Thomas Heatherwick a Three-Dimensional multi-disciplinary designer

Thomas Heatherwick was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Arts by Manchester Metropolitan University - his alma mater - on July 21, 2007 in recognition of his design work across a broad spectrum of architecture, engineering and public art, achieving national and international acclaim for his innovative use of materials, his eclectic range of projects, and the resolution of them in new and exciting ways

Born in London, he studied three dimensional design at Manchester Polytechnic and at the Royal College of Art, winning several prizes. Shortly after graduating from the Royal College of Art after a two-year furniture MA course in 1994, he was commissioned by Harvey Nichols department store in Knightsbridge to design a temporary structure for the shop's facade.

Heatherwick's design was a ribbon of laminated wood that wound through the storefront windows. The design was widely acclaimed and won him a D&AD yellow pencil (the gold award) in 1996.

He founded Thomas Heatherwick Studio (now called just Heatherwick Studio) in 1994 with his aim being "to bring architecture, design and sculpture together within a single practice".

Originally based at Camden Mews, the studio moved to larger premsies in Kings Cross in 2000. It presently comprises a thirty-strong team which includes architects, landscape architects, designers and engineers. Work is carried out from a combined studio and workshop where concept development, detailing, prototyping and small scale fabrication take place. The studio's work spans commercial and residential building projects, masterplanning and infrastructure schemes as well as high profile works of public art.

Heatherwick is a Senior Fellow and external examiner at the Royal College of Art, a fellow of the Royal Academy and was recently chosen to become a Royal Designer for Industry. He has served on numerous judging and advisory panels and has given talks at various institutions including the RIBA, Bartlett School of Architecture, the South Africa Design Indaba conference and the Royal Academy.

In 2004 he curated an exhibition at the Design Museum consisting of 1,000 'every day' design objects that he had collected. The 'BoftheBang' also reached completion in 2004.

Influx Insights hints that London-based designer Thomas Heatherwick might be "the leader of a new movement of multi-disciplinary designers." Already, Heatherwick's creative design studio has worked on a wide range of projects, including those related to engineering, architecture, store design (e.g. the Longchamp store pictured here), product design, urban planning and sculpture. In short, Heatherwick is a "three-dimensional designer" for the modern age: "Thomas Heatherwick is rapidly building a reputation as THE new "Renaissance Man" of the creative-world. He doesn't appear to be limited by the "box" of a specific creative discipline. Only in his mid-30s, he already has an impressive range of projects under his belt."

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