Harvard Design Press

11/14/2025

In , Daniel M. Abramson traces the origins and evolution of the idea that buildings and cities can become out-of-date in his essay, Obsolescence. He shows how this notion, rooted in early 20th-century real estate and policy, once justified demolition and urban renewal, later giving rise to preservation, reuse, and sustainability. Abramson suggests that even as design culture now celebrates repair and adaptation, the same logic still influences how we value and replace the built environment.

Read the full essay and more from Harvard Design Magazine, Issue 53 “Reuse and Repair” at the link in bio.

[3] Noriaki (Kisho) Kurokawa, Nagakin Capsule Tower Building, under construction, Tokyo, Japan, 1972. Photograph by Tomio Ohashi.

10/02/2025

Harvard Design Magazine, No. 53, “Reuse and Repair,” on press at Grafiche Veneziane !

If architects can see beyond the allure of new construction, what kinds of climate-conscious buildings, healthy cities, and collective ways of living might they create?

Stay tuned for more on “Reuse and Repair,” guest edited by Jeanne Gang and Lizabeth Cohen. Graphic Design and Art Direction by Alexis Mark .alexismark

Take an early peek at sample content from and view the full table of contents at link in bio.

Subscribe before the end of October to receive issue 53 as part of your subscription!

Video courtesy

09/25/2024

New on our website: a history of GSD's iconic Gund Hall, from its opening in 1972 to the present renovations!

Since opening in 1972, the GSD's Gund Hall by architect John Andrews has been renovated for growing student numbers and evolving pedagogy.

09/22/2024

🍁 Some photos from years past. We're looking forward to being in our fall era again. Happy equinox!

📸: Justin Knight

09/19/2024

🚨 Applications for Fall 2025 are now open for all programs!

The application is now open for entry in fall 2025. Apply here! Please note that the GRE requirement has been updated for the 2025 and 2026 applications.

09/17/2024

Brenda Tindal and GSD's Eric Höweler will step into the roles of co-chairs to help guide development of a memorial for the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative.

University looks to build on initial steps to engage community, develop enduring partnerships.

09/13/2024

The Crimson features Polinature, a temporary architectural installation by Belinda Tato and Ecosistema Urbano at GSD that addresses the effects of climate change.

A vertical garden at the Harvard Graduate School of Design opened to the public last Tuesday as an example of how immediate, low-cost solutions can mitigate extreme heat for vulnerable populations.

09/22/2023

"Our research has found that once trained, visual AI is shockingly accurate at predicting property values, crime rates, and even public health outcomes — just by analyzing photos. This will be a revolutionary tool for policy makers, giving them a data-driven understanding of every urban block, but it has a dangerous capacity to introduce biases and lead us astray. As unblinking, digital eyes come to our streets, will we be able to keep our own eyes open?" (MIT's Carlo Ratti and GSD's Antoine Picon)

Our research at MIT has found that once trained, visual AI is shockingly accurate at predicting property values, crime rates, and even public health outcomes.