In a quiet corner of London’s Chelsea Flower Show, Studio Weave’s Avanade Intelligent Garden pulses beneath the textures of bark and lush foliage. The project gathers and interprets signals from its plants, soil, and air to form an AI-driven ecosystem that listens as much as it grows. The English architects, in collaboration with landscape designer Tom Massey and natural materials expert Sebastian Cox, has created an architectural presence within the garden that reflects both ecological knowledge and digital intuition. The result is a place of learning, adjusting, and responding that’s alive with signals and wrapped in a facade of mushroom mycelium.

This year’s gold medal-winning entry comes from a carefully tuned partnership. Massey’s planting scheme, Cox’s material intelligence, and Studio Weave’s architectural framing find coherence through a shared interest in craft and care. Rather than standing apart, the building acts as a lightly held edge. It folds around the perimeter, creating an inner clearing that functions like a micro-courtyard — a calm interior within the lush density of the Intelligent Garden.

images © Daniel Herendi

a form informed by mushroom mycelium

Studio Weave‘s shed structure within the Intelligent Garden rises from materials that carry their own narratives. Ash timber, harvested from diseased trees in local forests, has been woven and curved to shape the outer skin. Between the slats, natural light lands on the softly undulating surface of mycelium panels. These fungal forms, grown in Sebastian Cox’s Kent workshop from agricultural byproducts, bring both tactile richness and a low-impact material footprint. Together they form a type of garden architecture that feels grown as much as it is built.

This intervention carries more function than its restrained form suggests. It provides shelter and workspace for its gardener-custodians — people tasked with tending the Tom Massey-designed garden and managing the technology embedded within it. Avanade’s AI platform gathers live data on soil health, humidity, and light exposure, offering caretakers a nuanced picture of how each tree and plant responds to its environment. The table inside serves both workshop and observation, reinforcing the idea that care and technology must coexist at a very human scale.

Studio Weave collaborates with Tom Massey and Sebastian Cox to create the Intelligent Garden

studio weave Designs for Disassembly

Tucked within the structure is a shaded, humid corner that leans into the mystery of the mycelium. Here, in conditions designed for growth rather than display, the garden shows its quieter work. Fungal fruiting bodies emerge in their own time, fed by a microclimate that speaks to forest understories. It is a moment of architectural pause, and a reminder that some processes can be invited but never controlled.

Though the Intelligent Garden is a temporary installation, the building’s afterlife has been carefully plotted. Prefabricated in four volumes, it was assembled quickly on-site and will move to Manchester’s Mayfield Park after the show. The building’s construction avoids permanence in favor of adaptability. Every joint, weave, and panel has been designed with disassembly in mind. The entire structure is biodegradable or recyclable, with nothing left as waste. It is, in essence, a compostable building.

locally-sourced Ash and mycelium emphasize sustainability and material storytelling

Beyond the structure, the Intelligent Garden makes a pointed case. Trees in urban areas are under threat from poor planting conditions, neglect, and environmental stress. Nearly half fail within ten years. The garden does not offer a single fix. Instead, it puts forward a layered system — where AI is a tool, not a substitute, for long-term stewardship. Through sensors and predictive models, the technology here helps direct limited resources where they’re most needed, supporting both survival and growth over time.

This is the second year Studio Weave and Tom Massey have collaborated at Chelsea. Their previous entry also received gold, but this year’s work pushes further into a cross-disciplinary space. Known for projects that engage civic and natural contexts with unusual sensitivity, Studio Weave brings architecture into conversation with planting and performance. The firm’s ability to work fluidly between disciplines is evident in how the structure holds the garden without overwhelming it.

the garden integrates AI technology to support the long-term care and survival of urban trees

sensors and AI track soil health and environmental data for optimal growing conditions

an interior courtyard is designated for workshops and quiet observation

the building was prefabricated in modular volumes and designed for reuse after the show

a ‘mushroom parlour’ demonstrates ideal conditions for fungal growth

project info:

name: Avanade Intelligent Garden and Building

architect: Studio Weave | @studioweave

event: Chelsea Flower Show 2025

location: London, United Kingdom

landscape design: Tom Massey | @tommasseyuk

materials: Sebastian Cox | @sebastiancoxltd

digital systems: Avanade Inc. | @avanadeinc

photography: © Daniel Herendi | @neverordinaryview

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DeepForest³ is a microbial architectural installation developed by ecoLogicStudio in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck and the Bartlett UCL. The project is part of the We the Bacteria: Notes Toward Biotic Architecture exhibition at the 24th International Exposition of La Triennale di Milano, curated by Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley. The installation proposes a domestic space structured as an active microbial ecosystem. It utilizes biotechnological systems to establish a functional relationship between architecture, biological processes, and environmental conditions. The spatial arrangement includes components that perform photosynthesis, biodegradation, and carbon storage, forming an integrated biotic infrastructure.

At the center of the installation are three types of architectural components: Photosynthesizers, Biodegraders, and Carbon storers. Photosynthesizers, filled with 50 liters of living cyanobacteria, actively capture CO₂ from the gallery environment and convert it into oxygen and biomass. These glass vessels are arranged to form a breathable membrane, both wall and filter, alive with metabolic activity. Biodegraders, built from 3D printed bark-like shells made of algae biopolymers, host living mycelium networks. These fungi feed on spent coffee grounds, a readily available urban waste, and grow into dense, fibrous forms that line the space like living insulation, mimicking salvaged birch trunks but grown from synthetic matter. Carbon storers, such as reclaimed wood elements and active lichen colonies, integrate with these systems to stabilize and reframe the aesthetics of waste as beauty, turning the byproducts of decay into architectural ornament.

all images by Xiao Wang, courtesy of ecoLogicStudio and the Synthetic Landscape Lab

ecoLogicStudio merges biology with digital fabrication

The design strategy followed by ecoLogicStudio’s team aligns the architectural system with Italy’s history of landscape engineering, drawing a comparison between historical interventions and microbial resilience. The spatial configuration compresses forest ecologies into a controlled interior scale. Floor and wall assemblies incorporate engraved and porous substrates, enabling air exchange, moisture retention, and microbial colonization. ‘We are now more and more aware that our own nature is cyborgian and collective, and that our own identities extend far beyond the limits of our bodies. We are microbial ecosystems, we are algorithmic networks. It is a necessary consequence that our home becomes an extension of these ecosystems and networks. Our home is our microbiome,’ shares Prof. Claudia Pasquero.

