Personal Statement
Richard Koeck is a Professor and Chair in Architecture and the Visual Arts at the Liverpool School of Architecture and is Director of the Centre for Architecture and the Visual Arts (CAVA). He holds a professional degree in Architecture from Germany and two postgraduate degrees from the University of Cambridge in Architecture and the Moving Image (M.Phil. and Ph.D.). He served as Director of Postgraduate Research (2012-14) and as Associate Dean / Head of Research & Impact (2014-17) of the School of the Arts, where he was responsible for the strategic and operational research leadership of five departments.

Prof. Koeck's research is situated in Architecture and Design theory and practice, where he provides insight into, and defines new ways of thinking about the representation of and engagement with architectural and urban forms, narratives and creative design practices. His research combines three principle interlocking knowledge domains: space, media and people. Within this wide field, he is known for providing insight into the future design of spaces, buildings and cities – through the study of physical space as well as mediated through, e.g. visual arts (e.g. film, animation), digital and locative media (e.g. AR/VR/digital screens) as well as information and artificial intelligence systems.

He is a multidisciplinary expert whose work bridges architecture, design, and audio-visual digital media, with a focus on the intersection of space, media, and culture. He specializes in combining design and systems thinking within a transdisciplinary, impact-driven framework to explore the future of spatial design. His research and practice encompass both physical spaces and their mediated expressions through audio-visual arts (film, animation, sound), digital and locative media (AR, VR, digital screens), and artificial intelligence-powered information systems. This integrated approach serves as a foundation for generating innovative ideas, concepts, and insights into the design of buildings, cities, and interactive environments.

As the Director of CAVA | Centre of Architecture and the Visual Arts at the University of Liverpool and co-founder/director of CineTecture Ltd, Prof. Koeck combines significant practice and industry experience with leadership in R&D and innovation on major UKRI-funded initiatives. His roles have enabled him to deliver high-impact projects across the UK, EU, and China. He also serves as a Creative Industry champion, sits on panels for leading funding bodies in the UK and EU, and shares his expertise through keynote addresses at international conferences and summits around the world (e.g. AA/London, ETH/Zürich, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, SIT & NUS/Singapore, Global Cities Forum/Shanghai; World Cities Culture Forum in Chengdu, China).

He is the author of journal papers and book chapters; co-editor of several books, including Cities in Film: Architecture, Urban Space and the Moving Image (2008), The City and the Moving Image (2010), Cinematic Urban Geographies (2017); and author of monographs such as Cine|Scapes: Cinematic Spaces in Architecture and Cities (Routledge, 2012) and The Art of Spatial Illusion: Immersive Encounters between People, Media, and Place (Routledge, 2024). Currently, he leads the £6.75m UKRI Creative Cluster initiative, MusicFutures: Transforming the UK’s Music Ecosystem, which aims to enhance Liverpool’s global reputation for music business and innovation while future-proofing the UK music industry on the global stage.

Research Overview
http://www.cava-research.org