Richard Beckett

Richard Beckett is a pioneer of probiotic architecture, a radical design framework that challenges the modern paradigm of sterile, "hygienic" environments. His work operates at the intersection of architecture and microbiology, proposing a future where buildings are not inert barriers, but living, sensing infrastructures capable of hosting beneficial microbial ecologies to improve human and planetary health.

Beckett’s practice is rooted in a unique transdisciplinary background, beginning in physiology and biochemistry at GlaxoSmithKline before evolving into architectural research. This scientific foundation informs his development of bioreceptive materials—computational, 3D-printed substrates designed with specific physical and chemical properties to nourish "good" bacteria and fungi.

As the Lead of the Beckett Lab and Director of the RC7 Architectural Design research cluster at The Bartlett, his recent work—notably the "Living Assembly" installation (2025)—moves beyond biomorphic imitation toward a "biological craft." Through the use of mycelium, microbial leathers, and spore-activated ceramics, Beckett demonstrates how architecture can self-construct, repair, and remain dynamically alive to its environment.