The installation emphasizes visibility of technical systems. Algae growth chambers, mycelial substrates, air and CO₂ pumps remain exposed, functioning as both operative systems and formal features. This approach integrates the mechanical and biological processes into the architectural language rather than concealing them. ‘The installation aims to celebrate the first time microbial architecture enters the Italian temple of design, the Milano Triennale. I think this is an epochal moment. For this reason, we took great care in its design and detailing. DeepForest³ is really more than just a temporary installation, it delivers a fully functional and tangible biotechnological living system, grounded in the metabolic cycles of algae and fungi, but brought to life through bespoke digital design and unique material craftsmanship,’ comments Dr. Marco Poletto.

DeepForest³ installation presented at the 24th International Exposition of La Triennale di Milano

DeepForest³ exhibits open-source biotechnological integration

A secondary feature of the installation is the Zolla bench, made from modular cork blocks and honeycomb cardboard base. The bench is designed for live mycelium cultivation, which gradually transforms the surface through colonization and mushroom growth. This component demonstrates real-time material transformation and user interaction with biologically active surfaces. The installation supports cyclical material use, passive environmental modulation, and open-source system integration. It is conceived as a domestic prototype for future biotechnological applications in architecture, emphasizing accessible and distributed cultivation of photosynthetic and fungal organisms within built environments.

DeepForest³ forms part of an ongoing research initiative by ecoLogicStudio and the Synthetic Landscape Lab. Parallel projects include Tree.One, Bio.Lab, FundamentAI, and CryoflorE, which extend this inquiry across multiple international venues including the Venice Architecture Biennale, Bundeskunsthalle Bonn, and MUDAC Lausanne. The installation opens to the public on May 12th, 2025.

visible systems turn the walls into a living, cyber-organic laboratory

air pumps circulate air and CO₂, supporting algae and mycelium growth

engaged with the living installation

Carbon storer made from reclaimed trees and 3d printed barks

Carbon storer made from reclaimed trees and 3d printed barks

Photosynthesizers and AIReactor in action

Zolla bench is composed of mycelium colonizing cork, with mushrooms starting to sprout

project info:

name: DeepForest³

designer: ecoLogicStudio | @ecologicstudio

location: Milan, Italy

lead designers: Prof. Claudia Pasquero, Dr. Marco Poletto

commissioner: Triennale di Milano

exhibition curators: Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley

academic partners: Synthetic Landscape Lab IOUD Innsbruck University, Urban Morphogenesis Lab BPRO The Bartlett UCL

design team: Prof. Claudia Pasquero, Dr. Marco Poletto, Jasper Zehetgruber, Francesca Turi, Alessandra Poletto

prototyping support team: Jonas Wohlgenannt, Korbinian Enzinger, Felix Humml, Bo Liu, Mika Schulz, Michael Unterberger, Marco Matteraglia, Beyza Nur Armağan, Beatriz Gonzalez Arechiga and Xiao Wang

photographer: Xiao Wang

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post ecoLogicStudio reimagines domesticity through microbial installation at triennale milano appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Researchers at EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) have created a living biodegradable material made from fungi that can allow trash bags to decompose the organic waste. It is only of the many potential applications of the studied fungi. In the field of electronics, the living biodegradable material made from fungi can be used to produce sensors as well as bio- and paper batteries. It’s because the kind of mycelium the researchers have used, the split-gill mushroom, reacts to moisture and its surroundings. Also, it is a ‘biodegrader’. This means that its properties can actively decompose wood and other plant materials. 

The study begins with the split-gill mushroom, an edible fungus that grows on dead wood. Usually, researchers clean and process the mycelium before they use it as a material. In the Empa study, the team has used the entire living mycelium as it is, including the ‘extracellular matrix,’ which contains a natural mix of proteins and fibers that the fungus creates as it grows. Then, they choose a specific strain from the finger to make two molecules. The first is schizophyllan, which lets them produce a strong and thin fiber. The next is hydrophobin, which is a protein that behaves like soap and interacts well with water and oil. These two make the living biodegradable material made from fungi robust, flexible, and adaptable, creating a component that’s ideal for biodegradable and natural products.

all images courtesy of Empa

Objects using living biodegradable material made from fungi

Now for the testing part. The researchers have tried out two applications in their lab. First as a plastic-like film, then as an emulsion. The latter is what helps create the schizophyllan fibers and hydrophobins, even producing more of the molecules over time, which the team describes as a rare occurrence. For the former, the scientists have turned the living biodegradable material made from fungi into a thin film. They’ve discovered in their study that the resulting object is strong and flexible. This is due to the extracellular matrix and the long schizophyllan fibers.  The team adds that they could make it significantly stronger when they align the fungal fibers in the same direction. 

