Beckett Lab

The Microbiome Modulators, first exhibited at the London Design Biennale this year, are now part of the Future Materials Library and can be found in the three Material Source Studios in London, Glasgow and Manchester! @materialsource @beckettlab

In the Living Assembly Pavilion at this year’s London Design Biennale @londondesignbiennale , we’re proud to showcase student-led prototypes that reflect ongoing explorations in bio-digital architecture at RC7 @beckettlab , @bartlett_b_pro . This year, our work focuses on "tending" — responding to the challenges that many bio-designed buildings face, such as erosion, ageing, and material degradation. By integrating biomaterials, generative design, environmental intelligence, and machine learning, we’re developing dynamic frameworks that embrace 'change' as part of architectural life. p1&p4: B.L.U.R by Miruna Porosnicu, Roba Abdelhak, Yuchun Lu, Wei Zhang, Iravati Wagle, Qingxuan Li. p2&p5: Bio-Tessera by Can Yardimci, Zhiyuan Wu, Ziyi Liu, Qing Wang, Yaoyao Yang p3&p6: Tectonic Tending by Yumo Zhao, Yiming Yao, Shu Zhang, Rui Wang, Yumeng Wang Teaching with: @richard.p.beckett @chrislllllllllllll @hanx_wei #LondonDesignBiennale #BioDigitalArchitecture #generativedesign #computationaldesign #biodesign

We’re on CNN! Thrilled to see our Living Assembly installation featured as part of CNN’s spotlight on biodesign and the cities of the future. The piece titled “These scientists are trying to ‘grow’ buildings” dives into the research and ideas behind our work at Northumbria University and UCL. From self-colouring bioleathers to mineralising bacteria, our team of researchers and students is exploring how materials can be grown rather than made, blending science, design and technology to imagine new forms of architecture that are alive, adaptive, and responsive. Watch the full interview — link in bio! #LivingAssembly #LivingConstruction #CNNfeature #Biodesign #ArchitectureOfTheFuture #LDB25 #LondonDesignBiennale #Mycelium #BacterialLeather #DesignWithLife

Probiotic Intervention Now on display at the Living Assembly Pavilion in @londondesignbiennale This bespoke 3D-printed tiling system, made from probiotic ceramic materials, is designed to provide micro-niches for beneficial microbes — helping modulate the indoor microbiome and reduce the persistence of pathogens. The geometry emerges from a generative design workflow in Houdini, translating immaterial environmental data, such as CFD-simulated airflow, into architectural form — exploring how the immaterial becomes material. The pavilion is a collaboration between the @beckettlab at UCL and @livingconstruction.hbbe at Northumbria University, showcasing new ways to integrate architecture, biology, and digital design. Team: @richard.p.beckett , Sean Nair, @aileen.hoenerloh @will.m.scott , Arely Leyton Dominguez, Hangchuan Wei #3dprinting #biodesign #probioticdesign #londondesignbiennale #generativedesign #houdini #computationaldesign #digitalfabrication #biomaterial

We are proud to announce our exhibit is now on show at Somerset House at the London Design Biennale 2025. Living Assembly: Building with Biology brings together a collection of living materials grown by microbes, fungi, and bacteria, offering a vision for architecture that is alive, responsive, and ecologically embedded. From fungal bulk structures and self-pigmenting microbial leather to humidity-responsive latex and bacterial cements, the installation explores how buildings might grow, adapt, and even heal themselves. We’re excited to share this work as part of the Eureka programme, showcasing cutting-edge research-led design. Come explore a future where construction is cultivated, not manufactured. On show until 29 June. Find out more: /living-assembly/ Exhibition by: Northumbria University (Living Construction) @livingconstruction and University College London (Beckett Lab) @BeckettLab @richard.p.beckett @hanx_wei 
#LondonDesignBiennale #LivingConstruction #Biofabrication #Biodesign #Mycelium #MicrobialMaterials #ResponsiveArchitecture #FutureOfBuilding #EurekaPavilion #NorthumbriaUniversity #UCLDesign

Living Assembly: Building with Biology Presented by Living Construction group at Northumbria University & Beckett Lab at UCL at the London Design Biennale 2025 We’re excited to be part of Eureka this year with Living Assembly, an installation that explores a future where buildings are grown, not constructed. Using cutting-edge biological construction methods, this work features materials produced by microbes and fungi. It offers a glimpse into both near and distant futures of sustainable architecture—where living systems become co-designers in how we shape the built environment. Step into this fusion of design, science, and nature at London Design Biennale, opening 5 June at Somerset House. #LivingAssembly #BiologicalConstruction #FutureOfArchitecture #LDB25 #NorthumbriaUniversity #UCL #SustainableDesign #LondonDesignBiennale2025 #Eureka #LivingConstruction

We had a great opening of our 3F 2.0: Fungi Focused Fabrciation seminar with knowledge exchange workshops and microbiology crash course. We were joined by @richard.p.beckett @beckettlab and his students from Bartlett! It was lovely to host you at @integrative.design.extremes ! 💪✨

I just posted my first github project of Gcoder in Houdini. This is a tool we developed in Beckett Lab to enable the generation of 3D printing program in Houdini. This tool avoids switching between software, and potentially enhance the tool paths generation and 3DP parameters control with the computation power of Houdini. /hang-chuan-wei/houdini_G-coder #houdinifx #3dprinting #clayprinting #generativedesign #computationaldesign #digitaldesign #parametricdesign

During the initial stage of the project many many different ceramics types were tested for compatibility with the bacteria in the lab. This required small material samples of the ceramic types in the form of discs to be compatible with the dimensions of the lab equipment.

Combining different clays together can cause problems during the drying and firing process due to different shrinkages. It also creates a challenge during the fabrication process to time the colour change correctly and to avoid unwanted bleeding of materials into each other due to residue in the nozzle. However, multi-materiality also offers an exciting potential of graded microbiological functionality within one geometry!

First round of prototypes of our geometries, fabricated with 3D clay printers and ABB robots with clay extrusion nozzle

🦠 PROBIOTIC INTERVENTIONS 🧫 The goal of this EPSRC-funded project is to design benign strains of B. subtilis with long term viability, and to integrate them into porous building materials to reduce the surface prevalence of pathogenic MDROs. Alongside the digital design and fabrication work, UCL biologists are developing methodologies to test the survival of B. subtilis in various ceramic materials as well as its antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. These results are essential for the design team to further develop the design strategies and fabrication approaches. Later on in the project, the BeckettLab also aims to test the influence of different geometries on the bacteria's survival in these materials in collaboration with the biologists.