Heatherwick Studio, founded in 1994 by Thomas Heatherwick, works on projects of various typologies and scales through investigating the possibilities of materials while focusing on their 3D design. Their work is consistent with their principles of having “empathy for materials,” to understand the soul of the materials by touching and feeling them sincerely. In the world of construction where “‘making’ has ended up disconnected, and thus devalued, from architecture,” Heatherwick describes himself as “an imposter – a maker in the world of designing big buildings.” His belief that buildings should be approached with the same attitude he treats fine craftsmanship is evident in the 18 projects featured in this issue. His ideas, which shift between the scale of the hand and the building, manifests themselves in many of his designs, most notably the UK Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai which looks like a plant seed resting on the riverbank, and Little Island in New York where flowerpots form a landscape. Today, his studio is exploring the notion of how architecture creates emotional connections with people, in the hope to interpret the intangible quality of soulfulness.