It’s the similar technique as weaving of layering threads in fabric. The researchers then imagine using the living biodegradable material made from fungi to produce plastic bags that can compost waste. If not that, then other compostable objects for packaging. It behaves like plastic, and it is natural and even safe to eat. The Empa researchers now look into combining traditional fiber material science with the new field of living materials, ones that can grow, adapt, or heal themselves. Because the mycelium is alive, they can also control its properties by adjusting how it is grown, like temperature, humidity, and nutrients, opening the path to alternative materials.

researchers can also use the film to make other packaging materials

the film can be used to produce bioplastics

the kind of mycelium the researchers have used, the split-gill mushroom, is already a ‘biodegrader’

view of the emulsion as a result of the mixture

the mixture can create the schizophyllan fibers and hydrophobins

the mushroom’s properties can actively decompose wood and other plant materials

the split-gill mushroom is an edible fungus that grows on dead wood

the material is edible because it comes from a mushroom

the resulting object from the study is strong and flexible

project info:

name: Living Fiber Dispersions from Mycelium as a New Sustainable Platform for Advanced Materials

researchers: Ashutosh Sinha, Luiz G. Greca, Nico Kummer, Ciatta Wobill, Carolina Reyes, Peter Fischer, Silvia Campioni, Gustav Nyström

institutions: EMPA, ETH Zürich | @empa_materials_science, @ethzurich

study: here

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Kia reveals the interior design of its concept electric SUV EV2 at Milan Design Week 2025, made of hemp, mycelium, flax fibers, and recycled textiles. As part of the exhibition Transcend Journey at Eastend Studios, visitors can see the cabin of the concept vehicle for the first time. One of the first biomaterial elements the design team applies is the cellulose-based Simplifyber Fybron from renewable sources such as wood, paper, and recycled textiles.

It emerges at the Kia electric SUV EV2’s dashboard and door panels. This ingredient comes through a liquid-based process, eliminating the need for weaving or spinning. The team also integrates biodegradable mycelium-based components into the interiors, courtesy of Biomyc. These materials include hemp and mycelium, which are grown and colored to match Kia’s Pantone specifications for visual consistency throughout the cabin.

all images courtesy of Kia

Mycelium-based materials for the interior surfaces

There are two types of mycelium that Kia’s design team uses for the electric SUV EV2. The first is mycelium-infused polyurethane, applied across light blue interior surfaces, containing visible mycelium particles. The second is a grown volume material, produced by mycelium cells binding with cellulose from agricultural waste. This solid structure is used in components such as the door armrest, where it provides insulation.Inside the Kia electric SUV EV2, the team also incorporates a bio-based composite made from flax fibers named AmpliTex, courtesy of Bcomp.

It shows up in the back seat shell and front seat substructures of the concept vehicle. The use of this component replaces traditional synthetic materials, which helps reduce the overall vehicle weight. AmpliTex is also fully recyclable. At the end of its use, companies can process it into composite pellets for reuse. Kia’s Color, Materials, and Finish (CMF) team has also developed a dark-blue finish for the material to align with the vehicle’s overall design.

exhibition view of Transcend Journey with the electric Kia concept model

From concept to real-life model starting 2026

Aside from the biomaterials in the cabin, the Kia electric SUV EV2 features seat headrest-integrated speakers, portable door speakers, side-extendable seats, detachable seat cushions, and pop-up luggage dividers. The vehicle is also capable of sending message lighting to the pedestrians crossing so they know that car has stopped to make way. The interior is also configurable. This means that the Kia electric SUV EV2 has a rear bench that can be lifted. It reveals a flat floor that can double as a ‘living room’ inside the car.

The vehicle also comes with rear-hinged back doors so it opens up more for easy entry. Then, the front section features vertical daytime running lights and an open lighting structure without a cover lens. The bumpers and lower sections have contrasting graphic elements, which contribute to the concept vehicle’s utility-focused design. The profile of the Kia electric SUV EV2 evidently includes a straight shoulder line that connects the front and rear sections. The solid fenders contrast with geometric glass shapes and wheel arches to define the vehicle’s form. First unveiled in February 2025, the Kia electric SUV EV2 expects to hit the market in 2026.

the exhibition takes place at Eastend Studios between April 7th to 9th, 2025

the interior parts uses biomaterials such as mycelium and hemp

dashboard view of the electric vehicle

the car also features seat headrest-integrated speakers, portable door speakers and side-extendable seats

exterior view of the electric vehicle

view of the sunroof and the vehicle’s straight shoulder line

the solid fenders contrast with geometric glass shapes and wheel arches

so far, the model expects to hit the martket in 2026

project info:

name: Kia EV2 electric SUV

car manufacturer: Kia | @kiausa

companies: Biomyc, Bcomp, Simplifyber | @biomyc.eu, @bcompltd, @simplifyber_inc

exhibition name: Transcend Journey

location: Eastend Studios on Via Mecenate, 88/a, Milan, Italy

dates: April 7th to 9th, 2025

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À_SOMBRA introduces a sustainable burial ritual inspired by the Gaia hypothesis and contemporary environmental theories. The project by João Pedro Alves Cavalcanti and Jeanine Torres Geammal from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) focuses on ecological regeneration through the integration of human remains into the soil via a biodegradable urn made from mushroom mycelium. The Gaia hypothesis, proposed by biologists Lynn Margulis and James Lovelock, views the biosphere as a living organism composed of interconnected parts that co-evolve. Building on this concept and insights from thinkers such as Donna Haraway, Ailton Krenak, Anna Tsing, and Bruno Latour, the project reimagines cemeteries as green spaces that foster interactions between humans and their environment.

