Fungi and mushrooms in sustainable design

Central Image: The Growing Pavilion (Lucas De Man & Pascal Leboucq) | Source: arquitecturaviva.com

In the era of the ever-increasing industrial processing of various raw materials, there are initiatives by groups that turn to the processing of natural materials, with the aim of using them in the fields of design and architecture. Even though these two practices have existed since ancient times, in the 21st century they have redefined the way in which we can approach each material to achieve a balanced result, always respecting the environment.

Styrofoam from fungi

For several decades, international organizations have been raising the alarm about the consequences of climate change and suggesting ways to gradually limit global warming but there hasn’t been a generalised and substantial institutional movement. According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations, just in 2018 a very large percentage of harmful carbon dioxide emissions (reaching 89%) was released into the atmosphere, as a result of the burning of fossil fuels, the number one cause of environmental pollution. Of course, the construction industry also bears a great responsibility for the ever-increasing release of dangerous gases and waste since the use of materials such as concrete and styrofoam can be fatal for the environment in the long run. After all, we must not forget that styrofoam - as a plastic material - has a lifespan of up to 500 years, whatever that may mean in terms of harming the environment.

These problems, and the effects of industrial products on the environment, have led some designers to the processing of bio-based products and renewable sources, such as wood, hemp concrete, recycled paper, and even eggshells. At the same time, the replacement of materials derived from leather is often done through the processing of fruit scraps, while in many cases there is also the use of 3D printing objects derived from waste and fungi such as mycelium, which is often used as an insulating material.

More specifically, mycelium is the plant-based part of a fungus. It grows by forming a filamentous network structure within the ground and other substrates. This underground, filamentous network of fungi, often referred to as the Wood Wide Web, is vital to the survival of our natural environment as it forms bonds with the root networks of plants and trees, thereby developing an underground communication system, able to transport nutrients and at the same time protect the plant from dangerous substances. In addition, it is responsible for the breakdown of dead plants and organisms, revitalizing the soil and enabling the growth of new plant life.

Thus, through proper use of technology, the above products can be transformed into building materials, as Lucas De Man and Pascal Leboucq (Biobased Creations) demonstrate with their work. Basing their work on circular bioeconomy, De Man and Leboucq created The Growing Pavilion, first presented at Dutch Design Week 2019 and recreated for Floriade Expo 2022. The pavilion for the dutch exhibition is made from natural materials, like wood and wool, while agricultural waste has also been used as well as cattails. The use of mycelium instead of styrofoam leads to the total exclusion, in the entire construction, of mineral resources or plastic. As stated by its designers, the structure is dedicated to bio-based materials, which give a different aesthetic to the final result. At the same time, the perfect collaboration of the raw materials is demonstrated since all the different products used are clearly visible.

The Growing Pavilion (Dutch design week, 2019) | Image Source: 2021.prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu

A similar approach to the use of materials is followed by the team of Blast Studio. Exploiting the properties of mycelium, Paola Garnousset, Martin Detoeuf and Pierre de Pingon create, mainly with the help of 3D printing, furniture, sculptures and general interior objects, made from an alloy of discarded coffee cups and mycelium. A good example of their design approach is Tree Column, created through an algorithm capable of producing shapes that favour the growth and processing of mycelium. In turn, the horizontal axis of Tree Column led to the design of the Tree Table coffee table, proving that the functionality of objects is not pre-defined by the material of construction. 

Image Source: design-milk.com

Fungi and design

The contribution of fungi and bacteria to the protection and healthy development of the environment is proven, even though the two words have acquired a different, perhaps frightening, connotation in everyday language. With this property of fungi in mind, product and furniture designer Satoshi Itasaka proceeded to build the Fungi Stool. The seat, which consists of a wooden and metal frame, is literally a living organism since in time, the fungi grow into mushrooms.  In this way, the seat blossoms, taking the form of a large volume of mushrooms. Similar work has been done in the project Burlasite, a large installation that won this year’s Tallinn Architecture Biennale and is based around the use and 3D printing of mycelium. Once again, wood is used -sourced from the local timber industry- for the 3D printed frame of the structure, which makes evident the passage of time through the processes of composition and decomposition of the materials, since, through the injection of the mushrooms into its foundations, the mycelium will grow and harden to create a solid volume.

View of the mycelium, Burlasite. Image source: freight.cargo.site

The properties of mycelium have, of course, been recognized by other designers. Among them are Sebastian Cox, Ninela Ivanova, Phil Ross (MycoWorks) and Ehab Sayed (Biohm). Taking advantage of the mycelium, they proceeded to manufacture objects that can be environmentally friendly, without, however, losing in comfort and design.

Seat made from wood and mycelium (Sebastian Cox & Ninela Ivanova) | Image source: criticalconcrete.com

Are all materials meant for all fields of practice?

However, we must not forget that the purpose of turning to biodegradable and alternative materials is to identify their main advantages and use them in a way that, among other things, benefits the environment and saves energy. Obviously, these highly promising efforts are at an experimental stage, but we should not forget that the universal use of various alternative materials can bring the opposite of the desired results. For this reason, small and careful steps are necessary on the road to sustainability and to avoid catastrophic mistakes in the future. 

Sources/ Further reading

Έκθεση του ΟΗΕ για το Kλίμα – Αντόνιο Γκουτέρες: Βρισκόμαστε σε ταχεία πορεία προς την καταστροφή. From: unric.org.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. From: ipcc.ch. 

Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. From: single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu.

S. Menjivar & F. Gorji (2021). What are Bio-based materials? From: plugandplaytechcenter.com.

Fungi grow and bloom like flowers in satoshi itasaka's mushroom stool. From: designboom.com.

K. Cowan (2019). Ehab Sayed of Biohm on sustainable materials, growing mushrooms that eat plastic and changing the industry. From: materialsource.co.uk. 

BUILDING WITH MUSHROOMS. From: criticalconcrete.com.

*For Biobased Creations, on: biobasedcreations.com.

*For Blast studio, on: blast-studio.com. 

*For MycoWorks, on: mycoworks.com.  

*For Sebastian Cox and Ninela Ivanova, on: sebastiancox.co.uk.