Mushrooms As A Building Material

A company named Ecovative Design is manufacturing a wide variety of building materials out of mushrooms. The company has constructed bricks, insulation, packing material, and beams that are as strong as wood. The products are made from roots of the fungus, called mycelia. Mycelium is a thread like network below the ground that connects the visible part of mushrooms above the ground. The mycelium is combined with agricultural waste, like corn stalks. The materials then fuse and can be shaped into solid bricks. Many feel that mushroom based products have the potential to replace many petroleum based plastics.

Ecovative Design built a miniature mushroom house. This project is a small wood-framed house with mushroom insulation. The insulation is similar to standard loose fill insulation except it grows in place, air-seals where it’s grown, and doesn’t settle over time.

·      

•        Water Resistant

• ·         Non-toxic flame retardant

• ·         It emits no carbon, it requires almost zero energy

• ·         It doesn’t create any waste

 www.ecovativedesign.com