Central to the ritual is a mycelium-based urn, chosen for its ability to interact with plant roots, facilitate nutrient exchange across ecosystems, and detoxify soil through its natural properties, further aligning with environmental burial principles. The urn’s design is influenced by the anthropomorphic urns of the Amazonian Polychrome Tradition and is formed using 3D printed molds. Over time, the biodegradable urn decomposes, enriching the soil and supporting diverse life forms.

all images courtesy of João Pedro Alves Cavalcanti and Jeanine Torres Geammal

Eco-Conscious Burial Process joins Nature, Memory, and Renewal

The burial process, conceived by Industrial Design student João Pedro Alves Cavalcanti and advisor Jeanine Torres Geammal, involves several steps. Human remains, processed through cremation, natural organic reduction (NOR), or alkaline hydrolysis, are reduced to particles suitable for ecological reintegration. These particles are placed into the mycelium urn by loved ones. After a stabilization period of 24 hours, the urn is transported to the burial site using a bamboo carrying structure. At the burial site, a space is prepared to hold the urn and part of the bamboo structure. Family and friends can participate in the act of placing the urn into the ground. The mycelium and human remains nourish the soil, sustaining microbial and plant life.

The bamboo structure features a QR code linked to a digital memorial, offering information about the deceased and the local ecosystem. As the bamboo biodegrades, the burial site remains identifiable through GPS coordinates stored on a virtual map. This ensures the evolving green space is accessible and meaningful to visitors, promoting sustainable practices and reshaping urban cemeteries into vibrant, life-affirming landscapes.

À_SOMBRA introduces a sustainable burial ritual inspired by the Gaia hypothesis and ecological regeneration

the project integrates human remains into the soil using biodegradable urns made from mushroom mycelium

mycelium-based urns decompose naturally, enriching the soil and supporting microbial and plant life

mycelium supports ecosystems by connecting with plant roots and aiding nutrient communication

the ritual transforms the act of burial into a regenerative process for the environment

À_SOMBRA envisions burial as a way to sustain diverse life forms and nourish the biosphere

mycelium-based urns decompose naturally, enriching the soil and supporting microbial and plant life

the biodegradable urn and a bamboo structure merge traditional rituals with ecological awareness

the bamboo structure features a QR code that links to a digital memorial for the deceased.

a bamboo carrying structure transports the urn to its burial site and serves as part of the memorial

project info:

name: À_SOMBRA
designers: João Pedro Alves Cavalcanti, Jeanine Torres Geammal

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post biodegradable urn made from mushroom mycelium assists eco-conscious burial ritual appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Suyash Sawant and Bhakti Vinod Loonawat of Anomalia curate MycoMuseum, a show that exhibits the future of fungi and the use of mycelium with biodegradable blocks and recyclable leather for furniture like chairs. The pieces are exhibited during the Conscious Collective event by the Godrej Design Lab Initiative in Mumbai, India between December 13th and 15th, 2024. In the event, Anomalia showcases some mycelium furniture and material designs.

These include the biodegradable blocks and wall system named MycoBlox by MYCL Bio and ROHA; the clothing MycoCore by Anomalia and fashion designer Anushé Pirani in collaboration with Mycl Bio; the MycoLiving textile by Mycl Bio’s Mylea which is the recyclable leather grown from mycelium; and the packaging design by ROHA and student work from the L. S. Raheja School Of Architecture. Anomalia collaborates with these designers whose research also focuses on using and growing mycelium for furniture, material, and textile purposes.

Anomalia MycoBlox | all photos © MYCL Bio, courtesy of Anomalia, unless stated otherwise

Lightweight and stackable blocks from fungi

In Anomalia’s MycoMuseum, mycelium as furniture and textile takes center stage. Visitors to the event see MycoBlox, which is a wall system made of the mushroom root structure. The research platform draws from the agricultural waste to grow the MycoBlox, which is a series of lightweight, stackable, and load-bearing blocks. 

They’re low-carbon enough to reduce carbon emissions and construction waste and completely biodegradable, so they ‘rejoin’ the earth’s resource cycle at the end of their lifetime. Anomalia grows MycoBlox in five-part molds, and the design team has produced these pieces in collaboration with Mycl Bio.

Anomalia MycoBlox at the production facility at MYCL, Mycotech Lab in Bandung, Indonesia

Recyclable leather for chair made of mycelium

The MycoLiving chair comes next at MycoMyseum, wrapped with recyclable leather made of mycelium. The furniture piece uses Mycl Bio’s mycelium-based leather called Mylea, resulting in a chair that’s fully recyclable. The team imagines mycelium as an accessible material for daily use, which is a similar perspective brought to life by MycoCore. 

Here, Anomali, Anushé Pirani, and Mycl Bio transform mycelium into a garment that can be woven as a dress or piece of clothing. They repurpose the cutouts from shaping the gills into fine mycelial threads to add depth and texture to the base of the garment. All these furniture and material designs are showcased at Anomalia’s MycoMyseum during the Conscious Collective event in early December 2024.

each block weighs around 1.6 kilos and can take up to 1.5 tons of load

early prototyping stages of Anomalia MycoBlox

‘Anomalia MycoBlox’ assembly at MycoMuseum exhibit | photo © Bhushan Gavas, courtesy of Anomalia

MycoMuseum Exhibit at Conscious Collective 2024 | photo © Bhushan Gavas, courtesy of Anomalia

Anomalia’s MycoMuseum exhibits mycelium as furniture and designs

‘Anomalia MycoBlox’ at the Godrej Desing Lab’s Concious Collective event | photo © Bhushan Gavas, courtesy of Anomalia

MycoLiving Furniture by Anomalia and MycoCore Apparel by Anushé Pirani at the MycoMuseum Exhibit at Conscious Collective 2024 | photo © Bhushan Gavas, courtesy of Anomalia and Anushé pirani

MycoCore Apparel by Anushé Pirani | photo © Bhushan Gavas, courtesy of Anomalia and Anushé pirani

MycoLiving uses mycelium-based textile as an alternative leather material for chairs

