MYCOsella - Growing the Mycelium Chair by Natalia Piórecka

MYCOsella

Growing the mycelium chair Natalia Beata Piรณrecka

MYCOsella

Growing the mycelium chair

BA Architecture Dissertation Newcastle University Natalia Beata Piรณrecka Student No: 160718070 Tutor: Martyn Dede-Robertson Jan 2019 1

Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor Martyn Dede-Robertson for the sincere and valuable guidance, discussions and encouragement extended to me. I am also grateful to my parents and my brother for their thoughts and support throughout the project time and life in general, strongly believing in my success. I would like to also thank my friends Gosia and Luc for their useful advices and dedicated help.

Fig.1 Final MYCOsella BUNSO Easy Chair

Last but not the least, I would like to thank MichaĹ&#x201A;, for his full support, enormous patience and belief, being always there to help me.

CONTENT: Acknowledgements

Glossary

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1 Materialisation of Fungal living organism

The bright side of Fungi

When the Mycelium…

…becomes a material

CHAPTER 2 Understanding the material The unexpected expectation

Why Oyster Mushroom?

Experiments Overview

Methodologies

Material Composite

Dehydrated Mycelium

CHAPTER 3 Experiment One: Material

Substrate making Straw + Straw-Wood, Mycelium “IN”

Woodchips + Cardboard, Mycelium “OUT”

Straw + Straw-Wood + Woodchips + Cardboard

Early experience with the material

CHAPTER 4 Experiment Two: Chair

The Form being a Chair

The Growing Assembly

The FROSTA (F) and BRUNSTA (B) Stool Prototypes 39 The Handmade Wooden Stool Prototype

The BUNSÃ&#x2013; Easy Chair Prototype

CHAPTER 5 Product Finalisation

Final Mycelium Material

The MYCOsellam FROSTA and MYCOsellam BRUNSTA - Mycelium Stools

The MYCOsella - Mycelium Easy Chair

GALLERY

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX ONE Case Studies-Mycelium in the

APPENDIX TWO Manufacture Process-Ecovative

world of Design

Step One: Mycelium Activation: Re-Hydration

Step Two: Growth Fabrication

APPENDIX THREE Illustrated Material Making Instruction

APPENDIX FOUR Experimentation Time-lapse Video

BIBLIOGRAPHY

73 5

Glossary: biomimicry

also ‘biomimetics’, it is an imitation of systems, processes and models, observed from natural environment; taking inspirations from nature in order to solve human problems

contmination

an act making the substrate impure or unsuitable through contact with something cointaining other orgnisms or bacterias, etc.

Fig.2 Final MycoFROSTA Stool

cultivation

an act of caring for or growing

decomposer

an organisms that breaks down dead or decaying matter, and predators, they use organic substrates to get the energy, carbon and nutrients for growth and development

fungus

a separate kingdom of living organizms, reproducing by spores, most of the fungi spores grow a network of hyphae that spread into and feed off of dead organic matter or living organisms; fungus include mushrooms, molds, yeasts, and mildews

hyphae

also ‘hypha’, is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus, and the main mode of vegetative growth, creating the network called mycelium (in fungi)

inoculation

an act or instance of injecting a pure mycelium into material to tranfer the mycelium into susbstrate

living material

a natural material manufactured using the living organism in order to grow of fabricate it

living organism

an individual form of life, composed of a single cell or a complex of cells, showing various dynamic processes of life, e.g. bacteria, protist, fungus, plant, or animal

mould

mushroom

a fruiting body of a fungus

mycelium

the vegetative part of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae; mycelium is found in and on soil and many other substrates.

mycology

the branch of biology dealing with the study of fungi and their relationships to each other and other organisms

mycorrhizal association

a symbiotic relationships, association between fungi and plant roots; the term ‘Mycorrhiza’ means literally ‘fungus root’

spore

Fig.3 Final MycoBRUNSTA Stool

means both: a hollow container that you place the material into in order to ‘mould’, crete shape; and also is the various funguses that grow on organic matter

a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction; they form part of the life cycles of fungi

sella

in latin ‘a chair’

sellam

in latin ‘a stool’

sterylisation

the procedure of making some object free of live bacteria or other microorganisms; distinct from disinfection, sanitization, and pasteurization, eliminating, removing, killing, or deactivating all forms of life and other biological agents present; it can be usually achieved by: heat or chemicals

tissues

are groups of cells that have a similar structure and act together to perform a specific function, for fungal tissues are the hyphae

Abstract In my dissertation project, within the furniture understanding and chair typologies exploration, I am investigating mycelium as a living material. By engaging myceliumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural, dynamic growth processes, I am experimenting with the substrate and fungi cultivation methods, examining the dialogue and capability of colabortion with other materials.

Fig.4 Final mycelium products

By understanding mycelium materialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s limitations and potetntialities, building the knowledge and experience based on the research and series of experiments, I Â am successfully growing a fully mycelial furniture pieces. The grown structures uncover a number of properties and several material intersections, providing promising opportunities, not only for the Interior Design, but also an Architectutre.

approaches they focus on material driven innovation, aiming to design and embody new materials or reinterpret the conventional ones.1

INTRODUCTION „Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” ~ Albert Einstein

Fig. 5 Developed within substrate experimentation an Oyster Mushroom fruiting body.

Nature has always been a great inspiration for engineers, architects and designers. In the past the main focus of biological application was based on biomimicry, applying observed and analysed behaviours and patterns of nature into synthetic models and systems of the design. Recently increasing focus on sustainability and ecology within various industries encouraged many architects and designers to consider more environmentally friendly solutions to meet environment-induced demand. As a result, designers started to reach beyond biomimicry, blending their architectural approaches with biology. Using experimental

Biotechnology offers opportunities for new bio-based materials and product manufacture, increasing the number of designers exploring the unique ‘Growing Design’ practice of materials fabricated from living organisms.2 Co-performance with biological organisms unfolds concepts of a  new bio-material class, referred to as ‘Living materials’, a growing novelty of the twenty-first century. Biofabrication, producing these emergent materials through the growth of living organisms, involves all the dynamic processes associated with an organism’s life cycle. Therefore the series of limitations and uncertainties of such a design method need to be considered. Drawing from investigated issues in the book Build to Grow: Blending Architecture and Biology3, based on the collaborative research of designers and scientists exploring the living materials, it is undisputed that for future use and application of living organisms as materials, an appropriate understanding of the potential as well as the constraints

Parisi, Stefano, Valentina Rognoli, and Marieke Sonneveld, „Material Tinkering. An Inspirational Approach For Experiential Learning And Envisioning In Product Design Education”, The Design Journal, 20 (2017),p.1167-1170 1

Camere, Serena, and Elvin Karana, „Fabricating Materials From Living Organisms: An Emerging Design Practice”, Journal Of Cleaner Production, (2018),p.571. 2

Imhof, Barbara, and Petra Gruber (Eds.), Build To Grow - Blending Architecture and Biology, Angewandte edn (Basel, Switzerland: Birkhäuser, 2016) 3

is essential. For this reason, in my dissertation I intend to challenge the biomaterial limitations through the application of living organism of mycelia into a designed object, a chair. Based on fungal growth, I am aiming to create an entirely natural, biodegradable product, developing successful strategies for working with mycelium, looking closely at the material growth and manufacturing processes, its aethetics as well as current uses and future design potential. Through encoding mycelium’s responsive units of its living components4, I intend to manipulate and control the growing material, exploring its application through the form of a human scale chair thus highlighting its applicability into fields of Interior Design and Architecture. The structure of this paper will be as follows. Firstly, mycelium will be analysed as a living organism able to create a material, defining it as an emerging design media, by investigating mycelium’s potential, analysing its context, habitation and behaviours supported by the Case Study and personal experience. Secondly, through a series of experiments, this paper will test the performance of mycelium as a natural glue for the mycelial material, exploring its properties, relations with other materials, manufacturing processes, forms Sankaran, Shrikrishnan, Shifang Zhao, Christina Muth, Julieta Paez, and Aránzazu del Campo, „Toward Light-Regulated Living Biomaterials”, Advanced Science, 5 (2018),p.1. 4

and shapes. Lastly, to reveal the design possibilities of mycelium material, I will experiment on how an individual might assemble a grown chair as a DIY process, making fabrication more accessible to a broader audience. Looking at chair typologies and self-assembling systems, I will evaluate harvesting and manufacturing strategies and recipes for a sustainable mycelium product, which will align with the GIY (Grow It Yourself) technique of growth.

