Craig Miller

Craig joined Heatherwick Studio in 2008 and is one of the Partners leading the business. He heads up our studio in Shanghai.

Craig has led a portfolio of pioneering large-scale projects and international collaborations around the world. These include Changi Airport Terminal 5 (in collaboration with KPF), which will add an initial capacity of up to 50 million passengers per year; the redevelopment of Google’s new headquarters in King’s Cross London (with Bjarke Ingels Group); and London’s Olympia Exhibition Centre.

He has spent over eight years based in Asia, delivering the modernisation of Pacific Place (Hong Kong); 1000 Trees mixed-use development (Shanghai), the Eden residential tower in (Singapore), a new community-focused tech campus (Seoul, Korea) and our first prospective project in Sydney, Australia.

Craig is passionate about the future of sustainable, liveable cities and how our urban environments can be more human-centred. He is an accomplished speaker, a chartered member of the RIBA and a member of the Urban Land Institute.

Education and Qualifications

Registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB)
Member of the Royal British Institute of Architects
M.Arch, University of Strathclyde
BSc (Hons) Architectural Studies, University of Strathclyde

Eliot Postma

Since joining Heatherwick Studio in 2010, Eliot has proven instrumental in delivering innovative designs on numerous high-profile projects that focus on the human experience through form, craft, materiality and sustainability. 

As a Partner and Group Leader, Eliot currently oversees a portfolio of projects that span North America, Europe and China. Projects include the construction of 3 million square feet for the first purpose-built Google campus in Mountain View, California; the transformation of the 14-acre Olympia London site; and the design of the Hainan Art Center in China, which will be home to three performance halls which seat 3,800 people; and the creation of a major community space and new park at Harley Davidson’s home in Milwaukee, US.

Past projects include the Bund Finance Centre, a 4 million sqft mixed-use development in the heart of Shanghai; Bateau, a river boat in France; and the Bombay Sapphire Distillery in Hampshire, which comprised the restoration of Grade II-listed buildings together with the addition of two custom glasshouses, significant masterplanning, and landscape design. The distillery was the first refurbishment project to have been awarded BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ for sustainability.

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, including Eliot, 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

In 2016, Eliot was awarded the RIBA Rising Star award in recognition of his design and leadership skills. Prior to the studio, Eliot previously worked at Fosters + Partners where he was involved with projects including a masterplan for Sydney Harbour, a residential complex in Hong Kong and a commercial tower in Moscow.

Education and Qualifications

Masters (MA) in Architecture, Royal College of Art

Elisa Simonetti

Since joining the studio in 2016, Elisa has undertaken the role of Project Manager on many of the studio’s most complex international projects. She became Co-Head of Project Management and a studio Partner in 2022. 

Currently, she is overseeing the design management of a 50,000sqm museum within a major new district in the Middle East, which she has worked on from competition through to Stage 4. Elisa also oversees the ongoing creation of 100,000sqm of work space for Google in King’s Cross. In addition, she is leading the management of the design for the new Changi Airport T5 in Singapore and two residential towers in Vancouver, amongst many other projects.

Previously, Elisa spent over two years at Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), leading commercial and residential designs from initial preparation through to construction. There, she contributed on the design for the new Google headquarters in London, as well as leading a residential complex of 2.1 hectares through a successful planning application.

In her five years at OMA, she was the Fit-Out Project Architect on the New Court Rothschild Bank from concept design through to completion. She also led the design and change response team during the construction of Qatar Education City in Doha.

Elisa has also worked in senior roles at Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Studio Egret West, John McAslan + Partners and Arup, on projects ranging from NATO Headquarters in Brussels to a masterplan for Battersea.

Education and Qualifications

Architecture at the Architectural Association, London
Architecture, University of Genoa
Project Management at the University of Westminster

Laurence Dudeney

Laurence joined the studio in 2011 and has since successfully deployed his design and operational skills at a range of scales across cultural, commercial, residential and mixed-use projects. He has been instrumental in building and leading strong teams across many of the studio’s most high-profile projects from inception to completion, working closely with Group Leaders and Thomas Heatherwick to deliver bespoke and innovative design solutions. He became a Partner of the studio in 2022.

Past studio projects include Lantern House, a two-tower residential development that crosses both sides of the High Line in New York, completed in 2021. In the same city he also worked on the Vessel, which has attracted millions of visitors since 2019.

Laurence defined the conceptual design approach for the site 420,000sqm Bund Finance Centre in Shanghai (opened in 2017) and the detail design of the Fosun Art Centre, a cultural space which sits at the heart of the development and is designed to host theatre, art exhibition and fashion shows. Laurence was also instrumental in the detailed design of the Bombay Sapphire Distillery and visitor centre in Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire, which was completed in 2014, as well as the schematic design and façade development of Sheung Wan Hotel in Hong Kong.

Prior to working at the studio, Laurence was a key contributor at Zaha Hadid Architects and Foster + Partners, where he worked on the Barangaroo Office Tower competition for Darling Harbour in Sydney and the Mount Kiara Mixed Use Complex.

