Harvard GSD names MASS Design Group’s Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture as winner of 15th Veronica Rudge Green Prize

The Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) has announced that the 15th Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design has been awarded to the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) campus, located in Bugesera, Rwanda. MASS Design Group led the initiative, overseeing the project’s master planning, architectural and landscape design, engineering, furniture design and fabrication, and construction. The firm will receive a $50,000 award.

The biennial Green Prize celebrates outstanding examples of urban design that enhance quality of life and set a meaningful direction for future urban environments.

With Rwanda’s population expected to double by 2050, the RICA campus is designed to help secure the nation’s food future by training a new generation of farmers and agricultural leaders focused on sustainable, healthy food systems.

The project’s master plan spans over 215,000 square feet of building space and 1,400 hectares of surrounding landscape. Program elements include residential housing, academic facilities, barns, processing spaces, stormwater infrastructure, waste management systems for both people and animals, and a fully off-grid energy system. The design is rooted in the One Health approach, which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, environmental, and animal health.

A central spine links the campus, encouraging movement and community engagement. This main corridor also organizes key programs and agricultural spaces to foster hands-on learning and social interaction.

“We are honored that the Green Prize recognizes design as a force for planetary healing and human potential,” said MASS principal and co-executive director Alan Ricks. “RICA exemplifies a model of abundance rooted in balance—where education, conservation, and community come together to thrive within environmental limits and a socially just foundation.”