Thomas Heatherwick is a British designer whose prolific and varied work over two decades is characterised by its ingenuity, inventiveness and originality. Defying the conventional classification of design disciplines, Thomas founded Heatherwick studio in 1994 to bring the practices of design, architecture and urban planning together in a single workspace.

Thomas leads the design of all Heatherwick Studio projects, working in collaboration with a team of 200 highly-skilled architects, designers, and makers. Thomas’ unusual approach applies artistic thinking to the needs of each project, resulting in some of the most acclaimed designs of our time. Based in London, Heatherwick studio is currently working in four continents on projects valued at over £2 billion.

Following the success of the UK Pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, Heatherwick studio has gone on to win exciting design briefs including the Learning Hub at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, the new Google campuses in London and California in collaboration with BIG, and a new terminal for Singapore’s Changi Airport in partnership with KPF. Thomas has been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a Royal Academician and in 2004 became the youngest Royal Designer for Industry.

Eliot Postma joined Heatherwick Studio in 2010. As a Partner and Group Leader he is overseeing all aspects of the new Google campus in Mountain View, California, as well as the redesign of historic exhibition centre Olympia London in the UK. 

Eliot has worked on a range of the studios projects including the Bund Finance centre in Shanghai and Bateau, a river boat in France. He was also Project Leader on the Bombay Sapphire Distillery at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire. The project involved the restoration of 18^th Century Grade II listed buildings, the addition of two custom glasshouses, significant master planning and landscape design. The distillery opened in 2014 and was awarded BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ for sustainability.

Eliot worked previously at Fosters + Partners where he was involved with projects including a masterplan for Sydney Harbour, residential complex in Hong Kong and Commercial tower scheme in Moscow.

Group Leadership

In 2015 the studio created the role of Group Leader to support the growth in scale and number of its projects. Working with Thomas Heatherwick, Group Leaders are responsible for leading all aspects of a portfolio of projects from concept development through to delivery. They are also part of the studio’s senior management group, guiding business strategy, planning and process.

Lisa Finlay joined Heatherwick Studio in 2011. As a Partner and Group Leader she is overseeing a series of projects including 1000 Trees, a 3 million sqft, mixed-use development next to Shanghai’s art district, the M50. The project is currently under construction and includes retail, workspace, a hotel, parkland and the conservation of four historic buildings which have been integrated into the development. 

Coal Drops Yard, a new retail quarter and public space in Kings Cross, London was also under Lisa’s supervision. She worked closely with the developer, heritage bodies and stakeholders to introduce a curving roof to stitch the historic coal drops buildings together – creating a third storey of retail and unifying heart to the site. The project opened in October 2018.

Lisa founded 7N architecture practice in Edinburgh in 2009. Here she delivered two award winning projects in social housing and public realm, whilst leading large scale cultural-led regeneration projects for Scottish Enterprise, British Waterways and the Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership.

Group Leadership

In 2015 the studio created the role of Group Leader to support the growth in scale and number of its projects. Working with Thomas Heatherwick, Group Leaders are responsible for leading all aspects of a portfolio of projects from concept development through to delivery. They are also part of the studio’s senior management group, guiding business strategy, planning and process.

Since joining Heatherwick Studio in 2006, Mat has been responsible for some of the studio’s largest and most important projects. These include Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town – an acclaimed re-invention of an historic grain silo into a major cultural institution; and Pacific Place – a 650,000 sqm mixed-use development in Hong Kong.

He has led teams undertaking major masterplanning, strategic thinking and placemaking in Royal Docks, Earls Court and Covent Garden in London, as well as in Hong Kong and New York.

As a Partner and Group Leader Mat currently oversees a wide portfolio of projects that span Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. These include Pier55, a new public park and performance space in the Hudson River in New York City; EDEN, a major new residential tower in Singapore; a Maggie’s Cancer Care centre in Leeds; as well as a kinetic glasshouse for Woolbeding Gardens in West Sussex.

Group Leadership

In 2015 the studio created the role of Group Leader to support the growth in scale and number of its projects. Working with Thomas Heatherwick, Group Leaders are responsible for leading all aspects of a portfolio of projects from concept development through to delivery. They are also part of the studio’s senior management group, guiding business strategy, planning and process.

Neil is a Partner and Group Leader who joined the studio in 2005 and has proven himself instrumental in delivering innovative designs on numerous high-profile projects. 

He played a pivotal role in the 650,000sqm, £120 million transformation of Pacific Place, a prestigious retail centre in Hong Kong, deploying creative design solutions throughout the scheme. In 2010, Neil led the successful delivery of the new Routemaster bus. This iconic vehicle was transformed through the design of a cohesive collection of interior details and windows, offering a 360-degree view of the city. In 2012, Neil led the concept design of Pier55, a new public park and performance space in the Hudson River in New York City. He also led the design delivery of all of the studio’s international exhibitions.

Currently, Neil is looking after a six-hectare mixed-used development in the centre of Tokyo, Japan, and the design of a new cultural institution, amongst other projects.

Group Leadership

In 2015 the studio created the role of Group Leader to support the growth in scale and number of its projects. Working with Thomas Heatherwick, Group Leaders are responsible for leading all aspects of a portfolio of projects from concept development through to delivery. They are also part of the studio’s senior management group, guiding business strategy, planning and process.

A Partner and Group Leader, Stuart Wood joined Heatherwick Studio in 2002 making him the longest serving member of the design and leadership team. With a background in Industrial Design, Stuart has led the broadest range of projects and some of the most iconic for the studio. These include Vessel, the centrepiece for Hudson Yards, in Manhattan’s West Side, the award-winning UK Pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai World, Transport for London’s 1000 New Routemaster bus fleet and the design phases of Google’s two new 1 million+ sqft headquarters in California, now in construction.

He has lead projects of all scales and typologies from experimental furniture to strategic city planning. With a clear focus on innovation and technology’s impact on future city design, Stuart leads a diverse portfolio of projects around the world including the U.K., United States, Canada, Singapore and Europe. These include a new 1 million sqft new home for Google in King’s Cross, London in partnership with BIG. 

Elsewhere his group is delivering a 110m ice-breaking exploration vessel, a masterplan study for adaptable cities and the competition-winning design of a new terminal at Singapore’s Changi Airport in collaboration with KPF.

Group Leadership

In 2015 the studio created the role of Group Leader to support the growth in scale and number of its projects. Working with Thomas Heatherwick, Group Leaders are responsible for leading all aspects of a portfolio of projects from concept development through to delivery. They are also part of the studio’s senior management group, guiding business strategy, planning and process.