In this video, a group of experts discuss the use of mycelium as a building material. From Field to Form is a series of events exploring the possibilities, life cycles, and architectural implications of plant and earth-based materials.
Mycelium is the network of fungal threads, technically called hyphae, that are harnessed to do everything from cleaning up toxic waste sites to providing elegant wood stains to medicinal and culinary uses. The kingdom fungi can also be harnessed to mold bricks and grown to insulate healthier, climate positive buildings. What role can mycelium play in shaping the future of healthy materials for architecture, design, and construction?
Panelists
Serena Camere is head of design and sales at Mogu. Camere is a multidisciplinary industrial designer. Her research has focused on the experience-driven use of sustainable materials, particularly of grown materials such as algae, bacteria, and fungi for product design.
Joshua English founded okom wrks labs in 2018. In 2024, okom wrks patented a mycelium-based biocomposite with structural, load-bearing properties, made with hemp hurd and organic cotton.
Chris Magwood is the co-founder and chief climate officer of okom wrks labs. Magwood co-founded Builders for Climate Action, developed the BEAM carbon estimator tool, and directed The Endeavour Centre. He is a manager for Rocky Mountain Institute’s Carbon-Free Buildings team.
Christopher Maurer is the founder and principal architect of redhouse studio, a research, environmental justice, and design studio based in Cleveland, Ohio. Maurer has led offices and projects in North America, Europe, and Africa and has developed biofabrication solutions for NASA, MIT, and other institutions.
Moderators
Mae-ling Lokko is an architectural scientist, designer, and educator from Ghana and the Philippines who works with agro-waste and renewable bio-based materials. She is an assistant professor at Yale University and founder of Willow Technologies.
Jonsara Ruth is co-founder and design director of Healthy Materials Lab (HML) at Parsons School of Design. She is an associate professor and founding director of the MFA Interior Design program at Parsons. Ruth also founded Salty Labs.