
Living Tex’Celium - Exploring Sustainable Architectural Practices through Mycelium-Textile Composites
This research explores the sustainable potential of mycelium-bound composites (MBCs) for creating a fully recyclable material system, highlighting its unique properties, including Integration with natural textiles, bio-welding, and on-site soft fabrication. MBC manufacturing is typically constrained by the standard mold-based brick production process, resulting in irregular growth and suboptimal performance. This study investigates the use of textile jacketing and proposes cultivating mycelium in thin cross-sections to enhance growth by improving airflow and oxygen absorption. This Integration offers greater flexibility in shaping components, allowing designers to digitally predict and control the form and bio-welding through a computational workflow. The thesis envisions soft, flexible Tex’celium modules manufactured in the lab, transportable for digitally guided on site fabrication (gravity-based aggregation). As the mycelium in components grow and bio-weld, they form strong connections and maintain overall shape post-curing. This process redefines traditional construction methods, presenting an interesting alternative to tolerance-based assemblies and standard joineries.
ITECH M.Sc. Thesis Project 2024: Living Tex’Celium - Exploring Sustainable Architectural Practices through Mycelium-Textile Composites
Kalaivanan Amudhan, Mohammad Mahdi Jafari, Ali Zolfaghari
Thesis Advisers: Tzu-Ying Chen, Eliza Biala
Thesis Supervisor: Prof. Martin Ostermann
Second Supervisor: Prof. Achim Menges, Prof. Jan Knippers