Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) has announced that its first Distinguished Executive in Residence for the Real Estate Academic Initiative (REAI) will be Gerald D. Hines, the internationally renowned real estate developer.
The Distinguished Executive in Residence Program will bring an outstanding senior executive from the real estate sector to provide students and faculty with the perspective of the developer upon implementing projects in the built environment.
The Distinguished Executive in Residence Program will ask its appointee to visit campus four times over the course of a year. The Distinguished Executive will be asked to lead public lectures and conduct smaller seminars, as well as participate in studios, field studies, workshops, and exhibitions. The person who holds this appointment is selected by the Faculty Director of REAI, in consultation with the Dean of the GSD.
Mr. Hines is the founder and chairman of Hines, a privately held international real estate firm with headquarters located in Houston and London. The company has developed more than 700 projects, which range from office skyscrapers to single-family homes. Many notable architects, including Philip Johnson, I.M. Pei, and Frank Gehry have designed Hines’ projects.
Mr. Hines will be the inaugural recipient of this distinguished position at Harvard. During his second visit to campus, he will be accompanied by Robert A.M. Stern, a frequent collaborator with Hines and a Partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
Richard Peiser, Michael D. Spear Professor of Real Estate Development and Faculty Director of REAI welcomes Mr. Hines: “We are delighted and honored to have Mr. Hines join the Harvard community over an extended period of time. His experience from building one of the largest real estate companies in the world will give Harvard students unique insight into both the past and the future of the real estate industry. His projects demonstrate the powerful collaborations that occur between designer and developer, and the impact they have on the quality of urban life in great cities.”
