THE LIGHTWAVE BLOG

The future of organic construction materials

Recent advances in science and biology have demonstrated that organic building materials can be grown from the microscopic level, just as coral reefs can grow to enormous sizes as a by-product of the process of tiny organisms. Organic alternatives to petrochemical building products are a step in the right direction for a green future in the ‘post carbon economy’. Here are two examples of building products that are set to make a big impact in construction technology.

Mycotecture – the creation of architectural forms with fungus

An organic farm in California has made some incredible progress in the development of natural insulation panels and building blocks. Philip Ross, an artist and inventor who is obsessed by mycology, completed what is thought to be the first structure made entirely of mushrooms. As part of an art installation, he has shaped 500 of these mushroom blocks into an arched tea house known as Mycotechtural Alpha. In a testament to the strength of product “he destroyed many a metal file and saw blade in the process.” The building will slowly be boiled down in the form of a tea over the course of the exhibit and served to the visitors of the museum. A very literal tea house.

Mycobrick & Myotechtural alpha - organically grown building blocks

The fungi’s thin, white root-like fibres, known as mycelium, create a whole new paradigm where composite materials are literally grown, harnessing the incredible efficiency of nature. The fibres are nontoxic, fireproof, mould and water resistant and trap more heat than fibreglass insulation. It’s also stronger than concrete. Agricultural waste such as empty seed husks from rice or cotton are cooked and inoculated with mushroom spores, water and myco-vitamins, then left to grow in the dark. Once the finished product is rendered biologically inert it can be used as building blocks or insulation panels with many of the same properties as conventional synthetics. And according to engineering tests, densely packed mycelium is strong enough to be used in place of wooden beams.

Mycilium & Insulated Building Panel

Bacterial Cement

Microbiologists have found a way to speed up the naturally occurring process of calcification to seal cracks and fractures in existing concrete structures. Two common types of soil bacteria are mixed with sand and a nutritional solution. They metabolise this into calcium carbonate, or solid limestone, and once hardened the bacteria is essentially as strong as the concrete itself, restoring structural strength and adding life to the surrounding concrete. Dubbed “Bacilla Filla”, it has many advantages over other methods of sealing cracks in concrete: it’s pollution free and environmentally friendly; it seals from the inside out; and it integrates with porous concrete rather than simply filling the crack.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is also absorbed in the process of creating calcium carbonate (CaCO3) – a natural method of carbon sequestration. Taken a step further, genetically modified bacteria can be programmed to only start germinating when triggered by the specific pH of concrete which drops due to aging and other factors.

With ageing concrete stuctures becoming more common in the built environment this process will provide a greener way to preserve and restore these buildings instead of replacing them.

With a closer understanding of natural processes  and systems of growth, self organisation, structure, acoustic and thermal performance, designers will in the future have a completely new palate of materials available to them that will replace  the oil and energy intensive materials we currently build with.

Written by John Rissman

Sources:

http://www.philross.org/