MYCELIUM IN THE DESIGN WORLD
ashani trinh kusske design initiative 1
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ABSTRACT The purpose of this notebook is to document and research mycelium. The goal is to test different substrates to find the best mixture in creating an alternative modeling material. Foam will be used as a material comparison. Beginning by comparing the material’s life cycle and modeling properties. The outcome of this research is to attempt to create an alternative material to foam. A material that is natural, easily created, and biodegradable.
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WHY MYCELIUM? 4
FOAM MATERIAL CRADLE TO GRAVE The production of foam has a negative impact on the environment and our health. Natural materials are harvested then produced in a factory and transported to retail. The foam material arrives to the consumer who use it to temporarily model a design. That model then eventually goes into landfill taking an estimate of 500 years to degrade (Office).
Office, Sustainability, and Comments. “Styrofoam: Why It Is Harmful, and Alternatives.” Sustainability News RSS, November 10, 2011. http:// blogs.colgate.edu/sustainability/2011/11/10/styrofoam-why-it-is-harmfulalternatives/#:~:text=According%20to%20Washington%20University%2C%20 Styrofoam,major%20ecological%20impact%20is%20great.
MYCELIUM MATERIAL CRADLE TO CRADLE
Currently, mycelium kits are available to purchase for personal use. The use of transportation to export the kit is inevitable. The kit requires two simple ingredients, water and flour, to active the mycelium. The material then grows within 5-7 days. After growth, it can be packed into a mold which then grows into it’s form within 5-7 days. The form is then extracted and dried for two days. The material then can be manipulated and shaped by the consumer, broken into small bits, and then tossed outside. Nature will take over and degrade the material in 45 days (Night). It’s suggested to add seeds to the growth process to optimize the disposal process to create new growth of vegetation.
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COVER WITH PLASTIC WRAP
PRESS INTO MOLDS
ADD FLOUR AND WATER
BREAK INTO SMALLER BITS
EXTRACT MYCELIUM FORM FROM BAG
LEARNING FROM ANNE HENLY
PAPER, STRAW AND SAWDUST To expand the growth of the mycelium kit, additional test substrates will be added. The substrates used consists of natural materials and can be easily obtainable. These substrates are recycled ink paper, dried Minnesota native straw, and scrap saw dust. These materials are typically recycled or disposed of, but given another chance, it can be re-purposed into another form.
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MARCH 10, 2022
MARCH 09, 2022
MARCH 08, 2022
GROWTH PROCESS
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Today I started the mycelium kit. I made sure to sanitize everything with 99% alcohol to prevent contamination. To start the kit, I added 3 cups of water and 4 tablespoons of flour. I mixed the water and flour first and then poured it into the kit bag. I then rolled the top and vigorously shook it. The kit will be housed in the green house with a humidifier and a consistent temperature of 70-75 degrees.
Checking in on the kit and nothing has really changed.
Checking in and the mycelium has began to fill in the voids.
MARCH 12, 2022 MARCH 13, 2022
Checking in and the mycelium has continued to grow.
Checking in and the mycelium has dominated the substrate and became more firm.
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TESTING SUBSTRATES
MARCH 14, 2022 It has now been six days and the kit is ready for the next steps. I will divide the contents into two and add two different substrates.
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RECYCLED INKED-PAPER
SANITIZE WITH ALCOHOL
ADD TO MYCELIUM KIT
FLOUR, WATER, MIX
NATIVE STRAW
CUT
ADD TO MYCELIUM KIT
FLOUR, WATER, MIX
SAW DUST
AUTOCLAVE
ADD TO MYCELIUM KIT
FLOUR, WATER, MIX
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MARCH 18, 2022
MARCH 17, 2022
MARCH 16, 2022
MARCH 14, 2022
GROWTH PROCESS
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Starting Growth Process Left: Paper Substrate Right: Native Straw Substrate (Sawdust did not arrive until later)
Mycelium begins to rapidly accumulate in paper substrate (left bag). Slight change to native straw substrate.
Mycelium continues to spread.
Substrate tests are almost ready for the next steps.
NATIVE DRIED STRAW
RECYCLED INKED PAPER
ANALYZING THE SUBSTRATES MARCH 20, 2022
• Clumpy • Ink text remains intact • Paper is more transparent • Ripped paper has not changed form • Packed densely • Difficult to break into smaller bits, probably because the paper also acts as a binder
• Not as dense as the paper test • Easier to break into smaller bits • Straw still in original form • More volume of material than paper
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GROWTH: INCREASE CAPACITY AND FORM
Left: Paper Substrate Middle: Native Straw Substrate Right: Saw Dust
MARCH 21, 2022
MARCH 23, 2022
Left: Paper Substrate Right: Native Straw Substrate
I noticed that the paper substrate is the most successful. It has been consumed by mycelium within the third day. This can be compared to the native straw substrate, where mycelium has barely developed.
