Mycelium Co-design
Sept - Nov 2024
Creating a methodology of codesigning with fungi in a playful way, encouraging us to rethink our relationship with living materials and elevate our level of care and appreciation for them.
What began as an experiment in moulding mycelium products shifted when one sample, intended as a stool seat, started producing mushrooms in my living room. Watching it grow transformed my perspective: it was no longer just a material, but a living collaborator.
From that point, I began designing for the mycelium’s growth rather than forcing it into a fixed product. Drilled holes, added surfaces, and structural gestures became ways to support its expansion, turning functional needs into design features.
Through this process, the work evolved into a playful co-design methodology that invites people to see the fungal network’s beauty and potential. It asks us to value living materials not merely as resources, but as partners — shifting our relationship from extraction to care.
→ living materials, co-design, fungi, material care, mycelium design, biomaterials