CHAPTER 1

Fig.6 The overgrown with Oyster Mushroom mycelium decomposed, straw substrate with developed ’mushrooms’

Materialisation of Fungal living ‘ organism

The bright side of Fungi In order to understand the mycelial material design and apply it in self-production, it is important to analyse the broader context of fungus itself and to pay attention to its habitation, behaviours, and environmental conditions under which they could be cultivated. Human perception of the surrounding nature is unconsciously limited to what is seen. Realizing the presence of the important environmental processes, hidden behind the scenes of life cycles5 one can discover a series of highly underestimated simple organisms as fungi.

The commonly known term ‘mushroom’ is the fungal fruiting body, a structure that can be seen with the naked eye.6 Fungus (plural from fungi), are microscopic substances, existing in all our surroundings, everywhere where moisture is present.7 Fungi are a separate type of living organism occupying their own kingdom of classification, being part of the community of ‘decomposers’. Paul Stamets, a mushroom enthusiast, in his book Mycelium Running8 argues that fungi as an interface organism between life and death, are able to heal and protect our planet. They act as the ‘unseen hand’ of the entire process of death and decomposition. Secreting digestive enzymes, they break down the organic bonds in the substrate into smaller molecules, metabolising complex organic compounds that are difficult to digest for other organisms. They transform organic matter, such as lignin, proteins or cellulose, into soluble nutrients, such as simple sugars, nitrates and phosphates, making it utilisable for other decomposers. Eventually, they fertilise the soil with the nutrients making them available for plant roots, receiving the carbon, but not releasing it back

Ayers Looby Bridget, and Ramsey Rebecca, Tactical Mycelium, An Exploration Of Mushroom Mycelium As Ephemeral Building Material (Perkins+Will Innovation Icubator, 2017) p.6. 5

Zeng, Jack, Sukhumarn Bo Thamwiset, Walee Phiryaphongsak, and Xin Guo, MycoFARMx (London: AADRL, 2011, p.24. 6

„Fungi | Trees For Life”, Treesforlife.Org.Uk, 2019 <https://treesforlife.org.uk/forest/forest-ecology/fungi-95/> [Accessed 7 May 2018] 7

Stamets, Paul, Mycelium Running, 1st edn (Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press, 2005)

into the environment.9 The relation of fungus and carbon was further analysed in Functional Ecology where the fungal contribution to the direct loss of the soil carbon was discucssed.10 Moreover, the mycorrhizal association between any other green plants and ‘mushrooms’, mutually beneficial for both, place fungi as an indispensable part of the ecosystem hierarchy.11 Therefore, it is not surprising that Paul Stamets in Mycelium Running summarises fungi as having an “indispensable role in recycling organic matter”. They are also an organism that might be one of the most “important keys to both human and planetary health”.12 Despite all the fungal contributions to the environment, people tend to have a negative attitude towards them, considering some fungi as repulsive, often associated with dirt and poor hygiene conditions. Melissa Kumpmann, in an interview for Ecovatie, agreed that “most people seem to be sceptical about mushrooms or even fear them”. This phenomena was named by Paul Stamets as a ‘mycophobia’.13

In light of mushrooms’ wide and long-lasting presence on Earth, perhaps it would be favourable to investigate fungi in a more detailed manner. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, there are 144 000 various fungal species - including yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, moulds, and the mushrooms. There is also a huge diversity of fungus-like organisms (Fig.7) not belonging to the kingdom but often being associated with them and named as such, including slime moulds and oomycetes (water moulds).14 To work with fungi and in particular with its mycelia, close exploration is required. It is important to remember that not all of the species are adequate for use in certain areas and to sort them correctly, earlier exwpertise about the species would be mandatory. Throughout the last decade, the growing interest in fungi was noticeable within different areas such as medicine, interior design, building or even textile industries, gradually unlocking new possibilities for the future.

„Mycelium - The Future Is Fungi”, The Conscious Club, 2019 <http://theconsciousclub.com/ articles/mycelium-the-future-is-fungi> [Accessed 9 June 2018] 9

Fig.7 Fungal organizms - mould, mildew

Talbot, J. M., S. D. Allison, and K. K. Treseder, „Decomposers In Disguise: Mycorrhizal Fungi As Regulators Of Soil C Dynamics In Ecosystems Under Global Change”, Functional Ecology, 22 (2008), p.956 10

Ayers Looby, Ramsey p.12.

Stamets, p.viii.

Ecovative, „Mycelium Biofabrication Platform | Ecovative | Green Island, New York”, Ecovativedesign.Com <https:// ecovativedesign.com/blog> [Accessed 25 March 2017] 13

Encyclopædia Britannica <https://www.britannica.com/science> [Accessed 16 June 2018]

What is more, currently, especially in the field of design, the massive switch was noticeable, turning the approach from ‘mycophobia’ into ‘mycophilia’.

Fig.8 Examples the interwoven mesh of hyphae, creating mycelium on various substrates

When the Mycelium… Taking into account the growing interest and analysing the complex role of the fungus in a creation of a biodegradable fungal material, it is time to mention its core – mycelium. As a mycologist Phil Ross determined mycelium (plural mycelia) could be imagined as a mass of interwoven mesh of thread-like hyphae.15 (Fig.8) These tubular filaments of hyphae are the smallest units and main mode of vegetative growth. Typically the major structural polymer of hyphae is chitin. Under optimal conditions, when the temperature and moisture are right, hyphae form the collective network of the vegetative part of mushroom roots, called ‘mycelium’, which in direct translation from Latin means “more than once”. Whilst speaking about fungal growth, the term ‘mycelium’ is the one referred to most. The mycelium mass is responsible for the fungal decomposition processes essential for further material creation. While the network of hyphae is extending, it breaks down plant matter and converts the broken-down products, being utilised as a binder for organic, agricultural waste. The cellulose in the natural fibres of the substrate is, for the mycelium, both food and the framework for the mycelial growth. The substrates it could be grown onto are varied: straw, hemp, wool, cotton, rice, flex, aspen, straw, grains, coffee grounds, sawdust, woodchips, seeds or any fiberized natural material.

Ross, Phil, "Fungal Mycelium Bio-Materials", in Cultivated Building Materials (Basel: Birkhäuser, 2017), pp. 134-141 <https://www-degruyter-com.libproxy.ncl.ac.uk/viewbooktoc/product/473454> [Accessed 13 June 2018] p.134 15

…becomes a material The mycelium characteristic of being able to grow in almost any agriculture waste is used within the mycelium material manufacture. In order to find the best mycelium application and harvesting strategies, it is vital to understand all of the processes mycelium involves and ensure that we are able to provide all the required conditions for its growth. Mycelium based materials are the result of the innovative approach of ‘living materials’, seeking for the solution linking directly back into our existing ecosystem. It is a huge opportunity for the material industry, to uncover the neglected properties of organisms like mycelia, having a chance to revolutionise human lives, influencing them on several levels. According to a number of investigations evaluated in the Case Study appendix, the biomaterial of mycelium, due to its great opportunities with 100% biodegradability, was already considered as a design media and as an alternative substitution for several artificial, hazardous materials such as plastic, fibreglass or polystyrene. Avoiding the extensive use of petroleum and reducing costs of manufacture and harmful waste produced in the process of current fabrication. Its applicability could be demonstrated by the fact that the material can be moulded into desired forms depending on the substrate type and mixture16 being either: 16

“soft or hard, light or heavy, strong and durable or weak and fracturing.” (Fig.9) ~ Phil Ross

The material of mycelia exploits the natural, fungal property of joining smaller pieces with its tissues together into bigger forms, effectively acting as infinite, environmentally friendly natural glue. As a result, fungal material can be moulded, cast or processed into practically any shape. Its environmentally friendly manufacturing process requires almost no energy and produces very little waste. Moreover, based on a series of experiments, I observed that unrestricted growth can take only a few days. However, due to the specific conditions of mycelial growth and its high vulnerability for contamination, it strongly requires sterilization, preventing other organisms from disrupting the growth. For this reason it was relatively hard to achieve fully satisfying results within the DIY material production. The successful mycelium material could be compared to wood, plastic, stone or even concrete. In comparison to concrete, mycelium manufacture uses a similar technique of composite making. Both concrete and mycelium material use an ‘aggregate’ and a ‘binder’ for their mixture. For fungal material it is respectively a

Ibid., p.139

"Mycelium: The Future Of Building With Mushrooms And Organics", Build Abroad <https:// buildabroad.org/2016/10/12/mycelium/> [Accessed 11 May 2018] 17

‘substrate’ and a ‘mycelium’. What is more, when the material is fully dried and the growth processes are stopped, the material becomes a solidified, hardened lightweight composite, which according to Phil Ross’ research, is similar to concrete not only in terms of the fabrication method, but also in strength of its consistency when compared pound for pound.17 The finished, hardened material could be processed e.g. sanded or painted and then used for other commercial purposes. Additionally, according to Fungal Mycelium Biomaterial18, due to its properties of being both light and strong, the mycelium material is ideally suited

for architecture and especially interior design. In terms of use in the architectural and engineering industry, it is also extremely promising as it demonstrates a number of favourable resistance properties to high temperatures, fire, water and mould, being at the same time free of any toxic volatile organic compounds. Although, mycelium material is a comparatively fast growing bio composite, with a relatively straightforward harvesting processes unlike other living organisms e.g. bacteria. It is still challenging to work with for both beginners and experienced specialists. It is relatively complex to cultivate mycelium from scratch and successfully implement it into the material and apply it into design strategies, especially when aiming to fulfil a series of classification required by a chosen designed object. For the purpose of this paper the chosen object is a chair.

