MycoCreate 2.0 introduces a computational form-finding strategy for compression only, component-based spatial structures fabricated with mycelium-based composites (MBC). These components are cultivated within recyclable paper-based formworks that mycelium started to decompose during growth. MycoCreate 2.0 tapped into the structural aspects of MBC — their lightness, ability to bond during natural growth, and biodegradability. MBC are lightweight, renewable, and biodegradable bio-based materials obtained from mycelium, the root systems of fungi. There is a growing interest in mycelium-based materials from the architecture community, mainly due to their sustainable features. The use of MBC in architectural construction is still experimental but the existing research shows that it can significantly reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and the embodied energy required for construction. It can also decrease the amount of waste that is left at the end of buildings' lifecycles. MBC are biodegrade upon demolishing and they can be cultivated on a wide range of organic agricultural and urban waste. This enables the re-entry of waste materials into a circular economy instead of being discarded as landfill.

Research Team: Ali Ghazvinian, Benay Gürsoy, Arman Khalilbeigi, Esmaeil Mottaghi
Publication:
Year: 2022