Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Dean Sarah M. Whiting, Harvard Design Magazine guest editors and GSD professors Elizabeth Christoforetti MArch ’09 and Jacob Reidel, and GSD Lecturer and Faculty Building Committee Chair David Fixler joined in a discussion about designers’ evolving role and influence in modern society.
Harvard Design Magazine, no. 52, “Instruments of Service,” investigates the changing nature of design practice, examining how the things we make and how we make them are transforming to create positive change and meet the imperatives of our time, such as the global environmental crisis and the rise of artificial intelligence.
The Gund Hall façade renewal project exemplifies the crucial role designers play in achieving impactful outcomes. This ambitious project, driven by focused, collaborative, and interdisciplinary efforts, successfully met exacting performance and aesthetic goals while honoring the original architectural vision. The process, which featured deep collaboration between the design and construction teams to produce a project that exceeded initial expectations for aesthetics and performance, yielded valuable insights that will inform future initiatives at the school, offering significant pedagogical and practical implications.
The annual GSD Virtual Town Hall presents an opportunity for the GSD community to hear from Dean Whiting and design thought leaders in discussions about critical issues affecting our built and natural environments. Each year, the theme changes and may lean toward a specific discipline but still strives to foster a broader dialogue and offer valuable insights relevant to a wide range of interests within our community.
Dean Sarah M. Whiting, Harvard Design Magazine guest editors and GSD professors Elizabeth Christoforetti MArch ’09 and Jacob Reidel, and GSD Lecturer and Faculty Building Committee Chair David Fixler joined in a discussion about designers’ evolving role and influence in modern society.
Harvard Design Magazine, no. 52, “Instruments of Service,” investigates the changing nature of design practice, examining how the things we make and how we make them are transforming to create positive change and meet the imperatives of our time, such as the global environmental crisis and the rise of artificial intelligence.
The Gund Hall façade renewal project exemplifies the crucial role designers play in achieving impactful outcomes. This ambitious project, driven by focused, collaborative, and interdisciplinary efforts, successfully met exacting performance and aesthetic goals while honoring the original architectural vision. The process, which featured deep collaboration between the design and construction teams to produce a project that exceeded initial expectations for aesthetics and performance, yielded valuable insights that will inform future initiatives at the school, offering significant pedagogical and practical implications.
The annual GSD Virtual Town Hall presents an opportunity for the GSD community to hear from Dean Whiting and design thought leaders in discussions about critical issues affecting our built and natural environments. Each year, the theme changes and may lean toward a specific discipline but still strives to foster a broader dialogue and offer valuable insights relevant to a wide range of interests within our community.
