The Rise of Mycelium Bricks in Sustainable Architecture
The current quest for sustainable methods in constructions has seen drastic development in the materials and techniques used one of which is the mycelium bricks.
Composed from mycelium which is the root like structure of fungi, they are eco-friendly, strong, and lightweight.
The structures bring up a revolutionary concept in place of the conventional building materials such as concrete and clay bricks that have high impacts on emissions.
This blog features the development of mycelium bricks, why they are useful, and how they are defining the future of green construction.
What Are Mycelium Bricks and How Are They Made?
Mycelium bricks are a new sustainable material derived from the mycelia structure of fungi and require no additives.
This network increases at an enormous rate investing in a dense and strong structure of knit that can be molded into bricks or some other shape cast.
The Growth Process: Mycelium is produced by encouraging fungi to feed on agricultural waste, corn-husk or sawdust for instance. Then the waste is consumed by the fungi, and they take the prescribed form within molds.
Drying and Hardening: In the development, once the mycelium has grown the bricks are then dried for further fungal growths or heat treated to strengthen the structure.
Customization: This is done to achieve a controlled density of the bricks as well as the textures and thermal insulation properties of the bricks can be adjusted by controlling the process.
Such a low energy manufacturing technique makes mycelium bricks to be among the most ecological materials that are available for construction.
The Benefits of Mycelium Bricks in Construction
They are environmentally friendly since they are made from mycelium, are structurally sound and economically viable due the following reasons.
Eco-Friendly and Carbon Neutral: They are 100% compostable and the process of their production consumes a lot less energy than that of normal building materials. They also use carbon during growth to counteract the greenhouse gas to the environment.
Lightweight and Strong: While they are lightweight, they have impressive compressive strength and are therefore appropriate for use in construction.
Excellent Insulation: One more advantage of mycelium as a building material is that it contains great thermal and acoustic insulation so there is no need to insulate it.
Reduction of Waste: The mycelium bricks can be cultured using the byproducts obtained from agriculture hence it can be sustainable idea to recycle such waste.
Healthy Indoor Environment: Due to not being toxic when applied as materials, they are safe and help in the production of good quality breathable air indoors.
These advantages make mycelium bricks a serious contender in the race to build sustainable and improved architecture.
Applications of Mycelium Bricks in Sustainable Architecture
Although, the usage of these bricks is still limited, there are many architectural projects that are implementing this material, pointing to its further possible application.
Temporary Structures: These bricks are well suited to short lived constructions such as pavilions or art installations since the bricks can be composted when they are no longer needed.
Eco-Friendly Housing: It has been used in constructing small houses and ecological villages working as thermal-efficient material at the same time being sustainable.
Insulation Panels: Mycelium has a natural ability to insulate surfaces, including the walls and roofs of homes and offices.
Acoustic Barriers: For instance, because of its high capacity for sound absorption, the material can be used in theatres, recording studios as well as other public places.
Furniture and Decorative Elements: Lamps, partitions and other elements of furniture have also been constructed using mycelium bricks.
These applications demonstrate beneficial use of these bricks within different construction requirements.
Challenges and the Future of Mycelium Bricks
However, considering the potential positive impacts of the mycelium bricks use in construction, there are a number of challenges that accrue with the commercial use of the these bricks which have to be apprehended.
Durability and Scalability: Mycelium bricks are fine for many applications, however, these bricks do not have the longevity of traditional materials for high stress uses so they are not used in large constructions.
Moisture Resistance: That is, mycelium bricks take up moisture and it would be impossible to use them with success in regions with high humidity. This means more investigations are necessary in an effort to improve their water resistance on other surfaces.
Regulatory Hurdles: For instance, emerging building materials such as mycelium bricks are not provided for in the codes and regulations governing construction, hence pose a challenge to their use.
High Production Costs: Despite the fact that energy efficiency is observable when using mycelium to produce mycelium bricks, expanding the scale of production to match that of normal materials is expensive.
Though, it is anticipated that through continued research and development, these problems will be solved. Consumers see the potential in this kind of construction and once they are aware of sustainable practices, they will use and pay for materials like mycelium they will continue to invest on this.
Conclusion
In my view, the invention of mycelium bricks is a huge leap toward sustainable construction.
Simultaneously, the environmental advantages and design opportunity they offer make them the perfect replacement for typical materials that work for the detriment of the environment.
However, it is impossible to deny the opportunities that mycelium bricks can open to the construction industry.
With the architects and builders still searching for more uses of mycelium bricks, they have the potential of becoming the key in making the built environment less destructive to the environment in the future.
Also read: Geopolymer Concrete: A Game-Changer in Sustainable Building