Anastasia Cockerill

• BA (Hons) Architecture
• The development of a mycelium based functionally graded material

Mycelium is the vegetative thread-like parts of a fungus which decompose organic matter. Once grown on a substrate and processed they have attributes of plastics such as polystyrene. This has been used commercially to create alternatives to plastic packaging.

Looking at mycelium we can see the many functions and material quality this organism can create once grown using a variety of substrates and processing techniques, from their tensile and flexural strength to their water resistance. 

 I am proposing to grow a functionally graded material which could incorporate different materiality and functional qualities in material system. This would be applied for example, in growing a cavity wall all in one go, as one unit. To do this I will experiment using different processing techniques (cold and hot pressing or no pressing), different substrate materials (e.g. straw, cotton, sawdust), and different fungal species (Pleurotus ostreatus, Trametes multicolour), developing a series of samples and a final design prototype.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Project supervisor: Dr Martyn Dade-Robertson