Fig.9 Examples of various mycelium textures acheived thoughout the experimentation (textures from the top left: uneven and rough - on MYCOsellam BURNSTA Stool, hard and deliquate on MYCOsellam FROSTA Stool, soft and smooth- on MYCOsella BUNSO Easy Chair and hard and smooth- on MYCOsellam BRUNSTA and MYCOsellam FROSTA Stools 18

Ross, p. 134-141

Fig.10 Two material samples prouced withg two different methodologies used in the research, the Material Composite and Dehydrted Mycelium grown together

CHAPTER 2 Understanding the material The unexpected expectation Material decisions within the project are usually based on the desired outcome and structural strategies. “By knowing materials, their technical properties, sensorial qualities, their manufacturing processes, and treatments designers can select the proper material for their projects”19 achieving the expected appearance and properties. Based on my previous experience with the mushroom material, I could strongly state that when introducing a material based on living organism such as mycelia, there should not be any particular expectations in terms of its final appearance. Due to the manufacturing processes engaging natural growth, the outcome is mostly unexpected.

Whilst working with the living organism, the designer overcome the established limitations and deal with the unknown. As Rachel Armstrong reflected in the Build to Grow: Blending Architecture and Biology, when working with organic material we need to be aware of unexpected results or failures . The final product, although maintaining its defined form, will never be exactly the same. Therefore it will represent an object with a strong and individual identity, imperfectly shaped by the uniqueness of the growth. Manufacturing an always ‘original copy’ adds to the product a sense of anticipation whilst waiting for the final outcome.

Why Oyster Mushroom? To decide which type of mushroom would be the best to use as a mycelium source for the material, I familiarised myself with a number of mushroom species. Based on the literature and online sources, I decided to work with Oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus (Fig.11). It is one of the relatively aggressively growing species of mushroom, giving the opportunity for the most satisfying results, being suitable for indoor cultivation. Moreover, Paul Stamets highlighted that P.ostereatus “of all the cultivated mushrooms in the world, is the easiest to grow”20 Due to the Oyster mycelium’s particular affection for wood (in

Parisi, Stefano, Valentina Rognoli, and Marieke Sonneveld, "Material Tinkering. An Inspirational Approach For Experiential Learning And Envisioning In Product Design Education", The Design Journal, (2017) p.1167 19

Stamets, p.280.

forests usually hardwoods), it was a good choice for home, composite production. Furthermore, Oyster mushroom is not very fastidious about its substrate and it can adapt to: cardboard, straw, wood, coffee grounds, seeds or even water hyacinths. Additionally, what makes Oyster mushroom one of the best choices for the experiments with cultivation is the fact that the whole fructification is covered with mycelium, which gives a greater chance of the successful mycelia transfer into the substrates.

Experiments Overview In the mycelium material experimentation I used two different material methodologies: Material Composite and Dehydrated Mycelium, applying them into two different chair typologies: Stool and Easy Chair. The chair typology section was explored in a series of four separate prototypes, resulting in three final products. Exploring the mycelium within the samples, I developed a manufacturing strategy turning the material assemblage into a material growth GIY (Grow-It-Yourself). By analysing myceliumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behaviour and required conditions, I worked on the best strategy for the final material and chair assemblage. For these purposes, I investigated mushroom farming techniques and varied substrates, establishing any possible difficulties that might appear and needed to be further resolved.

In further explorations, I grew a series of stools, compiling mycelium with additional supportive materials for the overall structure. The supportive materials were taken from existing products such as a handmade stool or IKEA products; a disassembled FROSTA Stool and BRUNSTA Pendant Lamp. The easy chair prototype and final product were based on the IKEA BUNSÖ outdoor Easy Chair which was more complex in terms of the manufacturing process and assemblage, with no addition of structurally supportive materials.

Methodologies

(Fig.12). It relates to a method of disinfecting bulk material that can later be inoculated with fungus for composite production. This technique is mostly followed by farmers and gardeners in food production (mushroom) as it is not specified only for material manufacture. Fungi Material Composite is based on forming a mixture of a substrate of discrete particles and nutrients capable of being digested by the fungus, resulting in a self-supporting composite mass. As compared earlier, this method could be imagined to be similar to concrete production sequence. Almost any agricultural by-products could be used as the composite agent (substrate).21

Fig.11 Self-cultivated Oyster Mushroom fruiting body

Material Composite The chair prototypes and the final product experiments were built upon two material methodologies. The first one was an experimental method of Material Composite production, aiming to test the processes in the most affordable way to achieve a DIY mycelium cultivated within a ’home’ environment. Maintaining the cost effective, experimental nature of the self-manufactured product with no laboratory involved, I aimed to make the growth-fabrication more accessible for the individual. The Mycelium Composite material production is commonly used for mycelium cultivation using sterilised composite and fungal tissues

Fig.12 Material Composite method: sterylised substrate and fungal tissues in mycelium source: overgrown grains or torn mushrooms

"Patent Application Publication, Mcintyre Et Al., METHOD FOR PRODUCING A COMPOSITE MATERIAL" (United States, 2012) 21

Dehydrated Mycelium The second method was the Dehydrated Mycelium. It is specifically engineered in aÂ laboratory by American company Ecovative and is a patented method of mycelium cultivation within the prefabricated substrate. The developed mixture aims to deliver the biodegradable and eco-friendly material to aÂ potential client. It is a highly reliable method, being successfully used by myself previously. The core of the Dehydrated Mycelium method is to dehydrate the mass of hyphae within the substrate fibres and make it able to be re-hydrated by the customer (Fig.13), not requiring laboratory inoculation. The dehydration reduces the moisture content of the coherent mass to less than 30% and after being stored for asufficient amount of time, the further growth of mycelia is suspended. Afterwards, the dehydrated material can be stored and distributed. When the required nutrients and moisture are added to the composite (Fig.14) the rehydrated fungal organism promotes mycelia tissue growth, binding the discrete particles and fibres growing the elements together. According to the patent application the particles, when rehydrated, might also be grown into panels or modules and when placed in direct contact with each other with the appropriate amount of moisture they could bind together by the reactivated mycelium.22 "Patent Application Publication, Bayer Et Al., METHOD FOR MAKING DEHYDRATED MYCELUMELEMENTS AND PRODUCT MADE THEREBY" (United States, 2013) 22

In both methods, in order to stop the fungal growth within the material and achieve the desired properties, the fungal spores need to be killed by drying the mycelium mass. This can be done by natural drying or by raising the temperature for an expedited drying baking process.

Fig.13 Dehydrated Mycelium- material before and after the activation

What is interesting is that both of the method patents were submitted by the co-founders of the Ecovative company, presenting the strategic thinking and material growth understanding the company has worked on. Starting with Material Composite they eventually developed the Dehydrated Mycelium, optimising the analysed earlier processes. In my experimentation IÂ followed similar thought processes, starting with the self-prepared material composite, understanding the material issues first and then developing and applying them into the finalised material.

Fig.14 Dehydrated Mycelium method: tools, additionals and the inoculted mixture itself

the environment, the inoculation of mycelium was performed using various sources.

CHAPTER 3 Experiment One: Material In order to fully understand the natural growth of the mycelium, I attempted a series of sample productions with various substrates and mycelium sources. This allowed me to determine what is indispensable for the successful growth and what issues are disruptive and problematic. By doing this I could then respond to mycelium growth requirements in the final production. I have recorded the growth development for around 6 weeks (Fig.16-20).

Fig. 15 Substrate and produced material comparison

Substrate making The properties and performance of the material derived from mycelium such as durability, strength or weight are dependent on quality of growth and time, but most importantly on the substrate. For this reason, the initial series of experiments were to explore numerous manufacturing methods and the response of various natural substrates to mycelium growth. The experiments were conducted in a DIY ’home’ environment, using the Material Composite method. Due to the restriction of

I was working with four different substrates; straw, conifer pine woodchips, a straw-woodchip mixture and cardboard, comparing growth and properties they acquired.

