Mycorrhizal Rejuvenation Learning Center Bridgeport, South Branch Chicago River, IL.
How Can Architecture Act As a Regenerative Force? Learning from Nature
What is Mycelium? Mushrooms and Fungi
Mycelium has inhabited the earth for over 600 million years. It is the largest and most resilient organism known to man. The largest continuous specimen is 2,400 acres in size, as a species it has survived multiple extinction events, and every time this event has occurred mycelium has played a fundamental role in re-establishing a climate that is hospitable to other forms of life. Virtually all land based natural habitats are dependent on it in order to survive. So what exactly is mycelium and why is it important? Mycelium is a root system which in one phase of its life it fruits mushrooms. The Mycorrhizial form of fungi is said to act as nature!s neurological network by attaching itself to plant roots then gathering and distributing nutrients across great distances and between different plant species thus creating a symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi in which food is shared. Mycelium also plays a essential role in any ecosystem by recycling soils and breaking down complex organic compounds into simpler, more digestible forms, thereby creating nutrient rich soil to feed plants and thus animals. Mycelium establishes a platform from which ecosystems can achieve the closed loop cycle of nutrients that they need to sustainably survive. There are many lessons to be learned from mycelium which could lead to more responsible design and practice.
How Can it Benefit Us? The Business Model
Mycelium has the ability to help us by generating and strengthening economic, social, and environmental equity.
Soil Remediation 97% reduction in polynuclear aromatic hydro carbon content in 8 weeks costs $50/ton to remediate with mycelium costs $1400/ton to remediate with incineration Shown to hyper accumulate or break down: dyes, munitions, chemical weapons, dioxin, chlorine, and many more can generate nutrient rich soils for agriculture
Pesticide Replacement environmentally friendly product: cordyceps fungi results in spore growth erupting from insect acts as a deterrent for future potential infestations
Economic
Ecological
Packaging Replacement 30% volume of our landfills is composed of packaging grows at ambient temperature in 5 days can grown on agricultural waste products 100% biological yield 100% decomposable currently available on market
Urban Renewal can act as a means of brownfield site remediation could help urban centers reclaim and develop valuable property could create public attractions
Job Creation
Medicine penicillin is derived from a fungi has displayed anti-viral activity against: pox virus, cancers, HIV, Influenza, Herpes, Hepatitis B
Food can increase the rate of growth of other plant species can allow crops to grow in areas which are not significant sources of plant nutrients can be easily shipped across the globe
train scientists as myco technicians train landscape architects with understanding of mycelium catalyse growth by developing compromised sites help generate new sources of income
Ecological Restoration mycorrhizal species of fungi improve resiliency of plant species 95% of studied plant species display a mycorrhizal relationship with fungi can increase the chances that a plant will survive in a compromised site can increase ecological quality, diversity, and value
Water Filtration
over 100 species of mycelium have been found to have specific antimicrobial effects on a variety of pathogenic microbes a 100 fold decreases in coliform effluent levels in an outdoor experiment 100% effectiveness in vitro in inhibiting the malarial parasite
Social
Stamets, Paul. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2005. Bayer, Eben. “Are Mushrooms the New Plastic?� www.ted.com. Web. 04 Oct 2010.
My Mycelium Refrigerated Growth Experiment
During the course of this project I ran a 5 month experiment growing my own enokitake mushrooms in my refridgerator. This particular species can grow in relatively cold conditions in whichmany other microbes will not be able to compete. It can also be frozen without damaging the mycelium. From this experiment I gain first hand experience with cultivation strategies and I used this information to generate the concepts of how various nutrients flow through the building.
Life According to a Protistologist 2005 International Society of Protistologists Classification In 2005 the Internatinal Society of Protistologists updated the classification system for organizing different living organisms into catagories. According to this system both fungi and humans are part of the same kingdom of life. Since 2005 humans are officially related to fungi.
Domains Bacteria
Archaea
Kingdoms Bacteria
Archaea
Excavata
Life
Amoebozoa
Opisthokonta
Eukarya Rhizaria
Chromalveolata
Archaeplastida
Wikipedia contributors. "Kingdom Biology." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 20 June. 2011. Web. 24 June. 2011.
Evolution of Life Timeline Proterozoic Eon
Feeling a little small?
