MycoCurva: stay-in-place fabric formworks for curved veneer-reinforced mycelium building components

Abstract

Mycelium-based composites (MBCs) are a promising new class of environmentally friendly materials that can be produced using local materials and grown into a wide range of shapes and designs. Upscaling them to architectural scale, however, remains challenging particularly due to insufficient structural stability and the required manufacturing processes. The necessity of a formwork in the growing process often restricts designs to simple shapes, or requires costly formwork, which limits design flexibility. In preliminary research, the authors introduced 3D wood veneer lattices into MBCs as reinforcement, similar to steel reinforcement in concrete, to provide increased strength and scaffolding. This research combines robotic additive manufacturing of 3D wood lattices with a natural fibre textile, to act as a stay-in-place formwork for planar and curved architectural components. The combined lattice and textile serve as a support structure, eliminating the need for formwork and providing the required structural performance. As MBCs are often subject to large manufacturing tolerances, the fabrication steps that influence accuracy are analysed. Therefore, two prototypes of the same design are compared: one using a temporary formwork, and the other, a stay-in-place formwork. Results show that the temporary formwork provides precise shaping during growth, while the stay-in-place approach, incorporating natural fibre textiles, allows a more organic shape development. The methods are assessed via 3D scanning to compare the physical outcomes against the digital designs, highlighting trade-offs and limitations. This study contributes to sustainable biomaterials research by offering insights into the accuracy and feasibility of these approaches for future construction elements with MBCs.