Straw + Straw-Wood, Mycelium ‘IN’ The first set of experiments examined the straw based substrates with Oyster mycelium already running within its natural fibres. The first sample used straw (a) (Fig.16), the second used strawwood, a mixture of straw and nonsterilized coniferous woodchips (b). In order to set the samples, the straw (a) substrate was taken out of the initial growing bag, partially mixed with the woodchips for the straw-wood substrate (b) (Fig.17). and then in both cases packed into the mould. In total, four samples were produced. Comparing the effectiveness of the growths, the introduction of the woodchips in to the straw material slowed down the growth process. Nonetheless, most of the samples were successful in running mycelium through, although the mycelium were not fully developed, which did not enable a full comparison of the properties. Surprisingly, after approximately 4 weeks of experimentation, the samples with a greater amount of straw rather than woodchips fruited with the mushroom bodies.

Fig.16 Staw substrate, mycelium growth

Fig.17 Straw-wood substrate mycelium growth

Fig.18 Cardboard substrate, mycelium growth

Woodchips + Cardboard, Mycelium â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;OUTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The next two samples required selfcultivation of the mycelium using a raw substrate with no mycelium included. This aspect made the harvesting process more complex.

Fig. 21 Development of mycelium growth in cardboard

Firstly, for sterilisation and moisture implementation, both dry woodchips and cardboard materials needed to be soaked in hot water. For both of the samples as a mycelium source, the torn pieces of Oyster mushroom were used.

Fig.19 Woodchip substrate mycelium growth

Fig.20 Woodchips mycelium growth

For the sterilisation of woodchips, the boiling water was poured into the bag with the material. When the material cooled down and the water drained through holes in the bottom of the bag, the moist mixture could be further processed and placed into the mould, layering it with the mycelium source.

The cardboard, before sterilisation, needed to be cut into pieces to fit the mould. It was then soaked in boiling water for approximately 30Â minutes. When cooled, the water needed to be removed from the mould. The wet pieces of cardboard could be then easily separated into smooth and corrugated layers. The corrugated pieces are responsible for the air flow, providing good respiration for the fungus and the smooth layer maintains the moisture content. The pieces were appropriately layered with the mycelium source in the mould. As a result of the experiment, most of the samples were successful. In cardboard, good moisture content and air flow provided a superior condition for growth (Fig.21). The successful cardboard samples were partially overgrown with mycelium in around four weeks and fully dried after 2 months (Fig.22D,F). One of the woodchip and cardboard (Fig.22E) samples was unsuccessful. The woodchip sample (Fig.22A) became contaminated with mould and could not be removed from the form. In the other two woodchip samples, the mycelium developed well (Fig.19, 20, 22A,B), however the resulting sample was fragile. In one of the cardboard samples, the mushroom spores appeared, but they did not develop into a fruiting body.

Straw + Straw-Wood + Woodchips + Cardboard When comparing all four samples, the mycelium cultivation was noticeable. What distinguished the samples was the growth development. The most developed growth was noted with the cardboard and straw substrate and the quickest, in cardboard. The other samples, including woodchips, were weaker in terms of mycelium distribution and the overall growth intensity. The probable cause for the less successful outcome within the woodchips samples may have been either the result of inappropriate moisture content or an improper sterilisation process, as a sign of germination in some samples was visible. The issue may also be related to conifer wood being harder for the mycelium to break down. To eliminate this possible issue, it might be more successful using a deciduous hardwood or a different sterilisation treatment. The visible growth of all of the samples took approximately 3 weeks. The developed mushroom bodies in few samples appeared in an approximately similar time of one month from the beginning of the experiment. Within the second month all of the samples dried out, without manual drying. As most of the material testing samples managed to develop the mycelium to various extents, in the chair prototype experimentations I attempted to apply all of them, comparing their capability of collaboration with other materials and their application into a structural object.

Fig. 22 Comparison of all the attempted DIY mycelium material sampless

Early experience with the material Following the irregular timeline of the experimentation, my first experience with mycelium material was experimenting with the material in small, brick-shaped samples, followed by the development of more complex forms, using the self-prepared material (Material Composite method) and the Ecovative Mushroom material (Dehydration Mycelium method). This experiment took place in the second year of my Architecture studies, and its expertise allowed me to take educated decisions about planning the strategy for the further material manufacture and chair experiments.

the Ecovative material, but also applying it with the DIY Material Composite. The experiment was also testing the Mushroom Materialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to grow within more complex shapes and its flexibility to fuse two separate modules into one grown mass.

Achieving a successful mushroom material especially with the Dehydrated Mycelium method, required using the growth instructions provided to maintain control of the material. The Ecovative material as an engineered product, supported the best material properties and indicated its ideal behaviours, which then can be contrasted with the natural dynamics of the life cycle in the Material Composite technique, requiring more complex care. Despite the controlled growth, the material was not recommended for structural application. The harvesting processes based on the Ecovative growth instructions are described in detail in the Manufacture Process Ecovative appendix section. I used their established techniques of material harvesting, not only with

Fig.23 Exploration of complex mycelial forms

The results of the primer Dehydrated Mycelium experiments were highly satisfying. The substrate was easily adaptable for both simple and complex shapes (Fig.23), highlighting myceliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

flexibility in adjusting to any specific shape, which was desired for the chair prototypes. The second part of the experiment established that modular shapes of mycelium can be combined into bigger particles, but only when the mycelium spores were still active.

Otherwise, once grown and dried, the mycelium might fail the repeated rehydration, therefore failing to connect. The mycelium also managed to combine two material samples using different manufactuing methods (Dehydrated Mycelium and Material Composite) (Fig.24). All of the finished Ecovative material samples were environmentally safe and could eventually be disposed of in general waste, composting systems or gardens with zero residual waste products created.23 In terms of the self-manufactured material, this aspect was not certain, so in order to avoid any contamination of other derivative organisms, a higher level of caution needed to be maintained.

Fig.24 First mycelium experiments, using both methods of growth disscused in the paper: analysis of the material qualities, adaptability to complex shapes and ability to connect with each other

Giy.Ecovativedesign.Com <https:// giy.ecovativedesign.com/wp-content/ uploads/2014/08/GIY_Instructions.pdf> [Accessed 11 May 2018],p.3. 23

CHAPTER 4 Experiment Two: Chair

The Form being a Chair

Fig. 25 The BUNSÖ Prototype for MYCOsella

Successful implementation of the material strategy into a particular design object, requires not only understanding of the process and the material fabrication itself, but also understanding of the principles and policies behind the designed object. This section will consider the material through the form of a chair, its structural properties with the use of fungus and thus feasibility for the mycelium material application into a furniture piece. I was looking at several chair typologies and their most important principles. Due to the complexity and countless variations, it is hard to define a ‘perfect form’ of the chair. A chair is a tangible physical object that we touch not only with our hands, but also our whole body that has contact with it. A chair is an object constantly appearing in our everyday life, accompanying us

through most of our daily activities. It creates an intimate relationship with our bodies, shaping them into forms and sometimes even defining particular activities. This intimacy makes a chair a powerful piece of furniture and an important threshold of the relations between its materiality, structure and the occupier.24 Galen Cranz in his book The Chair explores the chair as a piece of furniture and a philosophical idea through different aspects, strongly stating the chair’s profound effect on people. Being a part of our everyday surroundings, he argues that a chair as a design object is shaping our individuality, status and even our emotions. He summarises the process of chair creation as:

“We design them [chairs], but once built, they shape us.” 25 ~ Galen Cranz

Through using mycelium as design media, I am challenging G.Cranz’s words and instead of letting the chair shape myself, I am shaping the chair. I looked at the chair as both a sculptural and structural object, exploring its assemblage techniques and typology in practice. I started the grown prototype experimentation with simplistic stools then progressively developing the furniture.

Cranz, Galen, The Chair (New York: Norton, 2000), p.15-16

Ibid., p.15

In analysing the production process I focused on objects from well-known self-assemblage techniques company – IKEA, which is also already using mycelium as packaging.26 Blending the techniques of assembly with the biological growth I intend to grow a functional chair, maintaining the established classification properties, delivering a self- grown product.

