The Bartlett International Lectures: A Human Approach to Design

About

Speaker Lisa Finlay joins host Penelope Haralambidou, as part of The Bartlett International Lectures Spring 2023. This year, the International Lectures return to an in-person format, with lectures taking place at the school's Bloomsbury campus, in the Christopher Ingold Auditorium, 22 Gordon Street, at 18:30 GMT on Wednesdays throughout the 2022/23 academic year. Advance registration is not required unless specifically stated.

Abstract

Architect, Bartlett alumna and Heatherwick Studio Partner and Group Leader Lisa Finlay will talk about her experience of making projects happen at Heatherwick Studio, covering a selection of schemes she has led and also touching on her time in practice since leaving The Bartlett.

Biography

Lisa Finlay is a Group Leader at Heatherwick Studio, overseeing a portfolio of projects from concept development through to delivery. Lisa is also part of the studio’s senior management group, guiding business strategy, planning and process. She joined Heatherwick Studio in 2011, leading a diverse range of socially-minded projects with a strong community focus. The projects under her direction 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-carbon. In 2021, she delivered Phase 1 of 1000 Trees, which is part of a 3 million sqft mixed-use development located next to Shanghai’s M50 art district that includes retail, workspace, a hotel, parkland and the conservation of four historic buildings within two tree-topped mountains. Phase 2 will be completed in 2024.

Lisa also led the transformation of London’s Coal Drops Yard, comprising the restoration and redevelopment of two Victorian industrial buildings to create a new retail quarter and public space in King’s Cross. She has 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. She is currently a member of the Redbridge Design Review Panel in London. Prior to joining Heatherwick Studio, Lisa founded 7N architecture practice in Edinburgh in 2009, where she delivered two award-winning projects in social housing and the public realm, while leading large scale cultural-led regeneration projects for Scottish Enterprise, British Waterways and the Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership.

More information

• See the full spring 2023 schedule for The International Lectures

Image: Coal Drops Yard, Heatherwick Studio; Hufton + Crow