October 20, 2025
Future of Collaborative Design Symposium a Success
Anna Scherling + Karolina Hac
On Friday, October 3, 2025, the Hideo Sasaki Foundation hosted the Future of Collaborative Design Symposium at Sasaki’s Boston office, with a pre-convening at the Harvard Graduate School of Design the Tuesday evening prior.
Thank you to the 250+ individuals who joined us in exploring Hideo Sasaki’s enduring legacy of radical collaboration in design across both days. We are grateful to all our speakers and panelists for their insights and to our attendees for engaging in these important conversations about the past, present, and future of collaborative practice.
Our pre-convening at the Harvard Graduate School of Design examined Hideo Sasaki’s influence on post-war American landscape architecture and his pioneering vision for an integrated, multidisciplinary design education at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Keynote speaker Gary Hilderbrand, Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard GSD, explored how Hideo’s ideas were radical for his time and how his approach to solving complex problems created permeability between the GSD and Hideo’s firm. In the discussion that followed, panelists Stephen Gray, Grayscale Collaborative; Dennis Pieprz, Sasaki; Thaïsa Way, Dumbarton Oaks; Tao Zhang, Sasaki; and moderator Mary Anne Ocampo, Sasaki; joined Gary in reflecting on the meaning of Hideo’s legacy today.
Watch the pre-convening on the Hideo Sasaki Foundation’s YouTube page.
Future of Collaborative Design Pre-convening panel at the Harvard GSD
Morning keynote speaker Maurice Cox at 110 Chauncy
At our day-long symposium, held in Sasaki’s Boston office, we saw designers, planners, municipal leaders, community organizations, and young professionals come together to explore the future of collaborative design through keynotes, panels, and workshops.
Opening keynote speaker Maurice D. Cox, Emma Bloomberg Professor in Residence of Urban Planning and Design at the Harvard GSD, examined the intersection of architecture, design, and politics in equitable city development. He was followed by Marta Guerra and Margit Liander, associate principals at Sasaki, who shared how Hideo’s firm continues to lead with radical collaboration.
Our lunch panel brought together city leaders from Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville to discuss how municipalities are leading collaborative design initiatives. Diana Fernandez Bibeau, Deputy Chief of Urban Design at the Boston Planning Department; Luisa Oliveira, Director of Public Space and Urban Forestry at the City of Somerville; and Julie Wormser, Chief Climate Officer at the City of Cambridge; shared their work alongside moderator Tiffany Chu, Chief of Staff to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
Collaborative Design as World Building lunch panel at 110 Chauncy
Future of Collaborative Design Symposium small session at 110 Chauncy
Throughout the day, lightning talks and small sessions addressed critical questions about inclusive design practices, new technologies, community-led initiatives, and empowering the next generations of design professionals.
Our Environment and Technology lightning talks examined what new expertise is required to design projects in 2025, with Ken Goulding, Sasaki; Nigel Jacob, RethinkAI; Allentza Michel, Powerful Pathways; and David Morgan, Suffolk Construction.
Our Designers, Clients, and Communities lightning talks explored how the design process can include everyone as designers, with Gabriel Cira, ARCH CIRA; Meera Deean, City of Boston; Melissa Peters, City of Cambridge; Patricia Gruits, MASS Design Group; Heang Leung Rubin, CHIC Community Engagement; Chuyi Yin, Sasaki; and moderator Felicia Jiang, Sasaki.
Small session Q&A at 110 Chauncy
Future of Collaborative Design Symposium reception at 110 Chauncy
Our Implementing the Future small session shared how local organizations are empowering the next generation of design professionals, with Estefany Benitez, Hideo Sasaki Foundation; Neil Daniel, YouthBuild Boston; Taylor Johnson, Boston Society for Architecture; Beth Lundell Garver, Boston Architectural College; Taylor Powers, PowerCorpsBOS; and moderator Folajimi Bademosi, Hideo Sasaki Foundation.
Our Building Community Power, Capacity, and Ownership small session discussed what radical collaboration looks like in today’s political climate, with Caroline Ellenbird, Comunidades Enraizadas Community Land Trust; Lydia Lowe, Chinatown Community Land Trust; Minnie McMahon, Greater Boston Community Land Trust Network; Armani White, Reclaim Roxbury; and moderator Gabriel Ramos, Sasaki.
We wrapped up the day with a reception that created space for attendees to connect and discuss what they would like to take away from the symposium.
Thank you to all of our event sponsors: Sasaki, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Arielly Photography, Boston Society for Architecture, Boston Society of Landscape Architects, Reed Hilderbrand, Acentech, McNamara Salvia, Stimson, and Ummo.