Education and Qualifications

ARB Registered Architect
M.Arch, Dip Arch, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, London

Lisa Finlay

Since joining Heatherwick Studio in 2011, Lisa has led a diverse range of projects that are each socially-minded and have a strong community focus.

Current projects that Lisa is responsible for include a vision for the future of Nottingham City Centre, the transformation of a life sciences research hub in Surrey, and a pioneering new office building in Madrid that is on target to be net zero-energy. She has also led the studio’s competition-winning design for a new centre for culture, work and leisure in Utrecht.

In 2021, Phase 1 of 1000 Trees completed, which is part of a 3 million sqft that Lisa has led since the concept stage. The tree-topped mixed-use development is located next to Shanghai’s M50 art district and includes retail, workspace, a hotel, parkland and the conservation of four historic buildings. Phase 2 will be completed in 2024.

Prior to this, Lisa completed the transformation of London’s Coal Drops Yard, which comprised the restoration and redevelopment of two Victorian industrial buildings to create a new retail quarter and public space in King’s Cross. Throughout the project she worked closely with the developer, local authority, community groups, heritage bodies and stakeholders to introduce a unifying public space through the addition of a curving roof that stitches the buildings and the site together.

Lisa has also led several research studies within the studio, including a piece of work exploring a community-based alternative to prison for women, and a proposal for the integration of people-centred national health services on the high street.

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, including Lisa, 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. 

Education and Qualifications

ARB Registered Architect
DipArch, Architecture, The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
BSc Architecture, University College London, UK

Mat Cash

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 conversion of an historic grain silo into Africa’s first international museum dedicated to contemporary African art; Eden – a residential tower in Singapore; and a Maggie’s Cancer Care centre in Leeds, that is designed to offer respite from the clinical environment of the hospital.

One of Mat’s most recently completed projects is Little Island – a public park and performance space in New York. The design and construction process was inherently collaborative and complex, and Mat worked closely with the client, consultants, stakeholders and local authorities to realise the design. The pier opened to the public in 2021.

Mat currently oversees a wide portfolio of projects that span North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. These include a major cultural centre within a converted former desalination plant in Saudi Arabia; a retail destination in central China, and an ambitious future-forward masterplan for a new mixed-use district on a 58-hectare site along Cape Town’s shoreline.

Past projects include the reinvention of Pacific Place in Hong Kong, a public park and leisure destination in Abu Dhabi, a biofuel power station on Teesside, and the design of a community centre in a township in
Cape Town.

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, including Mat, 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. Mat is also one of two Executive Partners who lead the management of the business, alongside the design of projects.

Education and Qualification

ARB, RIBA Registered Architect
Diploma and Postgraduate Part III, Westminster University 2004

Neil Hubbard

Since joining the studio in 2005, Neil has proven instrumental in delivering innovative designs on numerous high-profile projects.

Like Thomas, Neil has a background in design but combines this with significant experience in the built environment. Neil’s early projects at the studio include the transformation of Pacific Place, a 100,000sqm retail centre in Hong Kong where he led site coordination, and the redesign of an icon of London — the Routemaster bus — for contemporary use. While at different ends of the spectrum in terms of their scale, their design focus centred on creative design solutions and a crafted collection of interior details.

Since then Neil has been a key designer in projects such as the Bund Finance Centre and led many projects including the design of award-winning Little Island, a new public park and performance space in the Hudson River in New York City. The project opened in 2021 and comprises unique landscape design and amphitheatres for music, dance and art performances to create a unique experience for visitors.

Neil is currently overseeing projects in Europe, China and Japan, including the studio’s involvement in the West Bund Financial Hub in Shanghai and a new cultural complex in the centre of Beijing. He also led our project at Azabudai Hills – a six-hectare mixed-used district in the centre of Tokyo – which opened to the public in November 2023.

Alongside these large projects, Neil is focusing on a variety of scale of projects from art galleries and public sculpture to boutique hotels. He also leads the design and curatorial support of the studio’s international exhibitions – most recently the highly successful exhibition of the studio’s work called ‘Building Soulfulness’, which launched in Tokyo in March 2023, moved to Seoul three months later and then launched in Shanghai in January 2024.

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, including Neil, 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. 

Education & Qualifications

Nick Ling

Nick joined the studio in early 2017 as a Technical Design Lead, a specialist role created to support the technical delivery of large scale and complex projects.

Nick’s role means that he is embedded in various design teams, producing design work and mentoring teams using the technical experience acquired through his extensive practical and on-site experience. He became Head of Technical Design in 2022 and a Partner in 2023.

Nick played a vital role in overseeing the delivery of several of the studio’s completed projects. These include the Maggie’s Centre in Leeds, UK; Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, South Africa; and Little Island and Lantern House in New York, USA. Most recently, he played an instrumental role in the completion of the studio’s kinetic Glasshouse in the gardens at the Woolbeding National Trust site in West Sussex, UK.

