Beyond Materials: the experimentation of bio-based grown materials from mycelia

Abstract

The international debate on materials and design assumes as regenerative and resilient a building that interacts symbiotically with its surroundings: it fits, coevolves, uses solar energy and soil resources, produces oxygen and captures CO2, closes the cycle of water and waste ... thanks to the epigenesis of its materials. Starting from ‘Ecovative, a biomaterial produced in the U.S.A., the research carried out at the DADI of University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, in partnership with industry participants, experiences the production of bio-based thermal insulation materials grown with mycelia. The experimentation has recorded a highly adaptive response from the material, which resulted regenerative, eco-friendly, renewable, with a zero environmental impact and a minimum Embodied Energy.

Keywords

• Bio-based materials
• Grown materials
• “cradle-to-cradle” approach