MYCELIUM
2021 Detail Studio Type Material Research By Natalie Williams
CONTENTS 01-02 Abstract 03-04 05-06 07-08 09-10 11-28 29 30
Glossary Introduction Mycelium Context Mycelium as a Material Precedent Studies Manufacturers Suppliers
Photographed by me Location: Bloomington Hills, MI
ABSTRACT This dissertation reports on the findings of experiments and precedent studies to determine the optimum conditions required to grow mycelium into a single graded material for building + design purposes. A mycelium-based material provides important benefits, including replacement of multi-element design with single graded solutions; entirely new and versatile methods of design and construction, and a significant reduction of CO2 emissions and environmental harm. A set of 15 case studies were conducted for this research. A Process of determining how this new material is gown using different substrates and can be used in exterior and interior construction. The dissertation concludes with a proposal for the future design integration of the findings from this research.
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GLOSSARY Autoclave
Chitin
A pressure chamber used as sterilization method
A polysaccharide often found in the exoskeleton of many arthropods such as insects, spiders, and crustaceans
Binding Agent
Composites
A Material or substance which holds material together to form a cohesive whole
Two or more materials which are combined to yield a new material with improved performance
Bio-composite
Enzyme
Two or more materials (one being naturally derived) are combined to yield a new material with improved performance
A biological catalyst
Bio-utilization
Ecology
The direct use of nature for beneficial purposes
the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment
Biomimicry The purpose by which functional problems in man made design are resolved by solutions inspired by nataure
To introduce a microorganism into a substrate
Cellulose
Substrate
A key structural component of plant cell walls
The medium upon which mycelium is grown on
Inoculate
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INTRODUCTION Throughout architectural history, designers have looked to nature for inspiration. Yet the influence of the natural world goes beyond just aesthetics. It can also inform the operative elements and systems of architectural + interior design.
A key example of this is Neri Oxman, whose pioneering work takes inspiration from biological materials such as mollusk shells and silkworms which can adapt to their environment by applying a natural material gradient.
Biomimicry is the name given to the process by which functional problems in man-made design are resolved by solutions inspired by nature and biological systems. The term is defined by Michael Pawlyn in his book Biomimicry in Architecture as "translating adaptions in biology into solutions in architecture" (Pawlyn, 2011). For example, drawing inspiration from birds who use their down feathers as insulation and creating something similar with man-made materials to insulate homes and buildings. As a result, by utilizing biomimicry, architects have been able to create a more efficient response to environmental sustainability.
Naturally occurring functional gradients are designed by nature to be able to perform a variety of functions when subject to specific conditions and the working environments to which they are subjected (Pawlyn, 2011). Human-made functionally graded materials are an example of biomimicry and they are graded in response to a variety of functional needs.
Concrete sample with a linear density gradient
Neri Oxman is currently working on a 3D printer with the ability to print 3D products with controllable density gradients. With the ability to 3D print controlled densities, it is possible on an architectural scale to improve material qualities such as "strength, weight, material usage, and functionality" (Oxman, Keating, and Tsai, 2011). This technique would allow the building and the construction industry to drastically cut down on CO2 emissions due to the conservation of energy used to produce, transport, and construct multiple building materials.
This application is evident in Ecoactive's use of mycelium based materials as a replacement for polystyrene and plastic packaging (figure 3)
This is crucial as the carbon emissions of material production, transportation, and construction add up to 30-40% of the total emissions of various building lifecycle stages. Bio-utilization takes this idea a step further and refers to "the direct use of nature for beneficial purposes" (Pawlyn 2011). A key example of this is the application of the biological material mycelium in: replacing harmful production practices by utilizing organic and biodegradable materials (ex. removing the use of one-use plastics) creating a replacement for harmful, mainstream materials with large carbon footprints The development of carbon-negative buildings and products that sequester carbon and break down waste. Using mycelium as a "restorative" binding agent for existing damaged materials.
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CONTEXT Mycelium is part of the fungi kingdom and is the network of threads, called hyphae, from which mushrooms can grow. Depending on the fungi it can take 2 weeks to several months for it to fruit. The majority of the fungi lifecycle is underground. The mushroom is the fruit of the fungus. When growing mushrooms it is the mycelium that is being cultivated underneath. Strong, healthy mycelium results in more and larger mushrooms. The Growth Process Spores are released upon a growth medium (or substrate). If conditions are favorable, spores will germinate.