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MARCH 24, 2022
MARCH 26, 2022
Here, the paper is 90% mycelium where the native straw is roughly 30% mycelium.
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ANALYZING THE MOLDS
NATIVE DRIED STRAW
RECYCLED INKED PAPER
MARCH 31, 2022
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The form has been removed from the molds and are ready to dry for two days.
The paper is easily digestible for the mycelium and creates a stronger bond. No gaps and equally uniform.
The straw is course and held its original shape. There are more gaps, making the form brittle.
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FAILURES
This is a photo of a kit I started past the suggested use by date. It did not grow any mycelium but instead mold. This had to be discarded.
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This is a photo of the native straw substrate molded into a flat sheet. I noticed that after the first batch, the mycelium didn’t thrive as it did with the paper. This too was discarded.
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TEST In this section, I will test the forms I have created through modeling techniques. As an architecture student, physical models are commonly constructed by various materials. In this case, foam is a cheap material that can be easily obtained and manipulated. Foam is also a material that has a negative effect on the environment and degrades slowly in landfill. The purpose of this research is to create an alternative material for model making. We have seen how it grows and which substrate promotes the best growth. Now we will put those substrates to the test and see how it compares to foam.
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MYCELIUM STRAW SUBSTRATE MYCELIUM PAPER SUBSTRATE
HIGH DENSITY URETHANE FOAM BOARD
FOAM BOARD
Visually, there are different aesthetics. The foam is more monotone, smooth, and glossy while the mycelium is patchy, textured, with warm tones. The native straw was more brittle and lost some corners during assembly. Moving forward, native straw should not be a substrate used for model making. It is too course and it grew poorly as compared to paper. Final thoughts: Mycelium Paper Substrate would be the best alternative to foam boards. Since models are typically thrown away after projects, mycelium would be the best choice. It can be made of recyclable materials and biodegradable.
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MYCELIUM: PAPER SUBSTRATE
HIGH DENSITY URETHANE
SANDING
Using an electric dremel, I created a half circle void and rounded the corners. The High Density Urethane (HDU) was quicker to manipulate than the Mycelium: Paper Substrate, but not by much. The HDU also produced more dust when sanding. The Mycelium form did tend to break into smaller chunks because the substrate was course and irregular. Final thoughts: I think Mycelium could be an alternative material replacement as it can be manipulated as HDU without the negative impacts. There could be further testing to gain a similar consistency as HDU.
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Note: I tried doing the same process to the native straw substrate but it did not work. The straw was too thick and course.
CUTTING Using a cutting tool and straight edge to cut the material in a desired shape. I found both material to cut easily. The paper on the foam can tear if cut too quickly or harshly. The mycelium can also rip off chunks if cut in the same manner. Final thoughts: This would also be another situation where mycelium could replace foam boards.
ASSEMBLING AND GLUING Using a cutting tool and straight edge to cut the material in a desired shape. I found both material to cut easily. The paper on the foam can tear if cut too quickly or harshly. The mycelium can also rip off chunks if cut in the same manner. Final thoughts: This would also be another situation where mycelium could replace foam boards.
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PHYSICAL MODEL MADE OF MYCELIUM STRAW: BASE AND ROOF PAPER: WALLS AND CHIMNEY
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END OF LIFE This final section will capture the degradation process of mycelium samples. During this time, it is winter season so the degradation will differ from being outside. I placed the sample in two different tubs on store bought peat moss. The left tub will periodically be watered while the right tub will remain dry. This process of end of life is not realistic as it is indoors and conditioned. If placed outside there are natural microbial to help break down the material. Weather such as heating, cooling, rain, wind, etc would also effect the mycelium. Animals and insects could also influence the material. Grace Night from Grow Bio stated “45 days on land when broken up into small pieces and incorporated into the soil. 180 days to decompose in a body of water” (Night). 26
Night, Grace, and Ashani Trinh. Degradation of Mycelium. Personal, April 12, 2022.
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JANUARY 05, 2022
JANUARY 11, 2022
white/gray fuzzy mold 28
no change
JANUARY 25, 2022
green mold
no change
FEBRUARY 07, 2022
green mold, white mold spots
no change 29
FEBRUARY 14, 2022
small brown stems with caps forming
no change
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
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green mold dust like when sprayed with water
no change
MARCH 06, 2022
more white mold
no change
MARCH 14, 2022
growth of white mold
no change 31
MARCH 23, 2022
larger piece underneath becomes darker
no change
MARCH 31, 2022
more green mold 32
no change
APRIL 12, 2022
more white mold
no change
APRIL 19, 2022
more white mold
no change 33
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THANK YOU I would like to express my gratitude to the Kusske Design Initiative for giving me the opportunity and funding to explore with mycelium. I’ve learned so much during this journey and hope that it will inspire others to make a difference.
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