities.

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2014–2015 Class of Loeb Fellows

Gisli Marteinn Baldursson Icelandic National Broadcasting Service talk show host

Jamie Blosser Associate and Director of Santa Fe Office, Atkin Olshin Schade Architects

Scott Campbell Executive Director of the Palmer Land Trust in Colorado

Shahira Fahmy Principal of Shahira Fahmy Architects in Cairo, Egypt

LaShawn Hoffman CEO of Pittsburgh Community Improvement Association in Atlanta and board chair for the Atlanta Housing Association of Neighborhood-based Developers

Andrew Howard Principal and Co-founder of Team Better Block in Dallas

Maria Jaakkola Head of the Environmental Office in the City Planning Department of Helsinki, Finland

Marc Norman Director of UPSTATE, a Center for Design Research and Real Estate at Syracuse University School of Architecture

Thaddeus Pawlowski Urban designer for the New York City Department of City Planning

Kolu Zigbi Program Director for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation in New York

The 2014–2015 Loeb Fellows spent their transformative year-in-residence at Harvard influencing thinking and scholarship on the built and natural environment in numerous ways. Some highlights included: research and planning for a local food system in southwest Georgia; the advising of interdisciplinary student teams in the Boston Living with Water competition; work with the GSD’s African American Student Union on inFORMing Justice: A Conversation About the Role of Design in Building Equitable Communities; various lectures and reviews in design studies, real estate, and urban design studios; and the development of an integrated site management framework and river conservation plan with a studio in India.

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Financial

40

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Income from gifts and sponsored research outpaced new spending in FY ’15, fueling an operating surplus. This is consistent with recent years, a byproduct of successful fundraising during the capital campaign. Correspondingly, spending is expected to accelerate in FY ’16 as donor-funded activities and research grants ramp up.

While donor funding drives new initiatives, the GSD continues balancing competing demands for existing activities and infrastructure. In FY ’15, informed by a Harvard-wide initiative to evaluate facilities conditions, an independent assessment of Gund Hall established several maintenance priorities that the School began to address. Primarily debt-funded, the increased financial commitment to building maintenance is being carefully planned and executed as incremental debt service is added to the cost of operations. The first major project, the replacement of Gund Hall’s main roof will be completed this fall.

Fundraising results remain strong when compared to pre-campaign benchmarks but, not surprisingly, the impact of larger gifts is producing fluctuation across fiscal years. This was true in FY ’15 where, despite robust gift revenue and an overall operating surplus, the School saw a modest decline year over year in revenue. Current-use gifts peaked at $14.4M in FY ’14, then settled back to $10.6M in FY ’15. Lower gift revenue was partially offset by growth in sponsored support, which rose from $2.8M to $3.2M as the School continues emphasizing and enhancing its research capacity. Net tuition was up $0.8M, on stable enrollment and a 4% tuition increase. The endowment also delivered an extra $0.8M, a 4.6% increase, on strong investment returns and with the addition of new, campaign-related endowment balances beginning to yield income.

Financial Overview

Revenue

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The School continues managing its unrestricted, or flexible, funding to a near “break-even” result. Unrestricted spending remained largely flat versus FY ’14, with the highest growth coming from fundraising activities associated with the Grounded Visionaries campaign launch. Donor-funded projects and research account for most of the expense growth in FY ’15. Spending on research grants has increased by $0.7M, while the Center for Green Buildings and Cities has started to ramp up operations, growing expenditures by $1.6M over the prior year. Both research and gift spending are anticipated to increase further in FY ’16, as donor funds from recent years enable the GSD to pursue additional activities.

Many exciting initiatives are underway or set to launch thanks to the generous support of our donor community. While new activities energize the School and its supporters, they are also revealing infrastructure challenges. As the campaign progresses, we are optimistic that new funding for core needs such as student aid, faculty resources, and space will complement and promote our new endeavors, extending the GSD’s reach and impact.

Mark Goble Chief Financial Officer

Expenses

Outlook

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Harvard Graduate School of Design Statement of Activity Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2015

FY ’15 Unrestricted Restricted TotalRevenue: (in millions)Graduation Tuition and Fees 32.3 0.0 32.3Less: Financial Aid (8.8) (4.4) (13.2)Net Tuition 23.5 (4.4) 19.1Continuing and Executive Ed. Tuition and Fees 2.3 0.0 2.3Federal Sponsored Programs 0.0 0.3 0.3Non-Federal Sponsored Programs 0.0 2.9 2.9Total Sponsored Support 0.0 3.2 3.2Current-Use Gifts 0.0 10.6 10.6Endowment Distribution 7.8 10.5 18.3Other Income 3.4 2.6 6.0Total Revenue 37.0 22.3 59.4

Expense:Salaries and Wages 14.8 8.8 23.7Employee Benefits 4.9 2.1 7.0Scholarships, Prizes, Awards 0.3 1.4 1.6Supplies and Equipment 1.5 0.5 2.0Space and Occupancy 3.6 0.6 4.1Services Purchased 5.8 1.4 7.2Travel 1.8 1.6 3.4University Assessment 1.6 0.0 1.6Other 0.7 1.8 2.5Total Expense 34.9 18.1 53.1