Fine fungal filaments known as hyphae grow from the spores. Compatible hyphae mate to create mycelium.
Growing mycelium breaks down organic matter and absorbs nutrients from its surroundings. During this stage of growth, mycelium expands at an exponential rate.
Mycelium condenses into hyphal knots, which then develop into “primordia” or baby mushrooms.
Mycelium Characteristics Mycelium is the vegetative tissue of the fungus, the medium through which it absorbs nutrients. It has these root-like connective fibers that when dried can be used as a strong, water+mold resistant, fire-resistant, and insulating building material.
Mycelium networks can span up to 2,384 acres. Note: Mycelium gets its strength from chitin, which is a fibrous substance inside of the cell which also makes up the exoskeleton of crabs + crustaceans.
Mycleium's Role in the Ecosystem: Fungi are important in systems because of their innate ability to recycle nutrients which allows the nutrients to become available to other organisms in the environment. Fungi close the energy cycle in ecosystems with decomposition and by breaking down molecules to allow nutrients to be accessible that were previously locked away. The decomposition of plant material + waste Cleanse pollutants from the soil and water Recycles nutrients to surrounding plant life Cleans the air as mushrooms grow Carbon Sequestration
As plants grow they absorb CO2, producing carbonrich biomass. Fungi then are able to decompose this material, liberating CO2 back into the environment's soil, keeping it out of the atmosphere. This process is called carbon sequestration.
Importance of Carbon Sequestration: Carbon sequestration is simply the intake and storage of the element carbon. Because they soak up the carbon that would otherwise rise up and trap heat in the atmosphere, trees, and plants, and most importantly, fungi, are important players in efforts to stall climate change. Growing Conditions Outdoor Conditions Mushrooms may be found in a variety of habitats. The two main habitat types being: Pasture: grassy areas, farm or wild. Woodland: decaying leaf litter in forests They do not require sunlight to grow. They thrive in cool, moist regions like the pacific northwest. The best time to find them in nature is in the Fall around October. Indoor Conditions Can be gown any time of year. Colonizes most rapidly between 75-80°F Requires either no light or indirect light Grows best in sterile containers in damp cool environments such as a basement or cabinet. Depending on the mushroom strain and growing conditions, the substrate will be completely colonized by the mushroom mycelium in 2-4 weeks.
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MYCELIUM MATERIALS The ability to grow mycelium indoors allows for a lot of opportunities to grow it in large quantities, at a fraction of the time and cost. The first person to see the possibilities that mycelium had was Eben Bayer, who comes from a sustainable upbringing and has a passion for science and technology. In 2004, Eben founded Ecovative Design in Green Island, NY, which was the first company to take mycelium and create 100% compostable alternatives to plastics, leather, styrofoam packaging, meat and more.
On the right is Eban Bayer with his cofounder Gavin McIntyre on his left
How does it work? When the fungus is implanted in a suitable place, the mycelium behaves like glue, cementing the substrate and transforming it into a solid block. This substrate can be composed of sawdust, groundwood, straw, various agricultural wastes, or other similar materials, which might otherwise be burned or composted, returning the carbon to the atmosphere as it grows. Depending on the mycelium strain and the substrate used, the final product can be molded and dried to produce insulating panels, furniture, accessories, fabrics, packaging materials, and even bricks, with good thermal, water resistant and acoustic characteristics and strong fire behavior. Scientific research has shown that, in terms of physical and mechanical characteristics, mycelium-based materials resemble expanded Styrofoam, but with an improved level of biodegradability.
The mold making facility at Mycoworks
MYCELIUM MOLD PRODUCTION CYCLE How long does it take to grow? From inoculation it can take up to two weeks, but the molding process only takes 5 days. Does the process require sunlight? It depends. Not all mushrooms require sunlight. How much does it cost to make a mycelium brick product? Every square foot of mycelia material costs $50 to make which is a cut above the cost of wood, cork, and synthetic plastics.
How long does mycelium products last? When in contact with the ground a mycelium panel may start to decompose in about a period of six weeks. On the contrary, if maintained in favorable and stable conditions it can have a lifespan of approximately 20 years.
