EMERGING MATERIAL: MYCELIUM BRICK

ABSTRACT

There is an increased need to find sustainable

building materials for the construction industry as
we face challenges such as, global warming etc. The
goal is to look at nature to find solutions. Nature is the
best teacher around us, as time and again, it shows us
how everything around us reacts at normal temperature
and does not need extra energy to occur. With a focus
on mycelium, the vegetative part of a fungus, this
research explores its alternate uses as a living brick.
Growth is one of the natural processes in any living
organism, and our aims to explore the properties of
mycelium as a living material to provide sustainable
design solutions. The organism, mycelium, grows at
room temperature. It feeds on natural local feedstock
like husk wheat, corn stock, etc., and it can be
naturally developed into a fibrous hardened block of
mycelium material. Incorporating such natural organism
behaviour as innovations in architecture and design
will provide a new approach to using composite
materials, moving towards a more sustainable future.