Multicellular Life: 1 billion years
Mycelium: 600 million years
Paleozoic Era
Land Plants: 475 million years
O–S extinction event: 450 million years Insects: 400 million years
Late Devonian extinction event: 360 million years Amphibians: 360 million years
Reptiles: 300 million years
End Permian excinction event: 251 million years End Triassic extinction event: 205 million years
Mesozoic Era Cenozoic Era
Phanerozoic Eon
Complex Animals: 550 million years
Mammals: 200 million years Birds: 150 million years Flowers: 130 million years
K–Pg extinction event: 65 million years Raise of the genus homo: 2.5 million years
Homosapien: 200 thousand years
Wikipedia contributors. "Evolution Timeline." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 20 June. 2011. Web. 24 June. 2011.
The Genus Guide to Mycelium
Agaricus (Arvensis, Bernardii, Bisporus...) Agrocybe (Aegerita) Antrodia (Radiculosa) Armillaria (Ostoyae) Boletus (Badius,Edulis) Bjerkandera (Adusta) Chlorophyllum (Rachodes) Coprinus (Comatus) Cordyceps (Sinesis) Flammulina (Velutipes) Fomes (Fomentarius) Fomitopsis (Pinicola,Officinalis) Ganoderma (Applanatum, Lucidum) Gloeophyllum (Trabeum) Gomphidius (Glutinosus) Grifola (Frondosa) Hericium (Erniaceus) Hypholoma (Capnoides,Sublatertium) Hypsizygus (Ulmarius) Inonotus (Obliquus) Irpex (Lacteus) Laetiporus (Sulphureus) Lentinula (Edodes) Macrolepiota (Procera) Meruliporia (Incrassata) Morchella (Angusticeps, Atretomentosa, Spp.) Mycena (Alcalina) Naematoloma (Frowardii) Paxillus (Atretomentosa) Phanerochaete (Chrysosporium) Pholiota (Nameko) Piptoporus (Bentulinus) Pleurotus (Eryngii,Oystreatus, Pulmonarius) Psilocybe (Cubensis,Cyanescens,Spp...) Serpula (Lacrymans) Sparassis (Crispa) Stropharia (Rugoso-annulata) Trametes (Hirsuta, Versicolor)
Trinitrotoluene
Pentachlorophenols
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Organophosphates
Dioxin
Dimethyl Methyl Phosphate
Chlorine
Chromated Copper Arsenate
Benzopyrenes
Anti-Chemical Activity
Anthracenes
40
60
80
Logs,Stumps,Snags
Wood Chipss
Grass and Leaf Litter
Manured Soils
Genus (Secies) Preferred Habitats Fruiting Temperatures
Grassland
Choose your fungi
Extreme
Stress Reduction
Sexual Potentiation
Nerve Tonic
Lung/Respiratory
Liver Tonic
Kidney Tonic
Immune Enhancement
Cholesterol Reduction
Cardiovascular
Glucose Moderation
Blood Pressure
Anti-Viral
Anti-Tumor
Anti-Oxidant
Anti-Inflammatory
Anti-Candida
Listeria Monocytogenes Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Plasmodium Falciparun Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Pseudomonas Fluurescens Staphylococcus Aurues Strptococcus Pneumoniae Streptococcus Pyogenes Anti-bacterial
Escherichia Coli
Candida Albicans
Bacillus Spp.
Aspergillus Niger
Significant
Copper
Mercury
Lead
Some
Radioactive Cesium
Cadmium
Arsenic
Hyper Accumulation Anti-Microbial Activity Medicinal Properties
Stamets, Paul. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2005.
The Union Stockyards South Branch Chicago River, IL.
The Union Stockyards, located along the South Branch of the Chicago River, is a marvel to both the innovation of man and the ecological disasters we are willing to create in order to acquire modern day comforts. At the peak of its operation the stockyards covered 640 acres of land, employed 40,000 people, and processed 82% of the United States! domestic meat. The stockyards were said to be the birthplace of some of America!s first truly global industries. However, due to the intensity of the activity that took place in the area the stockyards created an ecological disaster. During operation it would consume up to 500,000 gallons of water a day and the effluents would enter the river. Thus the infamous bubbly creek was born named after the off gassing that results from the decomposing animal matter in the creek. In 1971 the stockyards closed and today a once booming neighborhood has been transformed into a series of abandoned post industrial sites surrounded by primarily residential neighborhoods.
0! 250! 100! 500!
1000! 2000!
"Chicago City of the Century." An American Experience. PBS. 2003. Television. Wikipedia contributors. "Chicago." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.
The Santa Fe Grain Silo S. Damen Ave. and 29th St.