MycoBlox, a series of lightweight, stackable, and load-bearing blocks

project info:

name: MycoMuseum

research platform: Anomalia | @anomalia.in

designers: Bhakti Vinod Loonawat and Suyash Sawant of Anomalia, Anushé Pirani | @bha_lu, @suyash_ar.des, @anushepirani

production leads: Ronaldiaz Hartantyo and Robbi Zidna

collaborations and production partners: MYCL Bio (Bandung, Indonesia), MYLEA (Bandung, Indonesia), Anushé Pirani (Mumbai, India), and Roha Bio (Chennai, India) | @mycl.bio, @mylea_mycl, @roha_bio

initiative: Godrej Design Lab | @godrejdesignlab

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: matthew burgos | designboom

The post anomalia’s mycomuseum exhibits mycelium as compostable blocks & recyclable leather chair appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The year 2024 saw designers and architects reimagine material applications in more sustainable and environmentally responsible ways. Zero-waste alternatives replaced traditional construction methods, as seen in ReGrow Willow’s hybrid material system that combines willow and pressed earth for architectural applications. Projects like André Kong Studio’s mushroom mycelium brick pavilion in New York and Studio dreiSt’s recyclable canteen furniture crafted from construction waste pushed the boundaries of conventional techniques.

Natural materials once considered waste emerged taking the place of synthetic options, such as Studio Sanne Visser’s use of human hair yarn applied on furniture and accessories. From Gisung Han’s decomposable stool made of wildflower seeds and potato-based plastic to Studio Arp’s pendant lamp shaped from leather derived from citrus waste, these projects embraced circular design principles. Our 2024 big stories include Mengyan Guo’s sculptural clothing collection crafted from discarded tea leaves, upcycled stools made from spent shower sponges and coffee grounds designed by Columbia University students, and Laura Bordini’s packaging series, which repurposes microalgae and industrial waste biomass to promote ecological regeneration. designboom rounds up 2024’s top 10 projects that stood out for their creative use of materials for practical, and sustainable designs.

FROM CHOW TO CHAIR: UPCYCLED STOOLS MADE FROM SPENT SHOWER SPONGES AND COFFEE GROUNDS

image courtesy of Justin Wan

The Luffa Stoolita explores the potential application of plant-based by-products, particularly their subsequent food wastes, as alternative materials for furniture design and construction. Realized by Columbia University GSAPP master’s students Justin Wan, Paul Edward Liu, and Tim Ting-Hao Chen, the project challenges conventional materiality in the realm of sustainable furniture, while prompting reflection on responsible consumption and waste management. By upcycling natural waste materials, the stool design demonstrates the possibility of extending the life cycle of food beyond its short-lived consumerist lifespan aligned with low-impact design solutions to address the issue of food waste. To ensure environmental sustainability, all materials used in the research and design project are locally sourced. 

read more here

LAURA BORDINI REPURPOSES MICROALGAE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE BIOMASS TO NOURISH PLANT LIFE

image courtesy of Laura Bordini

Laura Bordini’s By Osmosis explores a circular process in which waste generated by one process becomes nourishment for another. The project showcases the potential of ‘growing materials’, particularly microalgae, in promoting ecological regeneration by actively contributing to fostering plant life.

Using biomass derived from the death of microorganisms recovered from industrial waste centers, the designer demonstrates how this product can be transformed into a biomaterial that stimulates plant growth. Bordini presents a series of products, such as packaging materials, designed to be planted and function as agricultural biostimulants.

read more here

VIENNA’S CONSTRUCTION WASTE BECOMES RECYCLABLE FURNITURE FOR CANTEEN BY STUDIO DREIST

image by Paul Sebesta, courtesy of Studio dreiSt

Bioregional design practice Studio dreiSt unveils Biofabrique canteen, the modular hospitality area of Vienna Design Week 2024. Designed in collaboration with the material-driven project Biofabrique Vienna, the canteen incorporates 1,700 handmade ceramic tiles glazed with metro excavation clay, demonstrating how materials like clay from Vienna metro construction sites and food production residuals can be repurposed into long-lasting, recyclable building components. The golden-brown surface of the ceramic glaze is derived from subway excavation clay and carbolime, while energy-efficient materials like Carbo and Adobe bricks are utilized to construct bar tables and counters.

read more here

HUMAN HAIR SPINS INTO YARN IN STUDIO SANNE VISSER’S INSTALLATION FOR LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

image by Rocio Chacon

Material design research practice Studio Sanne Visser introduces Locally Grown, an interactive installation exploring human hair as an innovative, sustainable material. Presented at the Material Matters Fair during the London Design Festival, the project invites visitors to engage with the full process, from live haircuts to hair spinning and rope-making demonstrations, resulting in an exhibition of design objects made from hair. The installation emphasizes collaboration and circular economy, featuring contributions from nine studios, including Helen Kirkum Studio, Lauren MacDonald, and Wilkinson & Rivera, who integrate Visser’s hair-based materials into a variety of products, ranging from high-quality interior objects to unique accessories.

Sanne Visser emphasizes the collaborative spirit behind her work, stating, ‘I work independently, but I would never say I work alone.’  This ethos is at the heart of the installation, blending collective creativity, ecological responsibility, and innovative design with sustainable material solutions.

read more here

MYCELIUM BRICK PAVILION BY ANDRE KONG STUDIO SPROUTS IN NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDENS

image by Marlon Co for NYBG

Homegrown Wonderland is an organic garden pavilion created by andre kong studio for the New York Botanical Garden’s latest exhibition. As Wonderland: Curious Nature explores the fantastical world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures, the installation features bricks grown from mycelium—the root structure of mushrooms. This innovative materiality reflects the scene where Alice consumes a mushroom and grows rapidly, evoking a whimsical transformation as she outgrows the White Rabbit’s cottage.

