TRXL 223: 'They Better Find Something Else to Do', with Pablo Zamorano Mosniam
Mar 18, 2026
Pablo Zamorano Mosniam, Head of computational design at Heatherwick Studio and former AA/SOM designer, discusses building technology around design values. He talks about the importance of tactile, door-scale details, how tools leave stylistic fingerprints, why Rhino stays central for craft, and how an image/LLM tool became the studio's most adopted tech.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Design Values Drive Tool Choices
- Heatherwick Studios centers design values like human experience and the "door scale" above tool-driven efficiency.
- Pablo connected material, tactile detail and geometry across scales, arguing tools must serve those values, not define them.
From Architect To Computational Lead At Heatherwick
- Pablo described joining Heatherwick in 2015 after AA and SOM, initially as an architect on King's Cross Rob's Yard.
- His modeling and BIM coordination experience led him to form and later lead the studio's computational group.
The Door Scale Shapes Memory
- The studio emphasizes the "door scale"—touchable textures and details that create lasting sensory memories.
- They link modeling, materials and fabrication from day one so prototypes and crafts inform final assemblies.