The Growing Assembly The self-grown chair structure is referring back to the similarity between the mycelium material and concrete. The concept for the grown assemblage was to create a mycelial cast that can be taken out of the mould. At the very beginning, I was considering assembling the structure out of separately grown chair elements, relating to the concept of IKEA self-assembly. However, after analysing the outcomes from the sample experimentation, I realized that one grown mass would be more stable and more structurally reliable than the separate elements assembled together. Looking through various shapes and materials, I decided to create a cast in a pre-existing plastic mould. Plastic as a synthetic material would not interact with the fungal growth and does not interrupt the natural tissues of the

mycelium, therefore not disturbing the cultivation. Its flexibility would also allow for easy removal of the mycelial cast from the mould. The meaningful advantage of the plastic was also that the same plastic mould could be reused several times. Exploring the idea of IKEA selfassemblage furniture, I used some of the IKEA products as either the structural support for the chair, part of the assembled structure or the actual form for the final chair cast. The final mycelium chair was moulded in a plastic mould which was already functioning as garden furniture itself. The form was an IKEA outdoor BUNSÖ Easy Chair (Fig.27), prefabricated from a single piece of plastic and hollow at the bottom, thus providing a perfect ‘form’ for the mycelium chair. The remaining IKEA products used throughout the project were the black, metal BRUNSTA Pendant Lamp shade (Fig.28) and a wooden FROSTA Stool (Fig.26). For the assemblge understanding I also used the IKEA VÄSTERÖN Stool (Fig.29). Assembling and disassembling the IKEA chairs, I prepared the strategies for the material application, juxtaposing the known furniture assemblage

Gunther, Marc, "Can Mushrooms Replace Plastic?", The Guardian, 2019 <https://www. theguardian.com/sustainable-business/mushrooms-new-plastic-ecovative> [Accessed 13 July 2018] 26

Fig. 26 The IKEA FROSTA Stool

Fig. 28 The IKEA BRUNSTA Pedant Lamp

with the GIY growth technique. Based on earlier experience and experimentation, I combined the concept of stable chair objects with the biodegradable mycelium.

The FROSTA (F) and BRUNSTA (B) Stool Prototypes

Fig.27 The IKEA BUNSÖ Easy Chair

The first two prototypes were simplistic stools using mycelium material as a stool seating. The base (legs) were made of additional products, providing the structural stability. I analysed the IKEA FROSTA Stool (F), partially reassembled for the first prototype, and the metal BRUNSTA Pendant lamp shade (B) for the second one.

Fig. 29 The IKEA VÄSTERÖN Stool

Both had the seating created out of the same material substrate, woodchips. The prototype experiment began at the end of the August. For the prototype (F) (Fig.30), I used wooden legs from the FROSTA Stool fixing them together with an additional piece of wood and metal screws making the self-supporting wooden structure that holds the mycelial seating. Due to the fact that the structure was going to be overgrown with fungal seating, it needed to be sterilised. The prototype (B) (Fig.31) used the stable metal skeleton structure of the BRUNSTA lampshade, also sterilised at the beginning and used as a base for the seating. The strategy for both of the stool growths was as follows. I chose the mould in the shape I wanted the mycelium seats to grow into. I then packed the first layer of the mixed woodchip substrate with the torn Oyster mycelium for the first seating and then cardboard and overgrown with mycelium grains for the second. Next I placed in the mould the fixed structure of wooden legs for the prototype (F) and the metal lampshade for prototype (B) respectively. When the legs were correctly aligned, I packed the bowls with the rest of the material fully covering the structure creating a layer around the base to allow the mycelium to grow well over the structures inside. Both of the stool prototypes using the Oyster mushroom and woodchips were unsuccessful in

developing appropriate mycelium structure within its fibres. In the case of prototype (F), the substrate became hugely contaminated and instead of mycelium, the mould started to grow, blocking the appropriate fungal growth. The contamination was probably caused by an unsuccessful sterilisation of the wood and metal fixing to the structure. The prototype (B) was unsuccessful because of quick dehydration of the substrate, therefore not maintaining the appropriate moisture content required for the successful mycelium cultivation. Within three months, the contamination in prototype (F) fully overtook the seating, until then the mycelium had only partially developed, providing no structural strength, as the prototype collapsed whilst being removed from the form (Fig.32). The prototype (B), seemingly dried, was successfully taken out of the mould, sustaining its load, but with any additional movement, the seating fell apart (Fig.33).

Fig. 30 The FROSTA Stool Prototype (F), unsuccessfuldue to the contamination

Fig. 31 The BRUNSTA Stool Prototype (B), unsuccessful due to too rapid drying

Fig. 32 The failure of the FROSTA Stool Prototype (F)

Fig. 33 The failure of the BRUNSTA Stool Prototype (B)

The Handmade Wooden Stool Prototype The first prototype failures were aÂ result of issues with the substrate, which is why for the next stool prototype assemblage, I decided to change the blend. As the cardboard samples were one of the most successful in the growth development in this prototype, I used cardboard as the main substrate. In this case, as a structural base I used an old, handmade wooden stool. The stool was exposed to multiple weather conditions throughout its lifetime, therefore a longer sterilisation treatment was required to get rid of any potential contaminants. Similarly, as in the first attempts, I picked a bowl for the seating mould and placed the first few layers of the sterilised cardboard. When the first few layers were packed and layered with the mycelium source (grains and torn Oyster mushroom both overgrown with mycelium), I placed the sterilised old stool inside. Finally, I covered the rest with the layers of mycelium and cardboard respectively. The growth appeared after approximately 5 days. However, it was impeded and stopped at certain point. Possibly the quantity of mycelium added was not strong enough to develop and grow over the multiple extended layers of cardboard and wood structure of the stool. This could be improved by increasing the amount of mycelium source whilst layering (Fig.35). After three months the chair was completely rotten and falling apart (Fig.34). Fig. 34 The failure of the Handmade Wooden 43 Stool Prototype

Fig. 35 The Handmade Wooden Prototype, unsuccessful due to decay

Fig. 36 The BUNSÃ&#x2013; Easy Chair , unsuccessful due to too rapid drying

The BUNSÖ Easy Chair Prototype The final attempt was strongly influenced by the conclusions from the earlier three prototypes due to the intensified structural requirements. To avoid repeating the problems with the materials and cultivation, I used the straw substrate with the mycelium already inoculated and running. To create a fully mycelium grown, successful chair with no additional support or framework, the fungus within the material needed to fully develop into a dense network of hyphae. The final strategy was to create a cast piece of a chair that strengthens the weak structural connections. Preventing the contamination, I sterilised all of the tools and the main mould. The ‘mould’ itself was an IKEA plastic, outdoor BUNSÖ Easy Chair – a scaled down, children’s version of the original IKEA PS VÅGÖ garden chair. The original chair was too large in terms of its potential mass and size. Nevertheless, the smaller chair was more suitable for the experiment and its size did not influence any aspects of stability or appearance. Packing the material into the BUNSÖ mould required great attention during assembly, especially when it comes to the weak points in the middle of the seating and the connections with the legs. The straw mass needed to be carefully fixed around the moulded legs and pressed down for better structural performance,

avoiding loose particles within the structure (Fig.36). Additional grains overgrown with mycelium were added to the straw which was carefully layered paying attention to the thickness of the layers in the crucial connection points. When fully packed the assembled straw mass needed to be wrapped with a film, protecting all the uncovered parts of the mould. Similar to the samples, the mycelium needed to be able to respire, so a series of small holes were provided. The packed and wrapped chair was left to grow at a temperature of 18°-20° Celsius in a dark place. The first sign of growth was visible after approximately 2 weeks. Then in the next 4 weeks slightly more of the white mycelium appeared. Unfortunately, within the following 3-4 weeks the growth stopped and then did not continue. The recent straw substrate was risky to use, as after the experiments the leftover of used bulk material had been contaminated, so the bacteria might have been accidently injected into the form. Nevertheless, as it was carefully applied when packing, the material within the form did not become contaminated. The reason for the prototype failure was overly rapid dehydration of the substrate, even with the additional moisture added throughout the growing period. The results of the experimental Material Composite method

were unsuccessful, subsequently highlighting the number of problems that need to be considered before the production of the final object. When the chair was taken out of the mould after two months, it collapsed. Some of the inserted mass in the mould had grown together, but as it was not entirely grown, the final result was not able to hold together.

Fig. 37 The failure of the BUNSĂ&#x2013; Easy Chair Prototype

â&#x20AC;&#x192;

In the Finalisation phase, I used the same additional structures as used with the DIY Material Composite and reused the plastic moulds.

CHAPTER 5 Product Finalisation

Fig.38 Activated mycelium material within the growing bags packed into the chair forms

Final Mycelium Material The last part focuses on the final production, similar in terms of chair assemblage methodology to the primer experimentation with corrections for several aspects resolving the acknowledged problems with the material. For the final production, I decided to use a different material method: the Dehydrated Mycelium by Ecovative. Due to the results of previous experiments, I knew that the Ecovative mushroom material has a high probability for successful growth. Earlier inoculation of the mycelium reduces the risk of contamination. This therefore avoids the problematic process of cultivation into the substrate by an individual, making the material more accessible to a wider audience. However, even though the material growth was supported, it was not indicated how it will perform in terms of strength and stability.