Biohm also produces mycelium bricks to use in construction
How strong is mycelium compared to other materials? It's compressive strength is around 30 psi which in comparison to the 4000 psi compressive strength of concrete is dramatically less. However, relative to its weight a mycelium brick is stronger than concrete with a cubic metre of mycelium brick weighing 43 kg and a cubic metre of concrete weighing 2400 kg.
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MYCOTREE
Designed by: KIT Karlsruhe + ETH Zürich + Singapore-ETH Centre Exhibit: “Beyond Mining – Urban Growth” Location: Seoul Biennale Date: 2017 MycoTree is a spatial branching structure made out of load-bearing mycelium components. Its geometry was designed using 3D graphic statics, keeping the weak material in compression only. Its complex nodes were grown in digitally fabricated moulds. Mycelium-based materials offer significant ecological advantages on the one hand but comparably low structural strength on the other. However, achieving stability through geometry rather than through material strength opens up the possibility of using weak materials. Note: Shows the interior spatial capabilities, unique molds to create structural "blocks", use of pins to lock blocks in place, using geometry to maximize strength potential.
Top view
Acting as compressive building blocks, these cultivated, biological elements can be biodegraded after use and their components returned as nutrients into the natural metabolism.
Section view
Assembly
HY-FI
Designed by: The Living + Ecoactive Exhibit: Hy-Fi at the MOMA Location: Queens, New York Date: 2014 n 2014, The Living and Ecocative tested and refined a new lowenergy biological building material by manufacturing 10,000 compostable mycelium bricks and constructing a 13-meter-tall (about 43ft) tower. This pavilion hosted public cultural events for three months. Once it was disassembled the bricks were composted and returned resulting in the creation of soil to local community gardens. This successful experiment offers many possibilities for future construction. The pavilion that was built in the yard of MoMA PS1 won the MoMA's Young Architects Program in 2014. With ARUP's structural advice, mycelium bricks were developed, which grew in less than a week in prismatic molds from the residue of chopped corn stalks. View looking up from inside
Note: This project celebrates the carbon-negative lifecycle of the mycelium bricks This highlights the biodegradability of this material after use and it shows the stature of the projects by which mycelium can be used in. This project gives me confidence in utilizing the vertical element to my advantage in this project.
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CIRCULAR GARDEN
Designed by: Carlo Ratti Exhibit: Milan Design Week Location: Orto Botanico di Brera botanical garden in Milan Date: 2019 Carlo Ratti Associates, working in collaboration with the energy company Eni, developed an architectural structure made of mushrooms that was revealed at Milan Design Week. The “Circular Garden” is a series of arches composed of one kilometer of mycelium, wherein the spores were injected into an organic material to start the growth process. As many pavilions for temporary exhibitions generate a significant amount of waste, this project follows a more sustainable course, with its constitutive mushrooms, ropes, and shredded wood chips returned to the ground after the end of the exhibition.
Note: This method of construction and execution enables architects to create structures that rely on compression rather than tension to hold their shape. In addition to that, this conveys that mycelium can be easily grown in forms other than bricks and can take any shape that the spores are injected into.
End-to-end the chain measures a kilometre – a "record" length for the fungus material.
THE SHELL MYCELIUM PAVILLION Designed by: BEETLES 3.3 and Yassin Areddia Exhibit: Kochi Muziris Biennale Location: Fort Kochi, Kerala, India Date: 2016
A group of Indian and Italian architects built a pavilion in India using mycelium, to demonstrate how the material could be used to create temporary venues for major events. Thanks to its environmentally friendly properties, they believe it could be easily utilized to create temporary rather than permanent structures during major events, like international sports tournaments and world expos. To make this happen, the architects created a series of tray-like cavities in the structure. These were filled with fungus then covered over with coir pith, which consists of coconut husk fibres. In time, the top layer dried up and died, creating a protective shell over the mycelium.
Note: Mycelium can easily bind to using timber as a framework for the mycelium to grow and take shape.
