As part of our goal to develop new construction approaches to mycelium-based composites, we’re exploring the topology of kagome weaves. These complex weaves can act as in-place moulds and structural reinforcements for the mycelium. Furthermore, a kagome scaffold allows us to explore more intricate architectural forms that support a desired computational goal. Here, we showcase some recent advancements in the automatic generation of principled kagome topology given an arbitrary target morphology.
Animation of individual weavers travelling across the base morphologyTurntable of one iteration of a randomly generated Kagome weave
Automating the generation of kagome scaffolds enables us to insert it into an iterative process where the environmental, computational, spatial, and fungal objectives for the architecture loop back into the design definition and morph it to a multidimensional optimum.
We are delighted to have been selected to exhibit at the ‘70% Less CO2 – conversion to a viable age’ exhibition, held at the Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen. Our exhibit is organised around four thematics related to on-going research enquiries within the project. These are: 1) Constituents 2) Composites 3) Computation 4) Constructions
1. Constituents – what are mycelium-based materials and what are they composed of?2. Composites – how can we tune the properties of mycelium composites? Here, we showcase work in the structuring of substrates using orientated fibres to produce anisotropic designs.3. Computation – how do we sense and compute with living mycelium and mycelium-based composites?4. Construtions – what new construction approaches do mycelium -based materials suggest? Here, we demonstrate our approach using Kagome weaves composed of synthetic and organic materials that act as stay-in-place moulds and reinforcements.
The exhibition is open from 07.10.2021 – 14.01.2022, every week day from 1000-1700. Admission is free. For more details, see here.
Why fungi could be the future of environmentally sustainable building materials
As the construction industry struggles to deal with its impact on the climate, a new crop of people with big ideas are looking for alternative materials to build with.
Phil Ayres (CITA / KADK), an architect and associate professor of architecture in Copenhagen, says the future of building materials might not be high tech polymers or specialty metals — but mushrooms.
Ayres joined Sparkhost Nora Young to discuss how he and his team are looking at how mycelium — the fibrous network that exists underneath a fungus — might be used as an environmentally sustainable building material.
Podcast page here – find the podcast under 466: Living Buildings Streaming option here