The experiment began at the end of September when I activated the dehydrated material. It followed the same assemblage strategy of material packing used in the prototypes. For the final design I decided to develop three prototypes working with: the FROSTA Stool, the BRUNSTA Pendant Lamp shade and the BUNSÖ Easy Chair. For the mycelia application in these three pieces of furniture I used 12 bags of dehydrated mycelium substrate (1 bag is 1.5 lbs ≈ 680g) (Fig.38). The material was a blend of Hemp and Aspen. The proportion of the material mixture was 7 bags of “Stronger Blend” of Aspen and 4 bags of lighter “Original Blend” of Hemp hurds. The activation of the Aspen material required 5 cups of water (1200ml) and 6 tbsp and 2 tsp (53g) of flour. For the Hemp, the proportion was 3 cups of water (700ml) and 4 tbsp (32g) of flour. The material harvest followed a similar process as described in Manufacture process - Ecovative instruction appendix section, with certain implemented changes at Step Two: Growth Fabrication, relating to the growing time.

The MYCOsellam FROSTA and MYCOsellam BRUNSTA Mycelium Stools Both of the final stools incorporated the supportive structure. The MYCOsellam FROSTA stool used the same wooden legs from the IKEA stool (Fig.39), this time without any additional structural reinforcement, due to the failures caused by its application. The MYCOsellam BRUNSTA stool also used the metal IKEA lampshade as a base, as in the prototype (Fig.40). After the material was successfuly activated, the first few layers of Ecovative mycelium mixture were tightly packed into the seating mould. Before applying the base structures for both of the stools, I made sure that they were appropriately cleaned and sterilised. Then the wooden legs without any additional wooden or metal connections and the metal lampshade were placed in the mould and gradually covered with the packed material particles. The packed moulds with the structures were then wrapped with cling film with holes provided for air exchange. The results of this manufactured growth exceeded expectations. Within the next 6 days both of the stools were fully grown. Then the chairs were taken out of the moulds in order to start the drying process. Both of them were kept under the plastic cover for another following day and due to their size they were

dried naturally. The stools were dry after approximately 4-5 days after removal from the moulds. After drying, the materials were tested in terms of their stability and practicality. Both of the mushroom stools were successfully stable in their structure and comfortable in use. In terms of their appearance, the material sustained a white colour with occasional dark yellow marks on the surface, highlighting the natural growth. Overall they present satisfactory results in terms of both practicality and are attractive yet intriguing in appearance.

Fig. 39 The MYCOsellam FROSTA, manufacture proces an final stool product

Fig. 40 The MYCOsellam BRUNSTA, manufacture proces an final stool product

The MYCOsella Mycelium Easy Chair

The finalisation of entirely mycelial MYCOsella Easy Chair used the same IKEA BUNSĂ&#x2013; Easy Chair mould from the initial prototype. As the construction of the final product did not include any reinforcement or any other supportive material, the mycelium needed to create loadbearing structure that was strong enough to sustain the potential usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; weight. The mould was diligently cleaned and sterilised. The additional portion of the nutrients was then added to the activated mixture before being packed. Then the material was gradually layered in the mould (Fig.41), pressing the particles, to avoid loose spaces within the material. The weak structural points were strengthened with a thicker layer of material than in the prototype, accurately filling all the spaces in the mould. The material around the legs was tightly wrapped with the film to maintain the thick layer in place. The filled mould was then wrapped around several times with the respiration holes provided. In order to ensure that the particles are strongly bonded together, I extended the growing period, keeping the chair in the mould for an extra 3 days (after the standard 6 days). The plastic chair as a mould was successful during the cast removal, causing no harm to the mycelia. After the removal and 2 days under the plastic cover, the object began to dry out. Bearing in mind that the mass of the mycelium material was

around triple the quantity used in the stools, the natural drying process took longer - around 14 days until entirely dried. When comparing the material with its chair form, the final dried MYCOsella chair shrank slightly in size and its weight decreased by approximately half of when wet (Fig.41). As a consequence of the prolonged growth processes the mycelial growth stage of the mushroom life cycle was exceeded and the fungi began the primordia stage, which is the earliest recognizable stage of mushroom tissue development (Fig.42), right bottom corner). If the growth was not stopped, the primordia would eventually develop into fruiting mushroom bodies. That action allows the full range of mycelia finishing to be released, creating an amazing pallet of textures, tones and colours, strongly indicating its mycelial individuality and creating a unique appearance (Fig.45). The aesthetic value of the final mycelia chair will vary depending on the individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taste. Nevertheless, personally I can admit that I am surprised by the result of the final piece and a great variety of the possible finishes revealed by one material. Comparing the appearance of all the final objects, it could be agreed that the appearance of the mycelium designs could be controlled and either kept white and neat as with the MYCOsellam FROSTA and MYCOsellam BRUNSTA stools with gentle signs of its natural

growth or you could entirely expose its natural dynamics, presenting the full scope of patterns and surfaces generated by the natural growth and the conditions as in the MYCOsella Easy Chair. This simple use of mycelia as a natural, living glue for a biosubstrate creating a structurally stable objects evokes new opportunities for the adaptation of the living organisms, giving aÂ chance for real-world application, not only for the Interior Designed as explore in this research, but also to broader Architecture. â&#x20AC;&#x192;

Fig. 41 Shrinkage of the dried mycelium material, compared to the when wet and the original form sizes

Fig. 42 The MYCOsella, Mycelium Easy Chair, manufacture proces an final chiar product

GALLERY:

MYCOsellam FROSTA

Fig. 43 The MYCOsellam BRUNSTA photographic gallery

MYCOsellam BRUNSTA

Fig. 44 The MYCOsellam FROSTA photographic gallery

MYCOsella Easy Chair

Fig. 45 The MYCOsella Easy Chair photographic gallery

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, fungus is a fascinating organism, having countless potential applications for future usage. Cultivating the mycelium, I explored two methods: the Material Composite and the Dehydrated Mycelium. As a result, the Dehydration Mycelium method was the most successful in terms of creating a structually sound design. The Material Composite, despite the failure in structural object production, was succesful in developing myceliums’ fruiting bodies. That estabilished the strong and weak aspects of both of the methods. Despite the differences in cultivation method, the indispensable and fundamental elements of mycelial growth are moisture and sterilisation. Mycelium as a delicate organism, requires a lot of care and appropriate maintenance of conditions. It needs a successful sterilisation, protecting the fungal tissues from being overtaken by other organisms and appropriate moisture content to be maintained throughout the growth. Moreover, the substrate is definitely an aspect worth considering at the early production stages to provide a supportive mycelium growth.

Understanding these aspects, processes, responses and behaviours of mycelial tissues, I implemented the growth strategy into the entirely mycelium-made functional object of a chair. Exploring the chair typologies on various levels, I realised that the complexity in the design is concluded within not only the understanding of the structure of the designed object itself, but also within its properties and the policies behind it. Through working with mycelium, I developed an understanding of how demanding working with this material is. Its structural properties and growth quality are dependant on the substrate and conditions, producing an unexpected final outcome. Nonetheless, the results of successful growth are satisfying and hold enormous potential for future applications. In my future studies, I would like to further explore the area of fungal material aesthetics and textures, also broadening its structural material understanding in order to push the mycelial design even further. Within my experimentation, there were a several aspects that I could have achieved in a different way, possibly avoiding a number of mistakes and errors. On the other hand, by reflecting on those failures, I could then analyse the issues and draw appropriate conclusions to redefine the failures into successful results, developing the design itself. I strongly believe that the fungal mycelium has a promising opportunities that definitely requires

further exploration. Employing the natural organism of mycelium and its potentialities, not only in Interior Design, but also in building material production, would provide a truly sustainable and energy-efficient architecture. I predict that soon mycelium based materials will be introduced into the building material market. Evolving from the scale of Interior Design into the larger scale of Architecture, mycelium will have a positive impact on the whole building industry. In the light of my investigation, by continuous research on mycelium, conducted by the number of architects, designers, engineers and artists coherently collaborating together, it is undeniable that the biodegradable mycelium materials have the capabilities to develop great architectural inventions and solutions, responding to the ecological environment and planetary health, eventually leading architecture to the myco-revolution.

APPENDIX ONE: Case Studies – Mycelium in the world of Design

This section is undertaking a supportive overview for the mycelium material application in architectural and design production, looking at previous research and case studies working with living organisms such as mycelia, giving perspectives for the future and building the foundations for my research.