Prior to working at the studio, Nick was based at Woods Bagot Europe as European Design Leader where he was involved in elevating the quality of design throughout the global practice. He also worked at Foster + Partners for over fifteen years where he was the partner in charge of delivering full design services for numerous high profile commissions such as the ME Hotel in London and four large mixed-use buildings in King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh.

Education and Qualifications

RIBA Part 3 – The Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff, UK
Bachelor of Architecture, RIBA Part 2 – The Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff, UK
Bachelor of Science (Hons), RIBA Part 1 – The Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff, UK

Stuart Wood

Stuart Wood joined Heatherwick Studio in 2002. With a background in industrial design, he has led the broadest range of projects and some of the most iconic for the studio.

With a clear focus on innovation and technology’s impact on future city design, Stuart is currently leading a diverse portfolio, including the headquarters for Google in London; the design of an at-home healthcare diagnostic device; and Singapore’s new major airport terminal at Changi (in collaboration with KPF).

He has led projects of all scales and typologies, from experimental furniture to strategic city planning. Stuart’s portfolio of past projects includes Lantern House, a two-tower residential development that spans both sides of New York’s High Line; ‘Vessel’, the public centrepiece for Hudson Yards in Manhattan’s West Side; the design phases of Google’s two new headquarters in California; an 800-acre people-centred smart city in Toronto with Sidewalk Labs; the award-winning UK Pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo; and Transport for London’s 1000 New Routemaster bus fleet.

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, including Stuart, 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. Stuart is also one of two Executive Partners who lead the management of the business, alongside the design of projects.

Education and Qualifications

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Industrial and Product Design, University of Central England

Thomas Heatherwick

Thomas Heatherwick is is one of the world’s most inventive and celebrated designers, whose work is characterised by its originality, diversity and humanity.

His studio was founded in 1994 to bring together architecture, urban planning, product design and interiors into a single creative workspace. It is now an extraordinary organisation with 10 partners and 250 people dedicated to making the physical world that surrounds us more joyful and engaging.

Some of the studio’s designs include the 2012 Olympic Cauldron; Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross; London Olympia; Google’s first ground-up campus in California; Little Island, a park set over the Hudson River in New York; Azabudai Hills, a new neighbourhood in Tokyo, and MixC, the new district for Xian in China.

Thomas is a global advocate for human-centred architecture, campaigning against soulless new buildings, and calling for more interesting cities that put the public first.
These ideas are captured in his bestselling book ‘Humanise: A Maker’s Guide to Building Our World’, published worldwide in multiple languages and editions. 

Thomas and his team also run one of the largest educational programmes of any single art or design company,
inspiring young people aged 10-14 to see themselves as creative.

Ruth Mellor

Ruth joined the studio in 2018. As Head of New Business, she helped grow our portfolio of meaningful and diverse design projects, working directly with ambitious commissioners and collaborators.

In 2023 she became the studio’s Commercial Director, leading the team responsible for the acquisition, set-up and commercial management of projects globally – from buildings, masterplans and infrastructure in major urban centres, to vehicles, objects and health devices.

In this vital role, Ruth drives forward the studio’s commercial focus and business generating activities. She is also part of the senior management group, guiding strategy, planning and process across the studio.

We go on a journey with each of our clients to realise a project’s full potential, and Ruth – who trained in architecture – makes this happen, in direct collaboration with Thomas Heatherwick and the studio’s design and domain leadership. The aim, always, is to enable the creation of extraordinary buildings and places that challenge the status quo and make the world more joyful, engaging and human.

Before joining the studio, Ruth spent a decade working in business development and marketing for the likes of David Chipperfield Architects, MVRDV and OMA, in a journey spanning New York, Rotterdam and London.

Education & Qualifications

MA (Hons) Architectural Design, the University of Edinburgh

Matt Bell

Matt is a director at the studio and provides strategic advice on public engagement. He is an expert in youth work, community development and arts education. For more than twenty years, he has devised and delivered engagement programmes on some of London’s biggest regeneration sites, including Euston station, Woodberry Down in Hackney, Kidbrooke Village in Greenwich, and the Cambridge Road Estate in Kingston.

He recently co-authored an award-winning national youth engagement toolkit which began life as a pilot project in Somers Town. He is also an expert in social sustainability and has published eight separate studies measuring people’s happiness in new housing developments.

He currently sits on the board of Local Trust, a 15-year lottery funded programme pioneering new ways of building community across the UK. He is co-creator of a pioneering visual arts prize which inspires young creatives to champion an ecological renaissance through climate art and jointly devised the award-winning Street Elite programme which uses sport and mentoring to tackle unemployment and alienation among young adults.

Before coming to working at Heatherwick Studio, he has previously held leadership roles with international NGOs, public bodies and a FTSE 100 business in the property, design and development sectors.

Education

Modern History, BA. University College London.

Development Studies, MSc. School of Oriental & African Studies, London.

Sustainability Leadership, CISL, University of Cambridge