Bio-crafting Architecture: Experiences of growing mycelium in minimal surface molds
For architecture and design practitioners, this provides a qualitative exploration of using mycelium composites with 3D-printed molds, but the findings are incremental and lack quantitative performance metrics.
This paper reports on a workshop where mycelium was grown in 3D-printed minimal surface molds made of wood-based filament, finding that the mycelium binds to the filament and that participants showed stronger emotional responses (biophilia and biophobia) to living materials. Public interviews revealed positive attitudes toward bio-technologies but divergent views on ethical considerations.
This study documents a three-week workshop with architecture students, where we designed and 3D printed various minimal surfaces using wood-based filaments, and used them as molds in which to grow mycelium. We detail the design process and the growth of the mycelium in different shapes, together with participants' experiences of working with a living material. After exhibiting the results of the work in a public-facing exhibition, we conducted interviews with members of the general public about their perceptions on interacting with a material such as mycelium in design. Our findings show that 3D-printed minimal surfaces with wood-based filaments can function as structural cores for mycelium-based composites and mycelium binds to the filament. Participants in the workshop exhibited stronger feelings for living materials compared to non-living ones, displaying both biophilia and, to a lesser extent, biophobia when interacting with the mycelium. Members of the general public discuss pragmatic aspects including mold, fragility, or production costs, and speculate on the future of bio-technology and its impact on everyday life. While all are positive about the impact on bio-technologies on the future, they have diverging opinions on how much ethical considerations should influence research directions.