Fig. 46 Growing mycelium material

To begin with, when we consider the future it is valid to avoid the basic mistake of looking foar the unknown, complex solution. In fact, the future does not require thinking about any futuristic techniques and complicated system, but quoting Ferraro’s words from 1998, it needs us to be:

“getting rid of mental constraints of the present and imagining the possible”27 ~Ferraro, 1998

Working with the existing surroundings, rewriting its uses and redefining its properties would allow reaching beyond present understandings of our ecology and presumably would result in the most successful approach for forthcoming design. Imagining the future where the borders between the artificial and natural are blurred and interwoven, the world where as Damian Minovski in Build to Grow describes “all things we made and surrounds us, are as complex and alive as we are”28 would help us realise how significant current small steps undertaken in past research in this direction are. Looking back to our ecosystem, through a combination of living matter and technology in living materials could possibly be the best method for the nearest design development. Thinking outside of the box, considering the unconsidered and revealing the unrevealed, visionary scientists such as Paul Stamets, are pushing the concept of bio-technology, in particular here mycelial technology inspiring and inviting others for the fungi application and integration as an everyday material. In one of the interviews for Dezeen, Amsterdam designer, experienced with mycelium material, Maurizio Montalti, highlighted his strong belief that fungal based products could be the start of a "biotechnological revolution" adding that: "We are at the beginning of it, but we are already in full swing". The recent

Di Lucchio, Loredana, “Design For Next Challenges”, The Design Journal, 20 (2017), S1-S8 <https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2017.1352648> 27

Imhof, Barbara, and Petra Gruber, p.154-155.

experimentations and projects show quick improvement and great engagement within this area, step by step eventually leading to biorevolutionised vision of symbiotic coexistence. From this point, there are noticeably increasing numbers of designers, artists and architects working with biomaterials, studying the complex intersection of biology and design, creating new understandings of environmental relationships. Through their projects they push the limits of both design and nature, looking for harmonic interactions.29 To be more specific, concepts of ‘living’ materials are already developed in several areas. Beginning with a fashion industry and bio-fabricated fabrics and textiles. Project such as the bio fabricated leather - Zoa by Modern Meadow30, based on the bioengineered yeast cells producing collagen or the Faber Futures 29

project by Natsai Audrey Chieza are setting out agendas for a pollution-free future of fashion. Chieza through her project also highlighted that:

“biology has [already] become a design space.”31

~ Natsai Audrey Chieza

We could refer to these words also from the field of Architecture with a great example of an Architect’s Rachel Armstrong’s futuristic visions for “living”, growing, and metabolising buildings defending its inhabitants as an immune system32 or in the Mushroom ‘HiFi’ Tower in New York’s MoMA PS1 Gallery courtyard33, made out of organic mycelium bricks or a self-supporting structural column, the MycoTree.34 Unique opportunities of fungi based material evolved to a large extent

Ibid., p.93

„ZOA™ | Grown By Modern Meadow™ – Introducing ZOA™ Biofabricated Materials”, Zoa.Is, 2019 <http://zoa.is/> [Accessed 18 June 2018] https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/rachel-armstrong-university-of-the-underground-architecture-040817 30

„Natsaiaudrey”, Natsaiaudrey, 2019 <https://www.natsaiaudrey.co.uk/> [Accessed 18 June 2018] 31

„Rachel Armstrong’S Vision For “Living” Buildings That Grow, Metabolise And Defend Us Like An Immune System”, It’s Nice That, 2019 <https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/rachel-armstrong-university-of-the-underground-architecture-040817> [Accessed 24 June 2018] 32

„Hy-Fi, The Organic Mushroom-Brick Tower Opens At Moma’s PS1 Courtyard”, Archdaily, 2019 <https://www.archdaily.com/521266/hy-fi-the-organic-mushroom-brick-tower-opens-at-moma-s-ps1-courtyard> [Accessed 24 June 2018] 33

Mele, Tom, „Block Research Group”, Block.Arch.Ethz.Ch, 2017 <http://block.arch.ethz.ch/ brg/project/mycotree-seoul-architecture-biennale-2017> [Accessed 24 June 2018] 34

Bayer, Eben, „Eben Bayer | Speaker | TED”, Ted.Com, 2013 <https://www.ted.com/speakers/eben_bayer> [Accessed 25 June 2018] 35

throughout the past few years, successfully resulting in a rising awareness of its opportunities. To begin with, at the TED Global2010 conference35, Eben Bayer, the cofounder of Ecovtive (founded in 2007), company based in Green Island, NY in United States, revealed an idea of an eco-friendly recipe for ‘mushroom material’, extending the limitations of what was commonly known as ‘mushroom’. The material developed from its early use as a grown-in-place insulation and industrial, biodegradable packaging to an eco-friendly design media, providing an accessible material for artists and designers to explore. Within the next few years, the aforementioned packaging material managed to reach giants such as Dell or IKEA36 and the mushroom materials started to spread around the world. To inform myself and gain indispensable knowledge about working with the bio-composites of mycelium explored in chair structures, I researched a series of case studies covering common issues of furniture fabrication, expressing high possibilities for Interiors.

A strongly informative project for my research was the Philadelphia University Industrial Design student project by Merjan Tara Sisman and Brian McClellan37. They considered various materials such as pressed leaves, seaweed or even moss. Inspired by Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets and the Evocative mycelial novelty, they presented a more sophisticated approach to the material. They found the mycelial materiality and its refined aesthetics are particularly suitable for application into furniture design. Furthermore, with this in mind, they created the Living Room Project, with a mycelial chair prototype. They also crafted a pendant light which then inspired me to work with the pendant lamp in a slightly different form. Reading further in The Philadelphia Inquirer, we know that they were deeply engaged with mycelium appreciating ”its act of growth becoming the design itself” and its actual beauty being a “pretty little smart thing” holding great potential for a mycelium future.

„IKEA Starts Using Biodegradable Mushroom-Based Packaging For Its Products”, Medium, 2018 <https://medium.com/wedonthavetime/ikea-starts-using-biodegradable-mushroom-based-packaging-for-its-products-42d079f98bb1> [Accessed 16 August 2018] 36

Virginia A. Smith, Inquirer Staff Writer, “Mushroom Furniture From Philadelphia University Students”, Http://Www.Philly.Com, 2019 <http://www.philly.com/philly/home/20130614_ Mushroom_furniture_from_Philadelphia_University_students.html> [Accessed 30 September 2018] 37

Architectmagazine.Com, 2013 <https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/students-create-furniture-from-mushrooms_o> [Accessed 30 August 2018] 38

“NEWS - Klarenbeek & Dros - Designers Of The Unusual”, Ericklarenbeek.Com<http://www. ericklarenbeek.com/> [Accessed 18 August 2018] 39

I followed their idea of the chair’s legs being consumed by the mycelium into the seating, where mycelium grows around and holds the entire structure, pushing it further to achieve it only with the mycelium substrate. Their improvement of the product and analysis of various methods of the growth control within prefabricated moulds then influenced the form I was seeking in my project and helped to develop the material layering strategies. As the final outcome of their project they crafted a several, unexpectedly sturdy objects categorizing them as “a zero-energy type of 3D printing”.38 Moreover, speaking about 3D printing it is essential to mention as well Erik Klarenbeek’s Studio Klarenbeek & Dross that developed a 3D printed living mycelium chair.39 E. Klarenbeek then continued to share his own experience tutoring students in Eindhoven. One of his current students, Marek Głogowski, also explored the mycelial chair assemblage. As his graduation project from the Industrial Design in Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, he was working with mycelium chair design, further developing his project (Reishidesign) studying at the Design Academy Eindhoven where he met E. Klarenbeek.

Additionally, another strong argument in fungi design, forming my experimentation strategies, was made by collaboration of the British furniture maker Sebastian Cox and a researcher Ninela Ivanova, investigating the fungal bio composite’s potential in commercial furniture design. Designing their Mycelium + Timber products they were intentionally creating the relationship between mycelium and freshly cut wood waste from Sebastian’s woodland. They explored a different species of fungus - Fomes fomentarius. Within the project they established that this bracket specie of fungus worked particularly well with woods such as goat willow and coppiced hazel, which previously had no economic value, thereby highlighting its strength in use with mycelia.40 Furthermore, similar aspects of material compilation was developed by an artist, Deena Mostafa also working on the material relation in production of the mycelium table prototype. Finding a challenge in mycelium technical limitation, she examined a combination of the material with scrap birch plywood, dyed with henna, coffee and hibiscus.41 Working directly with the Evocative mushroom material, combining it also with wood and being

„MYCELIUM + TIMBER: Exploring Biofacture In A New Collection Of Grown Furniture”, Sebastian Cox, 2017 <http://www.sebastiancox.co.uk/news/2017/8/24/mycelium-timber-exploring-biofacture-in-new-collection-of-grown-furniture> [Accessed 26 June 2018]45 40

”Deena Mostafa - Mycelium”, Deena-Art.Myportfolio.Com <https://deena-art.myportfolio. com/mycelium> [Accessed 31 June 2018] 41

strongly influenced by work of Paul Statement and Danielle Trofe’s MushLume Table Lamp42, furniture/ interior designer Ben Coney, grew his own series of lamps, tables and chairs. He was intrigued by the bio-fabrication of the mycelium. Through his project he aimed to bring its biodegradable nature of returning the material to the local ecosystem at the end of its life to a greater audience, celebrating the mycelial growth itself and playing with its shapes and forms around the parameter of material.43

innovative research on the present and imminent future of fungal design. An unorthodox outcome led by living organisms of fungus highlighted its role in affecting not only ecosystems, but also society itself. The mushroom collaboration projects, especially those concentrating on furniture production, illustrate a possible future for architectural application of biodegradable components preferably grown rather than manufactured.