Engineered by Arup, the pavilion juxtaposes a quaint, aged timber-frame cottage, scaled down to create an intimate setting, with unexpected walls crafted from full-sized mycelium bricks. The pavilion will be dismantled after its display in the gardens, with the mycelium bricks composted, and the timber will be reused.

read more here

GISUNG HAN’S POTATO PLASTIC-BASED STOOL BLOOMS INTO WILDFLOWERS AS IT DECOMPOSES

image courtesy of Gisung Han

Gisung Han’s Blooming Decay Stool is made from wildflower seeds and potato-based plastic, designed to bloom into flowers as it decomposes. The project stems from the designer’s desire to create various types of bioplastics with artful, sustainable principles and with manufacturability in mind.

‘Does a chair designed with sustainable principles always need to be durable and long-lasting? How about a chair that breaks easily, becoming more beautiful as it deteriorates?’ Han questions. As a result, the stool embraces the beauty of disappearance, envisioned to be disposable and biodegradable, naturally dispersing seeds back into the environment as it ages.

read more here

‘REGROW WILLOW’ POSES HYBRID EARTH CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM STRENGTHENED WITH DIGITAL FABRICATION

image courtesy of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

ReGrow Willow presents an innovative hybrid material system that pairs the tensile strength of willow with the compressive strength of earth for architectural applications. Developed by professorships at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), this comprehensive construction process leverages bespoke digital fabrication and computational tools to advance the synergistic combination of the two natural materials. Embracing lightweight, mobile, and adaptable fabrication equipment, the project embodies a low-impact design philosophy to reduce energy and material consumption, offering a sustainable structural alternative to reinforced concrete.

Championing a circular ethos, the project further seeks to integrate alternative materials and closed-loop systems into construction practices, addressing resource depletion and waste generation. By disrupting the traditional linear model of take, make, and dispose, ReGrow Willow aims to establish a waste-free and fully circular digital construction, closing local material cycles.

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LEATHER-LIKE MATERIAL FROM CITRUS WASTE WRAPS PENDANT LAMP AT LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

image by Stone Stuart courtesy of Studio Arp

Interdisciplinary practitioner Alkesh Parmar, founder of Studio Arp, repurposes orange peel waste into sustainable materials in the Citrus Sinensis project. Incorporating traditional craftsmanship and low-tech processes, the studio explores themes of migration, colonialism, and decentralized design. Showcased at the Material Matters Fair during the London Design Festival, this project includes lighting, objects, and artworks, emphasizing the intergenerational preservation of craft and the sustainable use of natural resources, while drawing on the origins of the orange from the Himalayan foothills.

Through his innovative process, APeel, Parmar transforms waste citrus peel into a versatile leather-like material suitable for diverse applications. In a crucial phase before the orange peel dries, it becomes pliable and moldable, similar to leather, with its properties varying based on the type of citrus and environmental conditions—ensuring an adaptable and sustainable process. Low-tech craft techniques emphasize the potential of local materials, challenging conventional Western design practices.

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ECO-FRIENDLY PACKAGING BY BIOREGION INSTITUTE REPURPOSES BARLEY WASTE AND SEAWEED

image courtesy of Bioregion Institute

Lab director Alexandre Bau, industrial biochemist Lars Haugen Aardal, and industrial designer Alvise Rizzo from the Bioregion Institute introduce Feddie Packaging, an eco-friendly packaging solution crafted from whiskey distillation byproducts and locally sourced seaweed. This innovative biomaterial offers a low-cost, low-carbon alternative to pulped cellulose, advancing sustainable packaging design.

The biomaterial repurposes draff—the spent malted barley grains left over from whiskey production—as a raw material rich in starch, proteins, and fibers. Typically used as animal feed or compost, draff’s natural properties make it an ideal base for molded pulp packaging. To enhance its functionality, the team combines draff with sugar kelp, a seaweed cultivated along Norway’s coast. This land-and-sea biomass pairing leverages the adhesive qualities of alginate, a natural polysaccharide found in kelp, to create a robust, shock-absorbing packaging material. ‘By converting this waste biomass into a useful product without compromising biodegradability, we extend its life cycle and offer a cheap alternative resource to the molded pulp packaging industry,’ affirms the team. ‘We leverage the residual starch in draff as a natural binder, a key component that provides strength and elasticity to the material.’ 

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SCULPTURAL TOP AND SKIRT MADE OF DISCARDED TEA LEAVES CAN ABSORB ODOR

image courtesy of Mengyan Guo

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Song of the Origins, a mycelium-based installation by Côme Di Meglio, explores the interconnectedness of life and sound in Champagne’s Maison Ruinart Sculpture Garden, Reims. Combining organic materials and traditional craftsmanship, the structure serves as a space that merges physical and spiritual dimensions, sound and matter, the visible and the invisible.

Framed with expertly crafted oak carpentry, the mycelium alcove contrasts its rugged, earth-like exterior with a smooth, carved interior, resembling the chalk pits beneath its site. Suspended within, a golden gong resonates in the curved space, echoing ancient dwellings, caves, and sacred spaces. The circular shape and mycelium’s acoustic properties focus sound, while the gong’s resonance frequency complements the architecture, creating sustained vibrations that envelop the body.

all images by Alexandre Zimmermann – Night Visions – Films & Reports

Song Of the Origins explores the link between life and sound

The installation’s title draws from myths of creation where the universe was sung into being, creating a correlation between matter and vibration, music and creation, life, and a sense of harmony. Recent research on living organisms’ response to sound inspired Côme Di Meglio’s design—trees react to birdsong, plants sense flowing rivers, and mycelium responds to thunder. Song of the Origins celebrates this profound vibrational interconnectedness, as if life remembers the song that birthed existence.

While it resembles enduring stone, the mycelium structure is dynamic and biodegrades back into soil. Over time, the material enriches the soil, supporting plant and fungal growth and strengthening the relationship of this artwork with the lush garden it is grounded in. Each gong strike sustains this cycle, fostering new life. The oak frame, crafted with traditional techniques and free of screws or glue, will also biodegrade, retaining the memory of this architecture.