Operating Result: 2.1 4.2 6.3Less: Depreciation 1.5 - 1.5

Adjusted “GAAP” Operating Result (0.6) 4.2 4.8

FY ’14 Unrestricted Restricted Total

31.2 0.0 31.2 (8.8) (4.1) (12.9) 21.0 (4.1) 18.3 2.2 0.0 2.2 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 2.4 2.4 0.0 2.8 2.8 0.0 14.4 14.4 7.6 9.9 17.5 3.2 2.6 5.8 35.4 25.5 60.9 15.6 6.5 22.1 5.1 1.6 6.8 0.2 1.3 1.6 1.2 0.7 1.9 3.6 0.3 3.9 4.9 1.1 6.0 1.7 1.5 3.1 1.5 0.0 1.5 0.7 1.5 2.2 31.7 14.5 49.0 0.9 11.1 11.9 1.4 0.0 1.4 (0.5) 11.1 10.5

44

Harvard Graduate School of Design Statement of Activity Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2015

FY ’15 Unrestricted Restricted TotalRevenue: (in millions)Graduation Tuition and Fees 32.3 0.0 32.3Less: Financial Aid (8.8) (4.4) (13.2)Net Tuition 23.5 (4.4) 19.1Continuing and Executive Ed. Tuition and Fees 2.3 0.0 2.3Federal Sponsored Programs 0.0 0.3 0.3Non-Federal Sponsored Programs 0.0 2.9 2.9Total Sponsored Support 0.0 3.2 3.2Current-Use Gifts 0.0 10.6 10.6Endowment Distribution 7.8 10.5 18.3Other Income 3.4 2.6 6.0Total Revenue 37.0 22.3 59.4

Expense:Salaries and Wages 14.8 8.8 23.7Employee Benefits 4.9 2.1 7.0Scholarships, Prizes, Awards 0.3 1.4 1.6Supplies and Equipment 1.5 0.5 2.0Space and Occupancy 3.6 0.6 4.1Services Purchased 5.8 1.4 7.2Travel 1.8 1.6 3.4University Assessment 1.6 0.0 1.6Other 0.7 1.8 2.5Total Expense 34.9 18.1 53.1

Operating Result: 2.1 4.2 6.3Less: Depreciation 1.5 - 1.5

Adjusted “GAAP” Operating Result (0.6) 4.2 4.8

FY ’14 Unrestricted Restricted Total

31.2 0.0 31.2 (8.8) (4.1) (12.9) 21.0 (4.1) 18.3 2.2 0.0 2.2 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 2.4 2.4 0.0 2.8 2.8 0.0 14.4 14.4 7.6 9.9 17.5 3.2 2.6 5.8 35.4 25.5 60.9 15.6 6.5 22.1 5.1 1.6 6.8 0.2 1.3 1.6 1.2 0.7 1.9 3.6 0.3 3.9 4.9 1.1 6.0 1.7 1.5 3.1 1.5 0.0 1.5 0.7 1.5 2.2 31.7 14.5 49.0 0.9 11.1 11.9 1.4 0.0 1.4 (0.5) 11.1 10.5

45

Harvard Graduate School of Design Consolidated Balance Sheet

Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2015Assets: (in millions) FY ’15 FY ’14Deposits with the University 35.2 31.0Receivables

Student Receivables 0.5 0.4Other Receivables (0.4) (0.5)

Prepayments and Deferred Charges 0.1 0.0Notes Receivable 4.9 10.0Pledges Receivable 59.1 64.9Fixed Assets (net of accumulated depreciation) 27.2 24.0Long-term Investments (primarily endowment) 452.9 443.6Total Assets 579.5 573.4

Liabilities:Accrued Expenses 0.8 0.9Deferred Revenue and Other Liabilities 2.7 2.4Internal Debt Obligations 14.0 12.1Government Loan Advances 0.0 4.4Total Liabilities 17.5 19.7

Composition of Net Assets:Unrestricted Reserves 5.0 4.1Restricted Reserves 23.2 19.4Undistributed Income & Other 2.5 3.6Pledge Balances 32.9 35.5Student Loan Funds 1.0 0.9Investment in Fixed Assets 18.2 17.2Endowment & Other Invested Funds 452.9 443.6Endowment Pledges 26.3 29.3Total Assets Net of Liabilities 562.0 553.7

46

GSD Grant Aid Expenses, FY ’07 – FY ’15

Endowment Distribution and Distribution as % of Operating Expenses (excl. Fin Aid)E

ndow

men

t Dis

trib

utio

n ($

M)

Endowment Distribution for Operations Distribution as % of Operating Expenses (excl. Fin Aid)

Dis

trib

utio

n as

Per

cent

of O

pera

ting

Exp

ense

FY ’06 FY ’07 FY ’08 FY ’09 FY ’10 FY ’11 FY ’12 FY ’13 FY ’14 FY ’15

60%

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

20.0

50%

10.0

40%

8.0

30%

6.020%

4.010%

0.2

0%0.0

GSD

Gra

nt A

id E

xpen

ses

($ M

)

12.1 13.4 15.2 18.3 16.7 14.6 15.7 17.1 17.5 18.3

42.9% 42.8%44.2%

51.9%

49.0%

39.4%36.3%

39.0% 35.7%34.4%

12.0

14.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0

FY ’07 FY ’08 FY ’09 FY ’10 FY ’11 FY ’12 FY ’13 FY ’14 FY ’15

US Need-Based Masters Grant

Masters Merit Grant/ Pres. Scholars

Int’l. Masters Need-Based Grant

DDES Grant/TFs

PhD Grant/TFs

47

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