Building Soul - With Thomas Heatherwick

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

How To Ditch Boring And Humanise Our Cities

20231017

Should the buildings that surround us be more interesting and diverse? Givers, not just takers. Could cities be filled with curves and creativity? An adventurous urban landscape that makes everyone happier and healthier.

In this final part of the series, designer Thomas Heatherwick puts forward his manifesto for a future where places are built around the idea of emotion as a function - full of character, built to last, and designed to serve the passers-by. This isn't romantic thinking. It's a practical vision for a better future that benefits everyone. A call to humanise our world.

Producer: Tom Pooley

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4

Designer Thomas Heatherwick offers his practical vision for a better urban future.

Thomas Heatherwick argues that an adventurous urban landscape would make us happier and healthier, but at what cost?

The Cult Of Modernist Architecture

20231010

Why and when did our buildings become so boring? Anyone exploring the streets of our oldest cities can see this wasn't always the case.

In part 2 of this series, Thomas Heatherwick argues that a cult of Modernism took hold of the architectural establishment in the 20th century, with an obsessive focus on form follows function at the expense of visual complexity and delight. Is one man, known as Le Corbusier, really responsible for creating our age of boring buildings?

Join Thomas as he challenges the architectural establishment to stop slavishly following Le Corbusier's vision long after it ran out of steam. Thomas also argues that the legacy of modernism conveniently suits developers whose primary concern is the maximisation of short-term profits, at a huge cost to the environment as well as to our civic identity and personal wellbeing.

Producer: Tom Pooley

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4

Designer Thomas Heatherwick asks when and why our buildings became so boring.

Why Boring Buildings Are Bad For Us

20231003

The way cities get built is a quiet global catastrophe affecting all our lives. Buildings are too flat, too plain, too straight, too shiny, too soulless, too boring. This is the belief of designer Thomas Heatherwick.

In this first part of a new series for Radio 4, Thomas is on a mission to explain why this is far from a trivial issue - that it's bad for our health, bad for society and bad for the planet.

Backed by the latest cutting-edge scientific research, Thomas exposes the damage being done by the identikit modern urban environments scattered across the world.

Producer: Tom Pooley

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4

Thomas Heatherwick argues for change in our building design.

Rational People Making Irrational Buildings

20250818

Designer Thomas Heatherwick returns with a bold proposition - it's time to cure the ‘blandemic'.

This series isn't just about what's gone wrong - it's about how we fix the modern scourge of soulless urban landscapes.

Thomas explores how rethinking building design, reviving craftsmanship and reigniting public passion can transform our cities to bring us together and inject joy into our cities. It's not just an architectural challenge - Thomas argues it's a cultural movement.

In this first episode, he asks why so much of our urban landscape feels like it was designed by a spreadsheet. Is it architects clinging to outdated dogmas, developers chasing profit, or politicians with no vision?

Producer: Anouk Millet

Series Producer: Nadia Mehdi

Mix Engineer: Will Fitzpatrick

A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4

Thomas Heatherwick takes on the global 'blandemic'.

Thomas Heatherwick asks why our cities feel so soulless and what we can do about it.

Is bad design making our cities soulless? Thomas Heatherwick investigates the ‘blandemic' – and how we might build beauty, craft and joy back into urban life.

[LISTEN NOW]

Making 'making' Great Again

20250825

Our cities have been built like machines – efficient, repeatable, and soulless. In this second episode, Thomas Heatherwick argues it's time to put the hand back into architecture.

Can embracing craft, imperfection – even AI as a creative partner – help us make buildings that feel human again?

Producer: Anouk Millet

Series Producer: Nadia Mehdi

Mix Engineer: Will Fitzpatrick

A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4

Thomas Heatherwick on reviving craft, imperfection and humanity in architecture.

Thomas Heatherwick asks why our cities feel so soulless and what we can do about it.

Heatherwick argues it's time to bring the human touch back to architecture – with craft, imperfection, and even AI helping us build places that feel alive again.

[LISTEN NOW]

Public Service Architecture

20250901

Joy, pride, comfort – these aren't luxuries, they're essentials. In this episode, Thomas Heatherwick explores the power of the public to reshape our cities.

From emotional attachment and grassroots campaigns to the influence of mass media, he shows how people – not just planners – can drive radical change in how we build.

Producer: Nadia Mehdi

A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4

How emotion, protest and media can help us build better, more human cities.

Thomas Heatherwick asks why our cities feel so soulless and what we can do about it.

Heatherwick explores how public emotion, protest and media can drive radical change – proving that joy, pride and comfort in our cities aren't luxuries, but basic needs.