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THE GROWING PAVILLION Designed by: Pascal Leboucq and Krown Design, Company New Heros Exhibit: Dutch Design Week Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands Date: 2019
The Growing Pavilion is a temporary events space at Dutch Design Week constructed with panels grown from mushroom mycelium supported on a timber frame. Note: The exterior panels are covered with a biobased coating developed by the Maya people in Mexico that seals it from rain. The panels were attached to a timber frame, and can be removed and repurposed as necessary. The floors are made from cattails, with interior and exterior benches made from agricultural waste. The mushrooms growing in the panel frames were harvested every day at 3pm in front of an audience, with the produce cooked and available to purchase from a food truck that was located near the site.
MYX LAMP
Designed by: Jonas Edvard Type: Interior Fixture (H11.4" x W12.6") Location: Copenhagen Date: 2013 The MYX lamp by Danish product designer Jonas Edvard features an organic exterior grown from plant fibers and mushroom mycelium. The lampshade takes approximately three weeks to create. First, plant fibers and mushroom mycelium grow together to create a soft and flexible living textile designed in a cylindrical form. After two weeks, edible Oyster mushrooms are harvested from the exterior of the lampshade, the waste product that remains becomes the lamp. The lightweight material offers an organic, compostable and sustainable alternative to traditional design components. Note: Rather than ditching waste products, product like this one can me reimagined as luminaires and other interior products.
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MYCELIUM+TIMBER
Designed by: Sebastian Cox and Ninela Ivanova Type: Interior Fixture + Furniture Location: Greenwich, London Date: 2017 Cox and Ivanova wanted to use the fungal material to create more everyday products. Their project, called Mycelium + Timber, features a series of simple stools and lights with a suede-like texture, designed to suit any domestic interior. Both products on show were created by combining mycelium with scrap willow wood from Cox's own woodland. The discarded goat willow was sliced up to create thin strips, which were woven together to create individual moulds. Within these moulds, the designers added a type of fungus called fomes fomentarius, which was cultivated using more wooden strips as food.
Note: It's not just about the fungus, it's about the marriage of the two materials. These two materials have a natural relationship in the woodland, and its only natural to re-create that.
THE MYCELIUM CHAIR
Designed by: Studio Eric Klarenbeek Exhibit: Dutch Design Week Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands Date: 2013 Klarenbeek's Mycelium chair, which takes its name from the extensive threadlike root structure of fungi, combines organic matter with bioplastics to make a light and strong composite material that can be 3D-printed. For this project, Klarenbeek adapted the 3D-printer and invented a way to print straw injected with mycelium. By infusing this mushroom it acts as a kind of glue so that all these straw parts combine together and as soon as you dry it you get a kind of cork material, which is all bound together To the left is a segment of chair made from a 3D-printed aggregate of fungus, powdered straw and water. The chair's exterior is also 3D-printed, but is made from a bioplastic, against which the mycelium root structure grows. Klarenbeek leaves the fungus to spread throughout the 3D-printed structure, while reinforcing it in the process. Note: The possibility of 3D printing building materials on or off site to which the mycelium can soundly grow around to create exteriors or interiors.
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THE MYCELIUM TABLE Designed by: Grown.Bio Type: Interior Furnishing Location: Netherlands Date: 2020
The Mycelium Table is a "grown to order" product. The glass tabletop is resting on a strong grown mycelial ring. The glass table plate has a diameter of 35" and a thickness of 0.3". With a second-hand glass top the table is zero-waste and the base is totally biodegradable. The table is now also available in different heights. Large: H 25" Medium: H 18" Small: H 16" The price of this product depends on the height you choose. The highest height is at the highest price point, whereas the shortest height option is the cheapest. Price range: $703.12 - $760.90 +Tax Note: This product is of interest because it shows how one can take existing, second hand, materials and make them anew. I also like how this is an addition option for an interior furnishing.
CR BENCH
Designed by: Grown.Bio Type: Interior Furnishing Location: Netherlands Date: 2019 Back from the past after having featured at Milan Design week. During the design week in 2019, Carlo Ratti architects commissioned Grown.bio to create some beautiful arches, and benches (see second photo). The bench can be used as a singular sitting element, but it can also be combined to make a circle, snake or any shape you would like. Each bench is unique and is grown with mycelium and hemp. The name of the bench is named after Carlo Ratti, hence the name CR bench. The product comes in one size: L30" x W16" x H16" The price of this product is: $457.12 + Tax Weight: 33lbs Note: This product interest me because it introduces another pruchasable 100% mycelium product that could be used indoors or outdoors.
