MYCOFORM
Mycelia Amalgamation Methods for Urban Growth
Credits: Mitchell Joachim, Maria Aiolova, Oliver Medvedik, Dylan Butman, Greg Mulholland.
Mycoform structure grown from strains of fungi into a specific 3D fabricated geometry. The main objective of Mycoform is to establish a smart, self-sufficient, perpetual-motion construction technology. By combining fungal mycelia with varying types of organic substrates and carefully controlling their expansion within prefabricated molds, we will create the literal growth of structural materials. The Mycoform is grown from biological materials. The process is pollution free, and has the potential to contain a low embodied energy as part of a local ecosystem. The polypore fugal species Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi), possesses enzymes that readily digest a wide variety of cellulose based organic byproducts. The rapid growth of branching mycelia results in a dense matrix capable of structural support. The fugal substance is combined with a strong and durable outer layer shield of compacted material such as recycled aluminum. The Mycoform Building Block production is a low-tech, low energy process. Few inexpensive readily available tools, free refuse and agricultural byproducts, 80 F and humidity is all that is needed to compact and grow a mycelium building block. The technology is easily transferable to the developing world where building materials are scarce and expensive.The New Museum model was grown in a period of 10 days in incubator starting with a mixture of oak pellet fuel, wheat bran, gypsum, and hydrogen peroxide resulting in a dense mycelium structure. |
