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MYCOLOGY FOR ARCHITECTURE
Mycelium offers a vast array of functions for real-life applications, especially in design. Since it is a relatively new material in the architectural field, there is still a vast scope of research and implementation to be carried out within the field. This leads to lots of novel approaches, information and ideas from those working with fungi, which would benefit from a space to share this.
There are mycology and fungi societies, UK Fungus Day, British Mycological Society, which exist however the majority are biology rather than design orientated. The Fungal Materials & Biofabrication group on Facebook and the BioFab Forum are early collectives that emerged to facilitate the sharing of information for the biodesign community. These collectives, however, formed with ‘maker culture’, meaning though there is helpful information and a good basis there is a lack of professional input or academic development. Therefore, there remains a need for a community for experts on the subject. With this purpose in mind, Mycology for Architecture (MycoTecture) would act as an international collaboration, facilitating the sharing of knowledge and ideas about fungi and their role in architecture. This aims to allow those working with fungi as a biomaterial to help each other, find individual collaborators, and build up a library of methods and projects.
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AIMS
> Mycology for Architecture aims to organise an hour talk by inviting a variety of people and groups leading the field. The topics would cover a range including different method and purpose of producing/using mycelium materials. . In the future, these talks can move from fungi to other biomaterials such as bacterial cellulose and algae.
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> The talks will be on the last Thursday of each month (starting from July 2021) and shared via the HBBE-YouTube channel.
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> Running each session on a specific issue will give the opportunity to build sub groups by people who are working on similar goals. These sub-groups have potential such as collaborating for new research proposals /funding / exhibition pieces for design weeks/biennale/conferences. Workshops and courses in biodesign can be formed from specific issues to enable further specialisation.
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> Building up a project library by collecting information about the presenters.
BOOK
Mycology for Architecture: Methods and Applications of Mycelium Materials in the Built Environment
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An edited volume will be published by Pelagic Publishing in May 2026.
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Mycology for Architecture explores how mycelium—the root network of fungi—as a living material is transforming architecture into a discipline that is not only sustainable, but regenerative, adaptive, and deeply entangled with ecological systems. Bringing together leading researchers, practitioners, and educators, it charts how living matter is reshaping the way we conceive, fabricate, and inhabit built environments.
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Organised in three parts, the book begins by positioning mycelium as an alternative to conventional construction materials, with applications ranging from bricks and skins to adaptive structures and even space habitats. The second part turns to the methods and practices of working with living fungi, from laboratory protocols and workshop formats to experimental pedagogies that challenge conventional design education. The final section showcases advanced fabrication strategies that push the limits of mycelium composites toward sustainable, scalable futures.
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By weaving together theory, fabrication, and pedagogy, the book presents biodesign as a critical method rather than a speculative novelty. It invites architects, designers, and researchers to rethink material assemblies and to embrace nonlinear, adaptive processes as integral to a more just, climate-responsive future.
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