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HERMES VICTORIA BAG
Designed by: MycoWorks and Hermes Type: Material Finish Location: Emeryville, CA Date: 2021 French luxury house Hermès has partnered with biomaterials company MycoWorks to reimagine its Victoria shopper bag in a leather alternative grown from mycelium. The bag will be available from the end of this year and features amber-colored panels made of mycelium – the thread-like filament structure of fungi. The current price point of this product is $7,000. These sheets are tanned and finished by Hermès tanneries in France, much like real leather, to imitate its look and feel from the wrinkling all the way to the subtle color gradient. Called Sylvania, the resulting material was created as part of a three-year collaboration between MycoWorks and Hermès to fine-tune mycelium leather for use in a commercially available luxury product. MycoWorks claims that, unlike other mushroom leathers, its version does not need to be compressed to achieve a durable, uniform finish. Note: The selection of this product application shows that there is a mycelium based upholstery option for potential furniture applications.
MEDITATION & YOGA COLLECTION Designed by: Mylo and Lululemon Type: Material Finish Location: Emeryville, CA Date: 2021 -2022
Global athleisure brand Lululemon has revealed what it calls the world’s first yoga accessories created from Mylo: a mushroom-based vegan leather created by biomaterials startup Bolt Threads. This alternative material is used to make Lululemon’s new yoga mats and bags. Mylo is created from renewable mycelium. Taking only two weeks to grow, it can be adapted to any kind of finishing, embossing, or color. This mycelium-based vegan leather helps eliminates the need for any animal or other petroleum plasticbased synthetic leathers. While the purpose is to replicate the look and feel of traditional animal leather, the concept yoga mat is the first product to use Mylo in its undyed state.
Note: The yoga mat symbolizes heath and ritual as well as one's ones connection to the earth. This goes hand in hand with the idea of creating a sacred space and I like how the mat - which comes from an earth based product can symbolize connection with nature.
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GREENSULATION Designed by: Ecoactive Type: Insulation Location: New York Date: 2014
Inspired by the woods of Vermont, Ecoactive developed a system for using agricultural byproducts with mycelium to grow high performance insulation. The finished Greensulate insulation contains no VOCs, no chemical flame retardants, no plastics or other artificial materials. When installing the Greensulation, the building’s walls provide the mold. In three days, the mycelium grows and solidifies the loose particles into air-sealed insulation. Over the course of about a month, the Mushroom Insulation naturally dries and goes dormant. Providing an insulation value of R-3 or R-4 per inch of thickness, mycelium can be used as insulation, structural insulating panels, acoustical tiles, and building blocks.
Note: Fungus-derived Greensulate will char, but won't melt and ignite like polystyrene insulation
ACOUSTICS
Designed by: Mogu Type: Insulation Location: Inarzo, Italy Date: 2019 Mogu Acoustic modules are made from soft, foam-like mycelium materials and of upcycled textile residues. Note: Mogu Acoustic products achieve a fire rating (B-s1-d0), which makes them a safe choice for all typologies of private and public environments. The Mogu Acoustic collection includes several models, each combining functionality with the organic beauty of Nature and allowing for the most diverse configurations. Mogu’s panels are not only 100% biodegradable and bio-based, but they also contribute to assigning new value to the tons of residues of the textile industry. Wave
Fields
Acoustic modular panels are provided with their own easy-to-mount and screwless fixing system.
Kite
Plain
The mycelium is naturally white, but you can choose from a wide palette colors. Technical Specs: Fire rating: B-S1-D0 Moisture Proof VOC free Biodegradable Easy to install
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PACKAGING
Designed by: Mushroom Packaging Type: Product Packaging Location: Green Island, NY Date: Ongoing A mushroom packaging manufacturer that grows protective packaging at any scale by combining it with agricultural waste like hemp, cork, and sawdust. This offers a safe, sustainable, and totally home-compostable alternative to plastic foams. Ideal for packaging, insulation, and interior design solutions. This myceliumbased packaging is being proactive in ending the plastic packaging and one-use product problem. Mushroom Packaging is non-traditional. It's 100% made from unadulterated materials that come from nature and it takes 7 days to grow. Biodegradability: Marine Compost: 180 Days Home Compost: 45 Days Note: Their flexibility in being able to grow their own packaging, inspires me to make my "box" element out of mycelium. This way, when I am done using it, similar to the packaging, I can throw it out and let it biodegrade.
