Britain’s most Famous architect /English designer and artist Thomas Heatherwick was born on February 17, 1970, in London. However, this significant architect and urban planner are known for the innovative use of engineering and materials in public monuments and sculptures.

After attending primary school at greenwood, he attended the Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley, in Hertfordshire, which puts an emphasis on gardening, handiwork, and a bespoke form of performance art called eurythmy which is often reflected in his building. later, he studied three-dimensional design at Manchester Polytechnic and at the Royal College of Art (RCA). After Graduation, he commenced his practice by forming Heatherwick studio in 1994 in London. He is also a prolific designer who impacted everything from furniture to film to exhibition design.

Family life of Thomas Heatherwick

Thomas mother was Jeweler and his grandmother was a textile designer who had set up a Textile factory for mark & spencer’s store, also his maternal great grandfather owned a Jaeger store which was a leading fashion firm and his uncle was a journalist and as mentioned in Ted talk his father introduced design & architecture to Thomas.

Mentor

Terence Conran a designer who had come to Heatherwick school (RCA) in his final year in 1994 to give a talk. Conran became a mentor to Heatherwick after being mesmerized by his graduate thesis-an an 18’ high gazebo consisting of 600 curved wooden slats put together to form two enormous curving surfaces. The scale of the project was too huge to building a school so Conran invited Heatherwick to Berkshire to live there and build the project, treating him as a protégé.

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Design philosophy of Thomas Heatherwick

The practice engaged with a  diverse range of clientele across the various sectors from Architecture, engineering, transport and urban planning, furniture, sculpture till product design. Unlike many architecture practices, Heatherwick focuses on problem-solving and don’t have a specific style of designing He has said: “It is more like solving a crime. The answer is there, and your job is to find it. So, we go off and do bits of research that essentially eliminate suspects from the inquiry. And then you follow up leads and gradually narrow down the potential solutions. Ultimately what you’re left with is the answer.”

• Design inspiration
• Innovation
• Collaboration
• Environmental concern
• USP or unique selling point

Interests

Heatherwick believes in finding solutions in an innovative way using innovative technology, communication, and his passion for making things happen by proposing new material in a creative or artistic way. Hence, we were able to see all new building designs and façade for each project which turns to be more fascinating and dramatic to users. He slowly taking baby steps towards the realm of the whole building and shaping himself as a well-known architect.“I always wanted to make things, and now I can express ideas in real projects at real scale,” he said. He is not only an architect but also an inventor.

Heatherwick The studio

He managed to open up his studio in 1994 and it still keeps growing, becoming more and more popular and successful. Heatherwick Studio projects push the boundaries of modern manufacturing, architecture, and design techniques. They love to give unique architectural solutions by innovative methods and conceptions. Heatherwick together with his team produces projects inspired by simple ideas but they still fascinate people’s minds as if they are sent back to their childhood and being surprised by something.

They see you for the first time. Also, he is a genius in observing and finding beauty in everyday material or processes Thomas Heatherwick is one of the UK’s leading creative talents who keep inspiring more and more people. As a result, Heatherwick’s colleagues didn’t set up any boundaries in terms of work. However, they expanded from art, architecture, product design, and beyond the staff is a mix of architects, engineers, product designers, landscape architects, photographers, set designers, and craftsmen.

His studio is different as compared to other architectural offices. He also has expanded his potential by creating almost all the model prototypes with the help of a three-dimensional printer. Workplace made up of full fledges wood and metal.

Heatherwick and his collaborators are not afraid to experiment with both different forms and shapes or with materials and techniques. His Studio shows that it is not always about the number of years you are in a market for but the way the business approaches its client’s ideas.

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Notable Projects of Thomas Heatherwick

• Rolling bridge
• East bridge café
• B of the bang
• Worth abbey
• Up pavilion shanghai expo 2020
• New route master bus
• 2012 Olympic cauldron
• Proposed Thames garden bridge
• Learning hub
• Bombay sapphire distillery
• Coal drops yard
• Google headquarters
• 1000 trees
• The vessel

Awards

• Heatherwick has won numerous design awards including the Prince Philip Designers Prize (2006), the London Design Medal (2010), the RIBA Lubezki Prize (2010) for the UK Pavilion. In 2004 ,he  appointed to be  youngest PR actionera Royal Designer for Industry.
• Heatherwick also has awarded Honorary Doctorates from University of the Arts London, the Royal College of Art, University of Dundee, University of Brighton, Sheffield Hallam University and Manchester Metropolitan University.
• He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to the design industry.
• Also, in September 2016 he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
• In 2015, Heatherwick was named one of GQ‘s 50 best dressed British men.
• Also, in 2019, Heatherwick received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member Julie Taymour during the International Achievement Summit in New York City.

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