McKim, Mead & White's design depicted a straightforward group of buildings with the desired "semidomestic" character. It recognized the bend in the Charles River, reflecting that natural element in curved buildings and roads and trapezoidal courtyards.

The fan-shaped building group depicted in the drawings afforded views both out of and into the campus, with the library serving as the focal point. In keeping with George Baker's expressed wish, the campus had a central and visually dominant feature: the library facade and bell tower.