In the class debrief, students discuss the trade-offs between analysis, experimentation, and scale. They begin by analyzing market data and making a plan, but must then decide whether to a.) go to scale right away with the food truck b.) conduct further research and analysis, or c.) experiment with a low-capacity pushcart. Students work individually or in teams to achieve maximum revenue over 5 simulated weeks and win the 'Food Truck Challenge.' In each round, students make decisions about where to park and what menu item to offer in hopes of finding the best menu-location combination and yielding the highest sales. The once barren void is now the heart of campus life, providing a new meeting ground for the diverse campus community and strengthening the university’s connections to its neighbors.ĪWARDS 2015 Boston Society of Landscape Architects Honor Award.In this online simulation, students try to run a successful food truck in the city of Boomtown. The Plaza at Harvard has become an example of integrating programmatic and physical design strategies. Lastly, groves of sumac and ginkgo inventively integrate sustainable stormwater management and provide a quiet refuge.ĭuring the design process, a series of interim programs were initiated in order to both build momentum and increase publicity for the project while simultaneously cultivating a civic audience for the future plaza. In addition, the pavers utilized waste porcelain from a Kohler plant adjacent to the paving manufacturer. Seventeen custom benches in seven distinct designs encourage casual gathering for students and locals alike, and in an effort to enhance sustainability, the wood was sourced as remnant material from a nearby construction project.

The plaza is a hub of campus life, drawing students to large and small events of all kinds, including a farmers’ market, food trucks, impromptu performances, and alumni gatherings. Replacing an underutilized and derelict field, the new space offers a high-performance surface, accommodating utilities, water, and heat management in an articulated ground plane that responds to storm water drainage and local circulation flows.

Sitting atop the Cambridge Street Underpass, the site connects the historic Harvard Yard with the University Science Center and North Campus, and exemplifies a new kind of public infrastructure-acting as a model of contemporary sustainable design in service of rich and exciting social spaces.

The Plaza at Harvard University is a gathering space at the heart of the university, designed to serve students, faculty, staff, visitors, and the local community.

Harvard food truck challenge