James Richard Kubiniec

Senior computational designer bringing experience at Nike and Gehry Partners to AI-driven design, bridging algorithms, complex geometry, and real-world fabrication. Based in Santa Barbara, California, James worked as a Senior Computational Designer at Nike from January 2025 to September 2026 and as a Designer at Gehry Partners from March 2019 to January 2025. His work at Gehry Partners included the Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi, fish sculptures for Gagosian, and a custom-designed purse for Louis Vuitton. He also made significant contributions to King Street Towers in Toronto and Dar Al Funoon in Abu Dhabi.

His work explores the boundaries of scale, physicality, and the precision of craftsmanship. A graduate of SCI-Arc, James was awarded the institution’s highest honor, the Gehry Prize. In 2018, he further expanded his expertise at the New Normal think tank at Strelka Institute in Moscow, investigating the profound impact of planetary-scale computation on design and media.

Art, Fashion & Objects

James brings computational design to the intersection of luxury fashion, luxury product design, fine art, and architecture. His work at Gehry Partners included a custom-designed purse for Louis Vuitton and fish sculptures for Gagosian. Alongside his subsequent role as Senior Computational Designer at Nike, this experience informs his approach to complex geometry, material exploration, and fabrication across scales.

His SCI-Arc thesis, Bit By Bit, explores how simple 8-bit characters can become complex geometric representations, connecting digital imagery with the language of art and design. View Bit By Bit in UB’s alumni exhibition catalogue (PDF, page 14).

International Collaborations & Enquiries

Based in Santa Barbara, James welcomes conversations with recruiters, design teams, artists, galleries, curators, fashion houses, and architecture studios across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For career opportunities, collaborations, commissions, or editorial enquiries, get in touch.