[LISTEN NOW]

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
		How To Ditch Boring And Humanise Our Cities	20231017	Should the buildings that surround us be more interesting and diverse? Givers, not just takers. Could cities be filled with curves and creativity? An adventurous urban landscape that makes everyone happier and healthier. In this final part of the series, designer Thomas Heatherwick puts forward his manifesto for a future where places are built around the idea of emotion as a function - full of character, built to last, and designed to serve the passers-by. This isn't romantic thinking. It's a practical vision for a better future that benefits everyone. A call to humanise our world. Producer: Tom Pooley A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 Designer Thomas Heatherwick offers his practical vision for a better urban future. Thomas Heatherwick argues that an adventurous urban landscape would make us happier and healthier, but at what cost?
		The Cult Of Modernist Architecture	20231010	Why and when did our buildings become so boring? Anyone exploring the streets of our oldest cities can see this wasn't always the case. In part 2 of this series, Thomas Heatherwick argues that a cult of Modernism took hold of the architectural establishment in the 20th century, with an obsessive focus on form follows function at the expense of visual complexity and delight. Is one man, known as Le Corbusier, really responsible for creating our age of boring buildings? Join Thomas as he challenges the architectural establishment to stop slavishly following Le Corbusier's vision long after it ran out of steam. Thomas also argues that the legacy of modernism conveniently suits developers whose primary concern is the maximisation of short-term profits, at a huge cost to the environment as well as to our civic identity and personal wellbeing. Producer: Tom Pooley A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 Designer Thomas Heatherwick asks when and why our buildings became so boring.
		Why Boring Buildings Are Bad For Us	20231003	The way cities get built is a quiet global catastrophe affecting all our lives. Buildings are too flat, too plain, too straight, too shiny, too soulless, too boring. This is the belief of designer Thomas Heatherwick. In this first part of a new series for Radio 4, Thomas is on a mission to explain why this is far from a trivial issue - that it's bad for our health, bad for society and bad for the planet. Backed by the latest cutting-edge scientific research, Thomas exposes the damage being done by the identikit modern urban environments scattered across the world. Producer: Tom Pooley A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4 Thomas Heatherwick argues for change in our building design.
02	01	Rational People Making Irrational Buildings	20250818	Designer Thomas Heatherwick returns with a bold proposition - it's time to cure the ‘blandemic'. This series isn't just about what's gone wrong - it's about how we fix the modern scourge of soulless urban landscapes. Thomas explores how rethinking building design, reviving craftsmanship and reigniting public passion can transform our cities to bring us together and inject joy into our cities. It's not just an architectural challenge - Thomas argues it's a cultural movement. In this first episode, he asks why so much of our urban landscape feels like it was designed by a spreadsheet. Is it architects clinging to outdated dogmas, developers chasing profit, or politicians with no vision? Producer: Anouk Millet Series Producer: Nadia Mehdi Mix Engineer: Will Fitzpatrick A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4 Thomas Heatherwick takes on the global 'blandemic'. Thomas Heatherwick asks why our cities feel so soulless and what we can do about it. Is bad design making our cities soulless? Thomas Heatherwick investigates the ‘blandemic' – and how we might build beauty, craft and joy back into urban life. [LISTEN NOW]
02	02	Making 'making' Great Again	20250825	Our cities have been built like machines – efficient, repeatable, and soulless. In this second episode, Thomas Heatherwick argues it's time to put the hand back into architecture. Can embracing craft, imperfection – even AI as a creative partner – help us make buildings that feel human again? Producer: Anouk Millet Series Producer: Nadia Mehdi Mix Engineer: Will Fitzpatrick A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4 Thomas Heatherwick on reviving craft, imperfection and humanity in architecture. Thomas Heatherwick asks why our cities feel so soulless and what we can do about it. Heatherwick argues it's time to bring the human touch back to architecture – with craft, imperfection, and even AI helping us build places that feel alive again. [LISTEN NOW]
02	03	Public Service Architecture	20250901	Joy, pride, comfort – these aren't luxuries, they're essentials. In this episode, Thomas Heatherwick explores the power of the public to reshape our cities. From emotional attachment and grassroots campaigns to the influence of mass media, he shows how people – not just planners – can drive radical change in how we build. Producer: Nadia Mehdi A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4 How emotion, protest and media can help us build better, more human cities. Thomas Heatherwick asks why our cities feel so soulless and what we can do about it. Heatherwick explores how public emotion, protest and media can drive radical change – proving that joy, pride and comfort in our cities aren't luxuries, but basic needs. [LISTEN NOW]