MUSHROOM HUT
Designed by: Ulf Mejergren Architects Type: Pavillion Location: Sweden Date: 2021 UMA architects continues its primitive hut series in Sweden with a dome-shaped structure covered in hundreds of fantastic fungi. This latest hut is seasonal, looking specifically the parasol mushroom which are the fastest growing and largest edible species are available during autumn. The architects built a frame out of rebar bent into arcs and driven down into the ground, crossing each other at the highest point where they are also fastened with wire. A mesh was then wrapped around the rebar to create a permeable dome-shaped structure where the mushrooms could be placed. The result is a mushroom hut in the landscape with an interesting texture both inside and out.
Note: There is a lot of ritual and spiritual practice to eating food. This hut inspires me to incorporate an edible mushroom element into a sacred space.
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THE EPHEMERAL ICON Designed by: Officina Corpuscoli Exhibit: Continuous Bodies Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Date: 2010
Ephemeral Icon is a project which tackles the severe impact created by the prolonged and irresponsible use of toxic materials such as plastic that do not naturally decompose. These short-life products are threatening our climate and our ecosystems, and this experiment employs a way to remediate these consequences using mycelium. The main focus of this experiment is the Monobloc plastic chair.
The Mycelium Bio Cover is conceived as a tool/product enabling to turn inanimate, synthetic objects into living entities. Hence, by making a disposable plastic chair biologically active and alive, it becomes possible to trigger a process allowing for its degradation and consequent death.
Note: Once the plastic chair is fully colonized, users can safely dispose of it by placing it in the garden or literally burying it in the ground, hence rendering it as natural soil fertilizer and safe nutrient, favoring the growth of new life.
Living Cocoon
Designed by: Bob Hendrikx Exhibit: Dutch Design Week Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands Date: 2020 Made from mushroom mycelium, the Living Cocoon actively contributes to the body's composting process after death and simultaneously removes toxic substances from the earth – creating richer conditions for new plants to grow. The boxy coffin takes one week to grow and then, containing the body of the deceased, takes an estimated two to three years to decompose. In comparison, conventional coffin burials take over ten years to break down in the earth. Hendrikx, hopes his living coffin creates a closed-loop system for disposing of the dead and repairing some of the damage done by humans to the earth.
Note: The coffins help clean pollutants from the soil as they decompose meaning they can be used for compost. This project also enables people to become one with nature again, and to enrich the soil instead of polluting it.
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MANUFACTURERS
Name: Biomason Location: 2 Triangle Dr, Durham, NC Specialty: Mycelium bricks, collaboration furnishings
Name: Ecoactive Location: 70 Cohoes Avenue Suite 103 Green Island, NY Specialty: Mycelium bricks, packaging, insulation
Name: MycoWorks Location: Emeryville, California Specialty: Mycelium leather and textiles
Name: Biohm Location: Unit 5A, Juno Way London Specialty: Mycelium acoustic and thermal insulation
Name: Bolt Threads Location: Emeryville, Calif Specialty: Mycelium based textiles, leathers and fibers.
Name: Magical Mushroom Company Location: Esher, Surrey Specialty: Custom mycelium packaging
SUPPLIERS
Name: Ecoactive Location: New York Email: info@ecovativedesig n.com
Name: Mogu Location: Inarzo, Italy Email: enquire@mogu.bio
Name: MycoWorks Location: Emeryville, California Main:(415) 987-8038
Name: Four Star Mushrooms Location: Chicago, IL Email: joe@ fourstarmushrooms.com Main: 847 687 7676
Name: Grown Bio Location: Hilversum, Nederland Email: jan@grown.bio Main: +316 51 57 51 13
Name: Magic Mushroom Coompany Location: Esher, Surrey Email:hello@magical mushroom.com
Name: Sebastian Cox Location: Harrington Way, London Email:studio@sebastianco x.co.uk Main: +44 20 8316 5679
Name: Mylo Location: Emeryville, CA Email: hello@mylounleather.com
Name: Biofab Location: Auckland, New Zealand Email: info@biofab.co.nz
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