Harvard GSD Class of 2026: Eric Rannestad (MDes Mediums)

Why It Matters

Rannestad’s work exemplifies a cross-disciplinary approach that integrates design, environmental science and material production, pointing to new methods for studying and intervening in landscapes. The project suggests practical and conceptual pathways for design-driven remediation and resource production with implications for landscape architecture, conservation and material innovation.

Summary

Eric Rannestad, an MDes Mediums student in Harvard GSD’s class of 2026, drew on a background in art and environmental conservation to develop programmable tanks as exploratory research tools. He uses the tanks to model landscapes and atmospheres—testing hydrologic flows, pressure, and metabolic chemical processes across seminars and studio projects. The devices function both as sculptural models and as production systems for pigments and remediation experiments, with outputs staged in exhibitions. Archival research has added a historical lens that reshaped his practice and informed the work’s conceptual framing.

Original Description

Eric Rannestad (MDes ’26) is a Montana-based artist whose work explores the systems and technologies humans use to compartmentalize, measure, and model the world. Working across sculpture, painting, and digital media, he speculates on the infrastructure of the built environment through projects informed by economic, natural resource, and architectural models.

Eric’s practice draws on mapping technologies, commercial cartography, and environmental conservation work across the American West. During his time at the GSD, historical and archival research became another significant source of inspiration—one he describes as “deeply influential” and a practice he will continue. “It has changed the work in pretty profound ways,” he says.

The Harvard Graduate School of Design Class of 2026 represents the range of departments and disciplines that shape the school’s distinctive approach to design education. In this series, students share perspectives on their work, research, and experiences, reflecting a commitment to advancing a more resilient, just, and beautiful world. Together, these videos offer a cross-section of the GSD’s intellectual and creative community.

📹: Maggie Janik