The Mycelium Cookbook: A Guide for Growing Mycelium-Based Composites for Architectural Applications

Abstract

Mycelium-based composites (MBCs) offer a sustainable alternative to today’s building materials. Grown from fungal spores and woody substrate, MBCs require little energy, resources and labor. They are low carbon, low cost, and biodegradable, making them an attractive alternative to wasteful construction and packaging materials like insulation and styrofoam. The research and development on these materials has mostly occurred at the smaller scale, within fields of design, packaging, home goods. Within the last decade, MBCs have slowly been picking up speed in the field of architecture and engineering, although research is still very limited. To advance the research on MBCs for use in the context of architecture , the material needs to be accessible to architecture students. The majority of academic articles on MBCs is written for an audience with a background in biology, is behind a paywall, or leaves out important information because it is proprietary. Much of the information on growing is very scattered and often uncomprehensive. This research consolidates information on MBCs into a guide that architecture students can use to set up their own projects. It includes background information on the field, case studies, best practices, lab setup, and recipes to grow your own mycelium materials.