Raising up to fifteen stories in height, grain elevators are said to be the city!s first skyscrapers. The Santa Fe Railroad Grain Elevator was constructed in 1906 during the height of Chicago!s grain processing boom by the John S. Metcalf Company. It has 35 storage silos and a 14 silo work house. The silo!s measure 24 feet in diameter and are 80 feet tall in the storage portion and 100 feet tall in the work house. This building stands as a monument to the past but if left in its current state of neglect it will inevitably be lost. Rather than letting this building go to waste it could be revitalized through an adaptive reuse project transforming it into a mycelium research center and museum. The building could act as a living laboratory by helping to remediate the ecological damage done in the neighborhood, generate new mycelium based biotechnologies, and showcasing the potential of mycelium to the public.
0!
50!
100!
300!
Kethum, Milo Smith. The design of walls, bins, and grainelevators. New York: The Engineering News Publishing Co., 1907. kendoman26. "santa fe grain silo chicago" 19 May 2010. Online image. Flickr. 26 Dec 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/kendo26/4626599880/> statlerhotel. "santa fe grain silo chicago" 12 May 2007. Online image. Flickr. 26 Dec 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/statlerhotel/2368985771/> istorija. "santa fe grain silo chicago" 25 August 2009. Online image. Flickr. 26 Dec 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/istorija/3898667057/>
Urban Rejuvenation Mycelium Improvement Projects
A mycelium research institute combined with a public learning center could act as a catalyst project that could result in the revitalization of a large urban region. Because of its adjacency to the river, the city!s park greenbelt, and numerous means of transportation this area has a potentially high value to the city in terms of economic, social, and environmental equity. This part of the city contains many abandoned post-industrial buildings and brownfield sites but if these sites could be restored the entire city of Chicago would greatly benefit. Mycelium could be the key to accomplishing this goal.
Industrial Program: cellulose
auto
glass
food
MEP
other
0! 250!
metal
art
site
100! 500!
Pathways:
MycoRestoration
pollutants
Burlap Spawn Fungi
greenways
Mycelium Rejuvenation: ecosystem restoration
Mycelium Spawn
Burlap Sacks Burlap Bunkers
Cardboard Spawn
water filtration soil remediation Inset into Compromised Site
Restored Site
1000! 2000!
Site Restoration Restoring Value
The landscape immediately adjacent to river is of particular high value to the city. Once transformed into the Mycorrhizal Rejuvenation Learning Center the silos could act as a source of regeneration for this valuable property. The surrounding landscape would be designed to exhibit mycelium in the form of mushroom gardens and small scale habitat restoration projects that would also provide a low cost means to clean polluted soils and water around the site.
Site Textures: Car Paving
Asphalt
Rail Tracks
Permeable Paver
Roads
Grass
Water
Contaminant X
Bridges
Contaminant Y
Gravel
Composting Soils
Growth Medium Mycorrhizal Trees
Myco Filtration Gourmet Mushrooms Myco Restoration
S Damen Ave.
Myco Remediation
Adjacent Buildings: industrial history museum mushroom restaurant
Silo Reuse: Water Treatment Offices Support Spaces Soil Remediation Research Mycelium Growth Museum Space
29th St.
0!
MycoFiltration Loose Straw Mycelium Woodchips/Newspaper (Local Waste Sources)
50!
100!
300!
MycoRemediation Effluent Source Water Retention Pond Mycorrhzial Tree Species Offshore Mycofilter
Mycorrhizal Tree Species Mycelium Garden Toxic Soil treated for Heavy Metals Toxic Soil Treated for Hydrocarbons Matts Inoculated With Mycelium Mycelium Sacks Nutrient Rich Soil For Planting
Building Nutrient Cycle Facilitating Growth
Input
Demands
Rain Water Water Filtration
Grey Water Black Water Nutrients
Inoculation
Spores
Incubation
Germination
Substrate
Contaminants Air
Resupply
Water Untreated, typical grid water is not recommended for mushroom growth however, many contaminants in grey and black water are nutrients for mycelium.
Nutrients The trick to successful growth is to create an environment in which the mycelium has a microbial advantage. Ideal nutrients can be a simple mixture: 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 table spoon sugar/gallon of water.
Cultivation
Ingredients
Energy
Inoculation To inoculate a food stock with mycelium add the spores to the nutrient enriched water: .5 - 1g spores/ gallon of water. Cover immediately and incubate at room temperature shaking vigorously twice a day. After 24 - 48 hours add the mycelium to the substrate.
Germination Spores germinate into mycelium. When this mycelium is used to inoculate more material, it is called spawn. Spawn can be collected and transplanted physically to different locations and used for its benefits.
