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The Mycoform structure is grown from molded agricultural byproducts inoculated with the fungal species Ganoderma lucidum. Once placed in a warm and humid environment, the fungi fuses the organic substrates together using mycelium, the vegetative part of the fungus that consumes the byproducts’ cellulose components to create a branch-like network. The branching mycelia grow rapidly into a weight-bearing structure. Bacteria cellulose is used for the external skin.

Related: Philip Ross Molds Fast-Growing Fungi Into Mushroom Building Bricks That Are Stronger than Concrete

The designers create the furniture molds with the aid of computational systems that predict the mycelium’s behavior and shape. “The technology is easily transferable to the developing world where building materials are scarce and expensive,” writes Terreform ONE, which explains that Mycoform can also be applied in interlocking walls and building insulation systems. “The ultimate intention of this biomaterial research is to potentially replace petroleum-based plastics with a metabolic and ecological substance.”

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Via ArchDaily

Images via Terreform ONE