When applying water to the dehydrated mushroom, it starts growing into any given mold design (Credit: Materialdistrict.com)
According to an article on Materialdistrict.com a new DIY modeling kit makes it easier for designers to grow their own mushroom material designs. The so called “Mushroom Materials” kit was developed by Ecovative Design. “Mushroom Materials” is made of agricultural waste and mycelium, which is the vegetative part of a mushroom fungus. The mycelium acts like a natural glue, easily bonding with the accompanying agricultural waste materials that include corn stalks or seed husks.
The kit itself contains a bag of dehydrated Mushroom Materials. The dehydration process ensures easy shipping and storage. Water can then be added to the product, at which point it takes on a dough like consistency and grows over days within any custom-designed mould. So far “Mushroom Materials” has been used to create products from lamps to pots.
On a larger scale, “Mushroom Materials” has also been used in the façade of a tower installation of the New York’s MoMA PS1 Gallery, by architectural studio The Living.
