dumontjanks

The Harvard Kennedy School framework plan provides a vision for growth and renewal. The vision evolved from the school’s strategic objectives: to attract the very best leaders; to transform the educational experience so that students can drive positive change; and to generate powerful ideas that address the world’s most pressing problems. These drivers required new models of enhanced collaboration and active learning, and stressed the importance of strong connections within and without the school. Space was a significant limitation. Classrooms suffered from hyper-utilization, traditional office configurations hampered new modes of collaboration, and a lack of interaction spaces impacted the student experience. The day-to-day functionality of the campus also required reinvention, with service, drop-off, and delivery connecting to broader themes of identity and wayfinding. The plan’s success depended on combining academic, financial, and physical considerations; our work explored both faculty social networks and the development of a financial resource allocation model that examined alternative scenarios over a ten year planning horizon and informed campaign goals. Frequent and broad stakeholder participation was crucial, particularly given the complex nature of the school, and resulted in significant consensus and support.