3d Printed Bio-hybrid Structures - Investigating the architectural potentials of mycoremediation

Abstract

In this paper, we present a speculative design concept for a mycelium-based living bio-hybrid architectural system. The system combines inoculated lignocellulosic substrates with soil-based 3d printed structures that function as growth scaffolds, material boundaries and spatial organisers. The primary objective of the system is to exploit mycelium as a living remediator of contaminated sites, in the form of architectural proposition. The feasibility of this concept is investigated in two ways: 1) material composition development and process control parameters for soil-based 3d printing, 2) the synthesis of printed prototypes to determine geometric and environmental parameters for promoting colonisation of mycelium and supporting its role as both structural binder and `Mycorestoration' agent. This work is contextualised with reference to the state-of-the-art in order to identify the research gap and articulate the contribution of a mycelium-based remediating architecture. The merits and limits of the experimental results are reflected upon and trajectories of further investigation outlined.

Basics of Building With Mycelium-Based Bio-Composites

“…(Soh et al 2020), on the other hand, bamboo fibers and chitosan were used as substrates for inoculating the mycelium mixture for 3D printing, reporting that chitosan worked as the rheological modifier that made the mycelium paste workable. With the aim of 3D printing mycelium without sterilization, (Colmo and Ayres 2020) recently developed a mixture of soil with xanthan gum, guar gum, wet hay, glycerol, and molasses inoculated with Pleurotus fungi. Their approach offers the opportunity of using mycorestoration, using fungi to ecological repair.…”

BioKnit: development of mycelium paste for use with permanent textile formwork

“…The opportunity to 3D print inoculated growth substrate has been explored by several groups (Colmo and Ayres, 2020;Goidea et al, 2020;Soh et al, 2020;Bhardwaj et al, 2021;Blast Studio, 2021;Elsacker et al, 2022;Bio Ex Machina, 2023). The challenge in this approach is to develop an extrudable but stable substrate mix consistency, that is, viscous enough to allow extrusion through a 3D print nozzle, but stiff enough to be self-supporting prior to mycelium growth (Elsacker et al, 2022).…”

Investigating a Design and Construction Approach for Fungal Architectures

“…As an alternative, the denaturing process can be avoided, leaving units hydrated and biologically active so that the parts can fuse once assembled -assuming cultivation conditions are kept favourable [5]. Particularly within the architectural research community, the scope of production approaches has been enriched in recent years, to include monolithic production [6], 3d printing [7,8] and hybrid production techniques involving fusing of discrete blocks and shaping of the living composite into geometric design targets using robotic wire-cutting [9]. In Figure 1 we present an overview matrix of projects within this field, as represented in the literature.…”