In addition, fungal exploration was hugely broadened by a number of collaborations such as the NWO project ‘Mycelium Design’ including Utrecht University, Offcicina Corpuscoli by mentioned ealier, Maurizo Motaltio Montalti44 and Stichting Mediamatic. They curated the FUNGAL FUTURES exhibition back in January 2014 which ran until December 2015 in Belgium,45 gathering a wide range of exploration of forms, objects and textiles of international designers and artists such as Aniela Hoitink (fungal dress), Kristel Peters (shoes) or Jonas Edvard (furniture) and working in direct consultation with scientists. The exhibition presented a strong agenda of „Mushlume Table Lamp”, Danielle Trofe Design, 2016 <http://danielletrofe.com/mush-lume/> [Accessed 18 January 2019] 42

Ecovative, “Mycelium Biofabrication Platform | Ecovative | Blog | Green Island, New York”, Ecovativedesign.Com <https://ecovativedesign.com/blog> [Accessed 25 March 2017] 43

“Officina Corpuscoli - Trans-Disciplinary Design & Research”, Officina Corpuscoli, 2019 <http://www.corpuscoli.com/> [Accessed 2 May 2018] 44

“Fungal Futures”, Fungal-Futures.Com, 2018 <http://www.fungal-futures.com> [Accessed 7 October 2018] 45

Fig.47 Ecovative Mushroom Material cultivation for the chairs

APPENDIX TWO:

be properly sanitized to avoid any contamination. In order to start the growth processes, the material required an activation.

Manufacture Process - Ecovative

Step One: Mycelium Activation: Re-Hydration

Thougout the experimenttion I worked with Ecovative Mushroom Material using the Dehydration Mycelium method.

According to the particular substrate used, the proportions of additional nutrients (flour) and water were different. The material mix required an addition of 4-6 tablespoons (2030g) of flour with 3-5 cups (7001200ml) of tap water per retailed package. As a substitute to flour, the Maltodextrin may be used to avoid any gluten allergies. Then the added ingredients are mixed together.

In order to achieve a successful manufacture of the mushroom material, it was essential to follow the instructions provided to maintain the control of the material. The Ecovative material as an engineered product that supports the best material properties and indicates its ideal behaviours, which then can be contrasted with the natural dynamics of the life cycle in the Material Composite technique, requiring more complex care. Despite the controlled growth, the material was not recommended for structural application. The harvesting processes described below in this section are based on the Ecovative growth instructions. They established the techniques of harvesting I used, not only with Ecovative material, but also with the DIY Material Composite. At the beginning of the process all the tools used such as gloves, mixing bowl, mould and the working area needed to

The activation is an addition of appropriate amounts of nutritious ingredients and moisture to the dehydrated mixture provided.

The vigorously stirred mixture is then poured into the bag with Mushroom Material and firmly shaken for even distribution. The mycelium material is left at room temperature to activate, stored in a clean area, away from direct sun light and then grown for the following 4-5 days. The dormant mycelium absorbed the nutrients from the flour and began to grow spreading the hyphae within the moist particles in special gusseted autoclavable polypropylene filter patch bag46 maintaining the right condition for the mushroom culture and safe respiration of the fungus roots without passing any contaminants like yeast, mould and bacteria. As a result of the mycelial respiration converting glucose and

oxygen into carbon dioxide, water and ATP, the condensation in thebag is noticeable. After the first two days growth in the bag was visible, within the next two days the mycelium tissue was extending to a fully grown network of connections on the fifth day (Fig.47). The Activation step was finished and the material was ready for further harvesting, when the bag turned fully white (Fig.48).47 Step Two: Growth Fabrication After the successful activation, the mycelium material needs to be

packed into a mould. Preferably it should be made of a water-resistant material, with fibres that would not interrupt the growth inside. In the case of using any form made of natural fibres, such as cardboard or wood, the surface of the mould needs to be covered with a thin layer of plastic, using a plastic bag, film or just simply tape, making the mould waterproof. For the sanitation, 70% ethanol alcohol was used. The next step was to remove the grown matter of mycelium substrate from the bag and break up the material by hand until all the particles were loose. The white

Fig.47 Full equipement for the Ecovative Msuhroom Material manufacture (Dehydrated Mycelium method)

Mullican, Danny, Daniel Barizo, daniel mcardle, and Sachin Dive, "Mushroom Grow Bags: The Ultimate Guide | Freshcap Mushrooms", Freshcap Mushrooms, 2018 <https://freshcapmushrooms.com/learn/mushroom-grow-bags-the-ultimate-guide/> [Accessed 11 July 2018] 46

Grow It Yourself Instruction Manual (New York: Ecovative) <https://giy.ecovativedesign. com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Grow-It-Yourself-Instruction-Manual-v1.0.pdf> [Accessed 10 May 2018],p.6. 47

coating usually disappears at this stage. Breaking the particles damages and stresses the mycelium, therefore some additional nutrients for the mycelium are required to be added. Breaking apart the weak bonds of the mycelial mass at this stage allows stronger bonds of tightly interconnected mycelium formation in further growth. Addition of another 4-5 tablespoons (20-30g) of flour mixed within the particles provided the required extra nutrients. The next step was to pack the loose mixture in the prepared mould. When packed, the open surface of

the mould needed to be wrapped with cling film to maintain the moisture content and prevent any bacteria from the air disrupting the mycelial growth. To allow the air circulation several small holes, around 2.5 cm apart, needed to be made in the film using a pin or toothpick. The material were grown in the form for another 5-6 days until it became fully white once again. Mycelium fills all the gaps between the loose particles, binding the particles as a natural glue. As the final part of the harvesting process, the formed mycelial mass needs to be removed from the form and dried to prevent any additional growth. According to the size, this can be done by baking in the oven or letting the material dry naturally, killing the mycelium spores. Both of the drying techniques work. However, there is the risk that with the natural drying the mycelium growth will be only suspended, not fully stopped. As a result, the final dried material shrank slightly in size and its weight decreased by approximately half of when wet. The samples were then completed.48

Fig.48 Step Two- Forming the growth

Ibid., p.7.

For the material manufacture and chair assemblage processes, see also the illustrated instruction (Fig.53,54) and the attached Time-lapse Video.

APPENDIX THREE:

Illustrated Material Making Instruction

Step One: Mycelium Activation, Re-Hydration Open the bag by cutting the top of the back above the filter patch so the material during the growth can breath.

In separate container: Add 4 tablespoons (20g) of flour and 3 cups (700 ml) of tap water. Stir toughly for 1 minute.

MAKE TIME: 20 mins

Pour the mixed flour with water directly into the bag with dry mushroom material. Shake vigorously for 1 min. Material is ready to grow!

Fold the top of the bag over several times and secure it with a clip. In a clear area with room temperature allow the bag to grow for 4-5 days.

When the bag appears fully white the material is ready to use!

GROW TIME: 4-5 days

Fig.49 Step ONE, diagrams based on the Griow.bio Instructions, from my Stage 2 Portfolio

Step Two: Growth Fabrication

MAKE TIME: 1-2+h GROW TIME: 5-6 days

Remove mushroom material from bag and place in mixing bowl-big enough for mixing. Break up material by hand until parties are loose. It will mostly lose the white colour.

Work with gloves on. Sanitize your gloves, working area and mixing bowl with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Sanitize your growing containers as well and allow it to dry.

Add 4 tablespoons (20g) of flour and mix thoroughly for 1 minute.

Pack the containers with loose material.

Cover the top surface with the plastic wrap and secure it with tape to keep the material from drying out. Poke at least 5 holes in wrap.

In clear area with room temperature let material grow until fully white again (about 5-6 days).

Carefully remove grown object from the form and bake it in 200Â°C (check every 30 mins) this will stop the growing process. You can also microwave it.

Remove planters from oven and allow to cool. The grown object is ready!

Fig.50 Step ONE, diagrams based on the Griow.bio Instructions, from my Stage 2 Portfolio

APPENDIX FOUR:

Experimentation Time-lapse Video

The full record of experimentation - processes of growing the material, chair assemblage and chair growing.

ONLINE LINK: https://youtu.be/yxDcVbZav84

also attached on the USB (original quality)

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Figures: All the Figures are my own photographs and illustration.