Song of the Origins by Côme Di Meglio merges sound, matter, and spirit

project acts as a ‘temple’ that enhances awareness and presence

Built in Marseille near Côme Di Meglio’s studio by Chantier Naval Borg, known for specializing in traditional boat-building, the project aligns with the designer’s vision of creating ‘temples’ that enhance awareness and presence. These spaces give tangible form to the intangible, connecting individuals to the broader web of life. Future explorations include communal mycelium spaces and urban interior designs aimed at restoring belonging and interdependence.

As part of Ruinart’s collection, Song of the Origins underscores the brand’s commitment to sustainability and ecological art. Permanently showcased in the new Sculpture Garden at Maison Ruinart, designed by Christophe Gautrand, it reflects Ruinart’s dedication to supporting artists whose work aligns with environmental values and sustainable practices.

crafted from mycelium and oak, the installation contrasts a rugged exterior with a smooth, carved interior

a suspended golden gong resonates within the alcove, amplifying vibrations in the acoustically focused space

the mycelium’s circular architecture draws inspiration from ancient caves, chapels, and sacred dwellings

the mycelium structure biodegrades over time, enriching the soil and fostering growth in the surrounding garden

detail of oak carpentry – the wood veins echo the vibrations of the gong

detail of oak carpentry – hooked scarf joint on a curved segment

sun’s reflection on the gong illuminates the face of the person striking it

organisms’ responses to sound inspired the installation’s exploration of vibrational interconnectedness

project info:

name: Song of the Origins
designer: Côme Di Meglio | @come_dimeglio

location: 4 rue des Crayères, Maison Ruinart Sculpture Garden, Champagne, Reims, France

photography: Alexandre Zimmermann – Night Visions – Films & Reports | @nightvisions.films.and.reports

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post mycelium alcove installation explores interconnectedness between organic matter and sound appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Biotechnology company MycoWorks has joined forces with Paris-based design agency Paragone to launch the exclusive Mycelium Muse collection. Combining seven interior design objects by seven French women, this exhibition celebrates MycoWork’s groundbreaking mycelium-made material, Reishi, and will be on view at Design Miami.Paris from October 15th to 20th, 2024. Here, the duo depicts the material as a modern muse for today’s generation of creatives — specifically, as a luxury mycelium leather that presents superior strength and durability while preserving its hand feel. 

all images by James Im, courtesy of MyCoWorks Creative Studio, unless stated otherwise

SEVEN design objects, ONE canvas, Reishi

For Mycelium Muse, the team at MycoWorks and the Paragone agency have collaborated with seven French women creatives. Some are architects (Sophie Dries, Marion Mailaender, and Fanny Perrier) and interior designers (Joséphine Fossey), while others are visual artists (Sarah Valente and Pauline Guerrier) or artisans (Anna Le Corno). Together, they have crafted a series of forward-looking and poetic objects, ranging from screens to desks to lighting fixtures. Despite their distinct approaches, they share a common quest to deconstruct design norms and formalities and introduce new conceptions of environmental durability and sustainable work. ‘These seven women embody the very essence of what it means to be a modern muse – creative, powerful, and unafraid to push the boundaries of design,’ shares Guillaume de Saint Lager, Paragone founder.

Soft yet supple, Reishi is a natural material developed by MycoWorks. Woven from mycelium, a root-like fungal network typically buried deep underground, Reishi is a cross between leather and fabric. Like leather, it can be transformed –dyed, embossed, varnished, and finished– in many ways while retaining the malleability and versatility of other noble fabrics. These impressive bio-properties will be on full display at the Design Miami.Paris program. 

MycoWorks has joined forces with Paragone to launch the exclusive Mycelium Muse collection

meet the seven women creatives at Design Miami.Paris 2024

To architect, designer, and decorator Sophie Dries, Reishi is a material that has already lived many lives. Naturally mottled, streaked, and marked with irregular edges, the Reishi inspired her to create a brutalist object, Khara. Reishi is stitched like a spidery delicacy from a sleek metal frame structured from Corten tubes—a self-patinated metal with a protective rust coating widely used in Land Art—rendering an object that is both radical and primitive. Dries is a rising figure on the young international scene. Since launching her studio in 2014, Dries has delighted in a holistic approach to space, drawing on her passion for Arte Povera and using noble, natural materials– wood, stone, marble, metal– to create objects of unmistakable aesthetic brutality.

the collection comprises seven interior design objects by seven French women

In designing Lampadaire Silencieux, artistic director Joséphine Fossey highlights the opalescence and ability of Reishi to diffuse a soft, warm light. The piece is simple, minimal, and uncluttered. The lampshade’s stem and feet are structured in quadrilaterals, a rigorous approach that is gracefully countered by the sensuality of Reishi’s texture. Fossey designs places, objects, and brand identities. Her practice lies halfway between interior design and curation. Upstream of any project, she questions the history of places, immerses herself in their atmospheres, and considers their future uses in order to define global concepts.

In Greek mythology, the Hamadryades are wood nymphs, each bonded to a tree with whom they share a single destiny from birth through old age. In her bas relief — Daphnée, The Metamorphosis — visual artist Pauline Guerrier pays tribute to the Hamadryades, carving an ode to Daphnée, the mythological figure who transforms herself into a tree: a forest of feminine curves, a base of Reishi. Her father was a sculptor, and her mother a choreographer. Guerrier was introducedat a very young age to the pleasures of creating with her own hands. In 2009, she entered Giuseppe Penone’s studio at the Beaux-Arts de Paris before traveling the world to train with weavers, glassblowers, stone engravers, and mosaicists. Today, she expresses herself through drawings, sculptures, installations, performances, and videos.

