Mycelium-based composites have the potential to replace petrochemical-based materials within architectural systems and can propose biodegradable alternatives to synthetic sound absorbing materials. Sound absorbing materials help improve acoustic comfort, which in turn benefit our health and productivity. Mycelium-based composites are novel materials that result when mycelium, the vegetative root of fungi, is grown on agricultural plant-based residues. This research presents a material study that explores how substrate variants and fabrication methods affect the sound absorption properties of mycelium-based composites grown on paper-based waste substrate materials. Samples were grown using Pleurotus ostreatus fungi species on waste cardboard, paper, and newsprint substrates of varying processing techniques. Measurements of the normal-incidence sound absorption coefficient were presented and analyzed. This paper outlines two consecutive acoustic tests: the first round of experimentation gathered broad comparative data, useful for selecting materials for sound absorption purposes. The second acoustic test built on the results of the first, collecting more specific performance data and assessing material variability. The results of this study display that cardboard-based mycelium materials perform well acoustically and structurally and could successfully be used in acoustic panels.

The construction industry makes a significant contribution to global CO₂ emissions. Material extraction, processing, and demolition account for most of its environmental impact. As a response, there is an increasing interest in developing and implementing innovative biomaterials that support a circular economy, such as mycelium-based composites. The mycelium is the network of hyphae of fungi. Mycelium-based composites are renewable and biodegradable biomaterials obtained by ceasing mycelial growth on organic substrates, including agricultural waste. Cultivating mycelium-based composites within molds, however, is often wasteful, especially if molds are not reusable or recyclable. Shaping mycelium-based composites using 3D printing can minimize mold waste while allowing intricate forms to be fabricated. In this research, we explore the use of waste cardboard as a substrate for cultivating mycelium-based composites and the development of extrudable mixtures and workflows for 3D-printing mycelium-based components. In this paper, existing research on the use of mycelium-based material in recent 3D printing efforts was reviewed. This review is followed by the MycoPrint experiments that we conducted, and we focus on the main challenges that we faced (i.e., contamination) and the ways in which we addressed them. The results of this research demonstrate the feasibility of using waste cardboard as a substrate for cultivating mycelia and the potential for developing extrudable mixtures and workflows for 3D-printing mycelium-based components.

Mycelium-based composites (MBC) are biodegradable, lightweight, and regenerative materials. Mycelium is the vegetative root of fungi through which they decompose organic matter. The proper treatment of the decomposition process results in MBC. MBC have been used in different industries to substitute common materials to address several challenges such as limited resources and large landfill waste after the lifecycle. One of the industries which started using this material is the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Therefore, scholars have made several efforts to introduce this material to the building industry. The cultivation process of MBC includes multiple parameters that affect the material properties of the outcome. In this paper, as a part of a larger research on defining a framework to use MBC as a structural material in the building industry, we defined different grades of MBC to address various functions. Furthermore, we tested the role of substrate mixture and the cultivation time on the mechanical behavior of the material. Our tests show a direct relationship between the density of the substrate and the mechanical strength. At the same time, there is a reverse relation between the cultivation time and the material mechanical performance.

Mycelium-based composites (MBC) are biomaterials presenting renewable and bio-degradable alternatives for a wide range of design and manufacturing processes, including the building industry. MBC result from the incomplete growth of mycelium, fibrous root systems of fungi. They can turn urban and agricultural waste into high-end products. Existing research shows that MBC can reduce fossil fuels’ reliance and embodied energy and decrease building waste. Architects recently designed and built a wide range of experimental projects with MBC. In parallel, there is a growing body of work on MBC by scholars from different disciplines, such as mycology, material science, and mechanical engineering, focusing on assessing and enhancing the material properties of MBC for various applications.In this paper, we first provide essential knowledge on the cultivation of MBC for architectural applications. Next, we analyze some of the prominent architectural prototypes with MBC to exemplify the architectural potentials of MBC and uncover the constraints and affordances of this biomaterial when used in an architectural context. Finally, we review and synthesize the existing literature on MBC from different disciplines providing a guide for architects to cultivate and enhance the material properties of MBC for architectural goals.