mycoBench - a material exploration

Mycelium is the network of threads from which mushrooms grow- mushroom “roots”. Not all mycelia fruit mushrooms, but all mushrooms come from mycelia. It can most commonly be found in fields, forests, and heavily wooded areas. Besides providing a structural system for mushrooms, mycelium also has many structural components as a building material. After inoculation and growth, mycelium has a stronger pound for pound ratio than concrete. It is fireproof, non-toxic, and partly mold/water resistant. Additionally, mycelium can trap more heat than fiberglass insulation, is 100% biodegradable, and extremely lightweight. These qualities alone render mycelium as a viable building material within certain contexts.

MycoBench explores the building possibilities of mycelium, researching this through the construction of a public bench. The bench coerces groups of people to commune together, as well as allows the individual. Given mycelium’s biodegradable nature, the bench will decay over time, until it is no longer suitable to support the human body. As it moves away from a human bench, it moves towards a natural habitat. The decay invites insects, small animals, plants, and other fungi to settle and lounge on the mycelium landscape. Eventually, the bench will weather and decay until it no longer exists. Although the bench has an inherently ephemeral nature, it will make a lasting impact on the ground it once stood on. Feeding nutrients into the soil, inviting wildlife along the way, the ground that once housed mycoBench will flourish. There is a beautiful dialogue created between the presence of humans, the natural cycle of decay, and the rebirth of life

Conceptual Render

Three Stools

In order to gain a better understanding of mycelium and the viability of a mycelium-made seat, I grew three mycelium stools. The goal of this was to see how the stool weathered depending on the finishing method used-unfinished, moss coating, or sanded. The stools were left outside for two months.