Holly Samuelson

Holly Samuelson is an Associate Professor of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), affiliated with the Department of Architecture. Her research focuses on sustainable architectural design, energy efficiency, and climate resilience. She explores topics such as urban heat islands, thermal comfort, and the integration of AI in building performance analysis.

Her work addresses global challenges like decarbonization of building stock and adaptation to climate change. Key areas include optimizing building envelopes, assessing energy-saving strategies, and evaluating the co-benefits of resilient design. She has contributed to frameworks for cost-benefit analysis of retrofits and developed tools like the Convex Partition Zoner for automated thermal zoning.

Samuelson’s research bridges simulation, data science, and design practice. She investigates how building design impacts health, comfort, and environmental sustainability, with applications in both residential and urban contexts. Her recent studies analyze heat vulnerability in cities like Hong Kong and Chicago, emphasizing the intersection of climate science and architectural solutions.