Lampadaire Silencieux by Joséphine Fossey at Design Miami.Paris

Moving on to Undergrowth, a desk by artisan Anna Le Corno, its organic form evokes rough-hewn logs, ax-cut trunks, and sharpened shingles. Built around taut lines, Farouche combined two natural materials whose beauty is derived from the imperfections and accidents inherent in their development: a Reishi sheathing and myrtle burr veneer. Trained as an architect, Le Corno perfected her cabinetmaking skills at the École Boulle, where she discovered laser cutting. She has taken an innovative look at marquetry, constantly experimenting with new techniques and freely mixing wood species and leather into her craft. Whether assembling wall panels, headboards or sideboard, she undersigns her designs with her trademark, Farouche–wild, rabid, fierce.

Inspired by the ornamental screens of 1930s designers such as Jean-Michel Frank, interior architect Fanny Perrier has designed a six-panel Reishi- covered screen on a solid, recessed base with silent glides. In its use as an ecological and virtuous covering, Reishi renews a typology of objects formerly made of parchment or leather. Perrier founded her agency after working for Patrick Jouin and Joseph Dirand in 2017. From boutiques for shoemaker Repetto and jeweler Viltier to restaurants such as Le Perchoir, requests quickly followed one after another for her keen eye. Her timeless, refined style makes the most of color, using touches of vintage furniture from the 1930s to the 1970s to render each space a story of its own.

view at Design Miami.Paris

A nomadic object par excellence, the fisherman’s stool, Aspen, is familiar, solid, and practical. And yet, as she does, architect Marion Mailaender turns the design on its head. In pairing traditional techniques of sewing and sheathing with the more contemporary practice of laser-cutting, Mailaender developed a Western-inspired ornamental fringe to create two mischievous stools that bridge timeless design and a classic Western flair. Born in Marseille’s Cité Radieuse, Mailaender works from her hometown, having founded her namesake agency in Paris in 2004. A fan of Italian design from the 1980s and contemporary art, she works on instinct. Daring to mix and match, she creates Dadaist objects that are as functional as narrative, inviting multiple interpretations.

Last but not least, visual artist and photographer Sarah Valente has created a monumental fresco using ten sheets of Reishi that have been painted, rubbed, soaked, and folded. Valente’s non-figurative work, dubbed Magic Ancestors, is inspired by motifs borrowed from the forest’s flora and fauna. Ultraviolet light unearths a second layer to her work: in the darkness, one can find a luminescent and enchanting network of mycelium. Valente’s subject is the richness of nature. She is fascinated by humanity’s connection with the forest, its spiritual implications, and the role of plants in the evolution of our species. Her visuals capture the beauty of the jungle, birds, beehives, and the Amazon.

Magic Ancestors by Sarah Valente | all studio images © Felix Speller, courtesy MycoWorks Creative Studio

Lampadaire Silencieux by Joséphine Fossey

Daphnée, The Metamorphosis by Pauline Guerrier

the seven French women creatives behind Mycelium Muse

project info:

name: Mycelium Muse

collaborators: Mycoworks | @mycoworks, Paragone | @paragone.agency

designers: Sophie Dries, Marion Mailaender, Fanny Perrier, Joséphine Fossey,
Sarah Valente, Pauline Guerrier, Anna Le Corno

program: Design Miami.Paris 2024 | @designmiami

exhibition dates:  October 15-20, 2024

The post MycoWorks x paragone unveil women-made mycelium leather objects at design miami.paris appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Furf Design Studio introduces the world’s first mycelium facade for Crema Lab in Curitiba, blending sustainable architecture with innovative material use. The café facade, inspired by the texture of an ice cream cone, is constructed from biodegradable mycelium panels developed in collaboration with Brazilian scientists and the startup Mush. These panels, made from agricultural waste, absorb CO2 during production and offer thermal and acoustic insulation, marking a significant advancement in eco-friendly building practices. The panels are treated for durability, ensuring long-term resistance to weather conditions, and represent a pioneering use of biotechnological materials in commercial architecture.

all images courtesy of Furf Design Studio

Crema Lab blends Eco-Conscious design and Playful Interiors

Crema Lab | Gelato + Café + Experiences, founded by chef gelatiere Harlen Tessari Brandão, offers a state-of-the-art space where gelato is produced on-site to meet high standards of quality and innovation. Furf Design Studio’s contribution extends beyond the facade, incorporating hybrid furniture designs like the ‘Cavalinho’ benches. These multifunctional pieces feature two seating positions with integrated side tables, blending robust metal construction with ergonomic design. The playful form evokes an abstract creature, adding a whimsical touch to the café’s interior.

This project exemplifies a new direction in commercial architecture, where environmental responsibility, aesthetics, and brand identity are intertwined. The use of mycelium not only reduces the carbon footprint but also creates a unique visual and tactile experience. The design highlights how sustainable practices can redefine both architectural and branding strategies, positioning Crema Lab as a forward-thinking, eco-conscious establishment.

the world’s first mycelium facade at Crema Lab is a sustainable architecture project by Furf

inspired by the texture of an ice cream cone, the facade is crafted from biodegradable mycelium panels

Furf along with Mush. utilize agricultural waste to create biodegradable mycelium panels

the eco-friendly facade provides thermal and acoustic insulation

the café combines innovation, quality, and sustainability in every aspect of its design and production process

Furf’s design also includes hybrid benches, offering multifunctional seating with integrated side tables

the mycelium panels are treated for durability, ensuring long-term resistance to weather conditions

Crema Lab’s facade is an innovative example of biotechnological materials used in commercial architecture

project info:

name: Crema Lab Facade
architect: Furf Design Studio | @furfdesignstudio

interiors: UZa. design e arquitetura | @uzadesign

mycelium facade: Mush. | @mush.eco

client: Crema Lab | @cremalabgelato

location: Curitiba, Brazil

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post furf’s mycelium facade for crema lab café in brazil resembles ice cream cone appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.