Biodegradable ventilated form for prefabricated mycelium (mushroom fungus) wall system

Background

Typical building construction requires a variety of materials to be assembled in multiple layers to create a wall structure.  This type of construction technique is not particularly low-carbon, requires large amounts of raw materials to be transported to the construction site, and does not lend itself well to building in hard to access areas.

There is a need for the ability to quickly and easily build structures in areas that have been devastated by natural disasters, hard to reach locations, or for homeowners who simply want to build a shed.

This technology provides that ability through the use of specially designed ventilated formwork where mycelium may be grown into a wall component or an entire building structure.

Description of the invention

This technology is a natural prefabricated wall system with a grown mycelium biocomposite core. The wall system is assembled as a ventilated formwork within which mycelium-inoculated substrate (sawdust or agricultural waste) is poured sequentially once sterilized. The mycelium grows within the wall, after which it is dried to halt mycelium growth, and ready to transport to the construction site. Conversely, the empty forms can easily be transported to the job site, quickly and easily assembled like interconnecting blocks, and the mycelium grown on site.

This technology allows walls and structures to be grown directly within assembled formwork, reducing material waste, embodied carbon, and construction complexity. The approach combines advances in mycelium bio-composites with easily assembled form systems. Once the forms are assembled into the desired geometry (walls, partitions, enclosures, or structural panels), a prepared mycelium–biomass substrate is placed inside. The mycelium grows through the substrate, binding it into a cohesive solid that conforms precisely to the form geometry.

Advantages

Some of the advantages of using mycelium to grow walls and create structures are:

• Grown-in-place fabrication
• Simplified wall design, greatly reducing the number of layers vs. traditional design
• Design flexibility
• Thermal and acoustic performance
• Low-carbon construction
• Circular and compostable

Potential applications

Some of the applications of mycelium-made structures include:

• Easy and rapid construction of housing or temporary shelter
• Affordable housing for the homeless
• Affordable sheds for homeowners
• Easy to transport the forms and build structures in difficult to reach areas, as minimal construction materials and equipment need to be transported