The book 'Mycology for Architecture' explores how mycelium—the root network of fungi—transforms architecture as a living material, making it not just sustainable, but regenerative, adaptive, and closely linked to ecological systems. The collection brings together leading researchers, professionals, and educators, highlighting how living matter is changing approaches to design, manufacturing, and habitation in man-made environments.
The book is divided into three main parts. The first part presents mycelium as an alternative to traditional building materials, demonstrating its application in bricks, cladding materials, adaptive structures, and even extraterrestrial habitats. The second part examines methods of working with living fungi, including laboratory protocols, masterclass formats, and experimental pedagogical approaches that challenge standard design education.
The final section is dedicated to advanced production strategies that expand the boundaries of mycelium-based composites toward a scalable and sustainable future. By combining theory, production, and pedagogy, the book asserts biodesign as a critical methodology, not merely speculative novelty. It calls on architects, designers, and scientists to rethink material assembly and implement non-linear, adaptive processes to create a more equitable and climate-responsive future.
The climate crisis, resource scarcity, and urgent need for eco-friendly materials make a revision of design and construction methods vitally necessary. Mycelium offers a renewable, biodegradable, and low-carbon alternative to plastics and foams. It is important to note that mycelium is already used in packaging, product design, and prototyping, and its expansion into architecture opens possibilities for insulation, acoustics, lightweight structures, and negative carbon footprint systems.
Despite growing interest in biodesign, there has been a lack of specialized architectural literature fully dedicated to mycelium, and this book fills that gap. It shows how this living system can be cultivated, shaped, and integrated into construction practices, covering advanced methods of digital fabrication, biotechnology, and research for space exploration. The book is unique in its interdisciplinarity: the authors are not mycologists by training, but they have successfully integrated fungi into their fields through material innovation, structural experiments, pedagogy, or digital fabrication.
The book provides both practical techniques and new conceptual frameworks for integrating mycelium into architecture. It traces the history of fungi through the lens of mycelium as a biomaterial, analyzes modern methods of using mycelium in bricks and cladding, assessing their mechanical properties, scalability, and environmental impact. Furthermore, it proposes promising directions for a sustainable future, including the study of under-researched fungal species and their application in extraterrestrial environments. The book also suggests structures for creating 'myco-labs,' linking education, research, and industry, and introduces new pedagogical models for working with living systems, viewing fungi as a project partner.
The book presents advanced production strategies, ranging from CNC machining and robotics to additive manufacturing with living mycelium, as well as hybrid approaches combining fungi with recycled clay. Large-scale digital workflows are documented, offering methods that go beyond small prototypes. The publication is addressed to architects, designers, engineers, material scientists, and educators seeking rigorous, applicable knowledge about working with mycelium. It will serve as a reference for academic circles studying biomaterials, as well as for practitioners seeking sustainable alternatives, and for entrepreneurs looking to scale mycelium-based innovations.
During the World Congress of Architects of the UIA 2026, held in Barcelona, the central theme was 'Becoming. Architectures for a Transitioning Planet'. This theme positioned architecture as an area of practice directly linked to environmental, social, and political changes, rather than something peripheral to them.
Among the participants of this congress was architect Andrés Jaque, founder of the Office for Political Innovation and dean of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) at Columbia University. ArchDaily interviewed Jaque to discuss architecture's capacity to propose solutions, the importance of experimentation in academic training, and the need to view transition as a continuous state, not a final point.
For Jaque, the current relevance of architecture stems from the fact that many of the structures defining contemporary society are being questioned. Instead of seeing the current scenario as a moment of collapse, he interprets it as an opportunity where architects can help plan new ways of organizing community life. Thus, issues such as ecology, social equity, and alternative models of coexistence are not secondary topics, but rather an integral part of the discipline's operational foundations.
This perspective directly influences the definition of design presented by Jaque. He argues that design transcends the mere creation of forms; it is a process that demands investigation, reasoning, and deep engagement with broader issues. Architecture, in this sense, functions as a mode of action through design, where choices made about buildings and spaces are simultaneously decisions about how collective life will be structured.
When addressing the role of architectural projects, Jaque exemplified how buildings can highlight different possibilities. Referring to the Reggio School project, he clarified that this initiative challenged the notion that schools should protect children from the complexity of the world. On the contrary, the project focused on education as a process that occurs through exposure to variety, constant dynamics, and still developing conditions.
The development of this project also illustrated Jaque's view of architecture as a collaborative effort. He detailed the participation of teachers, families, tutors, and students, while also taking into account the environmental history of the area, including problems such as pollution and loss of biodiversity in the surroundings. In this context, he believes that the architect's role is not just to generate ideas in isolation, but to create the necessary circumstances for diverse views to contribute to the project's conception.
When asked which topics the Congress should prioritize, Jaque indicated concerns already present in modern life. Instead of suggesting a single missing issue, he mentioned themes such as economic accessibility, justice, alternatives to violence and militarism, and lifestyles based on diversity. For him, these debates already permeate daily conversations, activism, and public discourse, giving them great relevance for architects.
The project presented by the Santa Marta Student Center in collaboration with the Mazzanti Team aims to create an architectural space that deeply integrates with the site, appropriating the environment and dissolving among the trees, recognizing the existing vegetation.
The space's roof was designed to merge with the landscaping, resulting in an environment reminiscent of a grove. In this concept, the architecture not only accompanies but also enhances the natural characteristics of the terrain.
This space was conceived as a place for meeting and interaction, where activities such as resting, dialogue, and playing are presented as complementary methods of learning. Students have the opportunity to explore the outdoor environment in various ways, whether relaxing, swinging, climbing, lying down, or jumping, all immersed in nature.
To support the dynamics of the location, sound and interaction devices were incorporated, which serve both to host events and to create ambient sound and act as a communication channel between students, reinforcing the participatory nature of the project.
The proposal includes a flexible structure, designed to adapt to the existing trees and operate as a network capable of growing and adjusting to the specific conditions of the site. Shade, considered an essential meeting point in the city, gave rise to a space that is simultaneously airy, shaded, and pleasant.
The Student Center organizes various zones designated for studying, meetings, relaxation, meals, and leisure. Furthermore, it incorporates a module containing restrooms and a cafeteria, establishing itself as the main convergence point for the entire student community.