Spores
Cold Incubation
Mushrooms give off spores which can be used to inoculate new food stocks and expand yield. Approximately 50% of the mass of a mushroom can be in the form of spores. 1 gram of spores = roughly 1 billion spores.
Pleurotus species of mushrooms such as Oyster and Enoki have a microbial advantage at low temperatures and particularly useful for remediation strategies. Simply broadcast the mycelium onto wet straw. The spawn should be 10% to 30% of the mass of the total mixture. Freezing will not kill the spawn.
Substrate
Light
Mycelium can grow on a wide variety of food stocks including: Cardboard Burlap Logs Sawdust Newspaper Agricultural Waste
Most Mycelium does not require sunlight to grow.
Output Potable Water Grey Water Black Water Mushroom Spores
Research and Occupancy
Medical Research Spawn Cultivation
Chemical Replacements Material Replacements Mycelium
Degradation
Composting Nutrient Rich Soil Heat Capture
Heat Capture As mycelium break down the compounds in soil it gives off heat which can be recycled through the building. Microbial activity in soils can bring temperao o tures to above 160 F.
Spawn Capture Electrostatic filters in close proximity or downwind from fruiting mycelium will capture more than 90% of spores. Using the stack effect, natural ventilation can be used to help capture spawn and cultivate more mycelium. Other spawn collection methods Include: making a spore print by placing a mushroom cap on glass or paper, and placing the caps and stems into nutrient enriched water.
Water Capture Total Roof Area: 31,154.57 ft 2 Rainwater Budget: 2.85 ft rainfall/year x 31,154.57 ft x 7.48 gallons/ft2 = 664,153.13 gallons rainfall/year 3
Water Storage
Recapture
Spore Capture
Research Silos 35 x
12!
+ 24 x
A = 452.39 ft 2
12!
= 18,260.28 ft
2
A = 101.11ft 2
Support Silos 13 x
15!
A = 706.28 ft
15!
+6x
2
A = 257.52 ft
= 12,894.29 ft 2
2
Storage Capacity A = 706.28 ft
black water
2
grey water
2
V = 706.28 ft x 80 ft = 56,502.4 ft 3
3 3
Silo Capacity = 56,502.4 ft x 7.48 gallons/ft = 422,637.95 gallons Total Capacity = 422,637.95 gallons/silo x 4 silos = 1,690,551.8 gallons
rain water nutrient enriched water
Stamets, Paul. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2005.
Building Program Research and Fungi Museum
1
3
5 4
2
water treatment
exhibition
misc. spaces
water storage
public space
research access
mycelium growth
loading
public access
research
circulation
18
18
6
Support Silos 1 2 3 4 5
storage loading water treatment flow control water tanks
8 7
7
9
Research Silos 6 7 8 9 10
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
11 12
loading and processing research facility entrance growth chambers central research node soil and water testing
Exhibition Silos 11
11
10
14
13 15
17
18
secondary exhibition cylinders research observation area water collection garden entrance primary exhibition cylinder information mushroom supply orders exterior walkway access public entrance
16
18
19
0!
nutrient feeding system
light
research
10!
50!
water
growth
ventilation
Remediation Water and Soil Treatment
1
2
4 3
1
water treatment
exhibition
research access
water storage
public space
public access
mycelium growth
circulation
research
misc. spaces
5
Support Silos 1 2 3 4
storage soil treatment system monitoring water tanks
6
7
Research Silos 5 6 7 8
lab stations growth chamber central research node Contaminant reaction testing
Exhibition Silos 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
secondary exhibition cylinders research observation area water collection primary exhibition cylinder atrium walkway atrium growth trays plant and mycorrhizia atrium exterior cultivation walkway nutrient feeding system
9
9 10 11
8
12 13
14
15
16
nutrient feeding system
light
research
water
growth
ventilation
Material Growth Biodegradable Solutions
1
2
3
material growth
exhibition
research access
water storage
public space
public access
mycelium growth
circulation
research
misc. spaces
4
Support Silos 1 2 3
storage material growth room water tanks
5
Research Silos 4 5 6 7
lab stations growth chamber central research node material properties testing
6
8 7 9
Exhibition Silos 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
research observation area water collection primary exhibition cylinder atrium walkway atrium growth trays plant and mycorrhizia atrium exterior cultivation walkway nutrient feeding system
10 11
12 13
14
nutrient feeding system
light
research
water
growth
ventilation
Chemical Properties Environmentally Friendly Alternatives
1
2 3
4
offices
exhibition
research access
water storage
public space
public access
mycelium growth
circulation
research
misc. spaces
5
Support Silos 1 2 3 4
storage private offices open offices water tanks
6
7
Research Silos 5 6 7 8
