Luis Sacristán Murga

Luis is an architect and lecturer based in London working across design, technology and urbanism with prior specialism and passion for adaptive reuse in projects of multiple scales. He is a Senior Associate and Project Leader at Heatherwick Studio since 2015, as well as Associate Lecturer at the Royal College of Art and visiting lecturer and workshop tutor at Loughborough University.

At Heatherwick Studio, Luis is the Project Leader of Xi'an CCBD in China, a new 155,000 m2 mix-use district that features a distinct ceramic-clad podium with landscaped terraces, and which is currently under construction with the opening planned for 2024. His past contributions at the studio involved the initial concept to the construction stages of the Google Gradient Canopy campus in Mountain View, completed in 2023, Google Downtown West San José and multiple Google R&D projects. In 2020, Luis led the design team in the Renazca competition for the urban renewal of the financial heart of Madrid. Other selected projects in the studio include Changi Airport T5, a new concept boutique hotel in Abu Dhabi, the IMKAN Pavilion in Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2018, an eco-village in Mexico, Olympia London, Azabudai Hills and the Alfonse Mucha Gallery in Prague. 

Prior to Heatherwick Studio, Luis has previously worked at ACME London on the design of Watermark WestQuay in Southampton. Before this, his work commitments included multiple projects with LASSA Architects in London, Schmidt Hammer Lassen in Copenhagen and Von Weise Associates in Chicago. 

Luis is currently an Associate Lecturer at the Royal College of Art, where he has been a tutor of Technical Studies since 2018 within the MA Architecture. He is also engaged as visiting lecturer and workshop tutor at Loughborough University and has previously been visiting lecturer at the Architectural Association in London, ITMO University in Saint Petersburg, the University of Antwerp and the Polytechnic School of Madrid. He has been a contributor to various volumes of Int|AR Journal, the first American academic publication focusing on Design and Adaptive Reuse, created by the Department of Interior Architecture of Rhode Island School of Design. 

Luis received his architectural education at various universities worldwide, including a Master of Architecture with Distinction from Polytechnic School of Madrid (ETSAM), Lund Technical University, Rhode Island School of Design and professional studies qualification at The Bartlett. He has been a recipient of multiple international scholarships and awards, including Iris Foundation, Leonardo Scholarship for Young Architects (COAM) and ETSAM Madrid and is a registered architect in Spain (COAM) and in the United Kingdom (ARB).

Publications

Sacristán Murga, L. (2021) Interview to Nieto + Sobejano in “Interventions and Adaptive Reuse: A Decade of Responsible Practice”, (p.274-293), Rhode Island School of Design, USA

Anilane, K., Sacristán Murga, L. (2018) Temporary Acts: The Decorators, Volume 9: Intervention as Act. Int|AR Journal, Department of Interior Architecture of Rhode Island School of Design.

Sacristán Murga, L., (2015) Interview to Nieto + Sobejano, Volume 6: The Experience Economy. Int|AR Journal, Department of Interior Architecture of Rhode Island School of Design.

Sacristán Murga, L., (2013) Manifesto for a Post-Industrial City, Volume 4: Difficult Memories: Reconciling Meaning. Int|AR Journal, Department of Interior Architecture of Rhode Island School of Design.