Executive Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Design presents Story Building: Secrets of Narrative Placemaking and Design from Entertainment Architecture, exploring how storytelling can elevate architecture and placemaking into unforgettable experiences. The virtual programme will be taking place on the 10, 12, and 15 December 2025, 11:00 - 13:00 EST.
Led by Steve Tatham, a 30 + year veteran of Universal Creative and Disney and one of the designers behind Universal’s Epic Universe, the program reveals how the principles of theme park design can be applied to built environments everywhere.
Programme Overview
The three-day programme will cover how themed design in the attractions sphere can be applied to every aspect of placemaking across sectors. Attendees will be able to hone their sense for narrative design in architecture, learning through concrete examples and case studies in theme park design, architecture, and real estate developments. There will also be opportunities to collaborate and strengthen these skills through group discussions and practice pitches.
The programme's content will be split into three sessions, delivered through a mix of lectures, classroom discussions, and tasks designed to allow attendees to apply what they have learned.
The first session, Telling, helps participants uncover a project’s emotional core and shape it into a concise, memorable log line that communicates the vision with clarity.
The second session, Selling, focuses on how to pitch effectively by leading with a compelling story. Attendees will explore how to align their message with stakeholder needs while keeping the project’s vision front and centre.
The final session, Gelling, brings the approach together, showing how to maintain and reinforce the project’s story across its full lifecycle.
Objectives
- Understand the five principles of entertainment architecture.
- Develop the ability to reframe projects as emotionally engaging stories, drawing on techniques from theme park design.
- Shift perspective from investor-focused to user-focused, recognising that the end user ultimately drives a project’s success.
- How to use marketing data to identify the needs of your end user and apply that to your projects.
- Build upon skills in storytelling and creating memorable narratives.
- Strengthen creative leadership.
Who Should Attend
This program is designed for designers, real estate professionals, and anyone interested in exploring placemaking as a storytelling discipline. No prior design experience is required.
Registration
Programme space is limited and early registration is encouraged. Tuition costs are $1,250 through Oct 15, and $1,450 after.