lab stations growth chamber central research node chemical testing lab
Exhibition Silos 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
research observation area water collection primary exhibition cylinder atrium walkway atrium growth trays plant and mycorrhizia atrium exterior cultivation walkway nutrient feeding system
9 8 10 11 12
13 14
15
nutrient feeding system
light
research
water
growth
ventilation
Building Section Water, Spawn, Heat, Ventilation
Atrium Design
Display Symbiotic Relation Between Plants and Fungi
Patterning
Artificial Growth The facade of the building is designed with an artificial growth pattern that is inspired by a mushroom spore print and based on the combination of a polar and Cartesian grid that grow and shrink using factors of 2. The intent is to have different apertures of light entering an interstitial area between the interior and exterior where various plants and mushrooms can grow. The different plant species that thrive under the various conditions created in this space will determine how the building looks. The result is a juxtaposition between natural and artificial growth patterns and an area where biologists can experiment and discover what plant species manage to survive in these micro climates, many mushrooms can thrive in cold conditions and they become more resilient under microbially competitive conditions outside, thus becoming more adept at remediating soils and water. Artificial Growth Natural Growth
Mushroom Spore Print
Polar Grid 1: Grid spacing scale factor = 2 Number of Circles = n/2^x X=0,1,2...
Combined Grid
Polar Grid 2: Grid spacing scale factor = .5 Number of Circles = 2^x X=2,3,4...
Cartesian Grid: Grid spacing scale factor = .5 Number of Circles = 2^x X=2,3,4...
Perforation Pattern
Application of the Skin Juxtiposition Between Natural and Artificial Patterning
South East Elevation
0!
10!
50!
Sources Many Thanks
Resources: Bayer, Eben. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are Mushrooms the New Plastic?â&#x20AC;? www.ted.com. Web. 04 Oct 2010. McLennan, Jason F. The Philosophy of Sustainable Design. Banbridge Island: Ecotone, LLC: 2004. MGA van der Heijden, and IR Sanders. Mycorrhizal Ecology. Berlin; New York: Springer, 2002. SE Smith, DJ Read, and JL Harley. Mycorrhizal Symbiosis. 2nd ed. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1997. Stamets, Paul. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2005. William McDonough and Michael Braungart. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. New York: North Point Press, 2002. Wikipedia contributors. "Mycorrhiza." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2011. Wikipedia contributors. "Kingdom Biology." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 20 June. 2011. Web. 24 June. 2011. Wikipedia contributors. "Animal." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 20 June. 2011. Web. 20 June. 2011. kendoman26. "santa fe grain silo chicago" 19 May 2010. Online image. Flickr. 26 Dec 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/kendo26/4626599880/> statlerhotel. "santa fe grain silo chicago" 12 May 2007. Online image. Flickr. 26 Dec 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/statlerhotel/2368985771/> istorija. "santa fe grain silo chicago" 25 August 2009. Online image. Flickr. 26 Dec 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/istorija/3898667057/> "Chicago City of the Century." An American Experience. PBS. 2003. Television. http://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Trametes_vebrsicolor.html http://www.lookfordiagnosis.com/images.php?term=Lentinula&lang=1 http://www.flickr.com/photos/30815184@N08/2881116033/ http://ed101.bu.edu/StudentDoc/current/ED101fa10/emfoley2/content1.html http://www.microbiologyonline.org.uk/about-microbiology/introducing-microbes http://www.biopix.com/photo.asp?photoid=37994&photo=coprinus-comatus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomphidius_glutinosus http://kinoko-ya.sakura.ne.jp/01eng/pleurotus_ostreatus.htm http://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Trametes_vebrsicolor.html http://fiddlehead.smugmug.com/gallery/8209#6568043_oXiWe-A-LB
Influential People: Paul Stamets, Mycologist And Founder, Fungi Perfecti Nicole Isle, Senior Sustainability Advisor Brightworks Sean Scott, Project Architect SERA Architects Paul F. Morris, President, Greenleaf Strategies LLC John C. Hutton, Research Director University of Colorado Health Science Center William R. Taylor, PD(X) LAB, PSU, AIPD
Special Thanks to My Thesis Instructors: Suenn Ho, Senior Designer MulvannyG2 Architecture Nancy Cheng, Program Director University of Oregon Portland
If You d Like to Talk More about Design or Mycelium Please Feel Free to Contact : Me: John Hutton E-mail: jhutton86@gmail.com