CASE STUDIES
These case studies were selected because of their use of bio-based materias. A small, medium and large project were selected to access how scale might effect the possible impact of the material selection and better understand the relationship between decision-making variables and scope of projects.
Small
Myco-Hab
▣ TYPE: Built demonstrator
⧇ CLIENT: MycoHab
⧆ COLLABORATORS: redhouse, MIT, Standard Bank Group
Primary Bio-Based Material Used
Mycelium
PROJECT SUMMARY
MycoHAB is a pioneering foundation focused on addressing food security, generating sustainable building materials, fostering job creation, and promoting a carbon-negative ecosystem by harnessing the power of mycelium technology.
MycoHAB was incubated within Standard Bank Group (SBG) as an innovative collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Center for Bits and Atoms. MycoHAB now operates independently from SBG and MIT.
MycoHAB is a non-profit foundation focusing on the research and development of mycelium-based structures to create a new generation of building materials to benefit communities within Africa and abroad.
While mycelium research and technologies are growing exponentially, until recently, large-scale deployment only existed in widely dispersed and isolated pockets where the science, resources and finances were readily available. This made it inaccessible and too expensive for individual organisations (or countries) to tap into.
To make a tangible and sustainable impact requires a cohesive and inclusive approach that bridges information, application, know-how and funding, which is what led to the MycoHAB Foundation being established in 2021 in Mauritius.
The MycoHAB Foundation is governed by a council of members and aims to redeploy profits generated from the commercialisation of the intellectual property developed from our research into new research areas, skills development and training.
Quick Variable Mapping
What variables were perceivable concerned?
How much of a closed system was this project?
Almost Fully Circular
Decision Variables Analysis
What variables were of key concern and achieved?
[ These are the typical decision making variables identified in practice ]
Meaningful narrative about researching potentials of MBC to better communities.
- Aesthetics
- Interior experience of the unfinished brick.
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Created locally on site. -
Exploring new applications of this materials as a structural brick. -
Carbon sequestering material.
Successfuly performing so far, further analysis is a part of the research.-
Was able to perform as needed, but long term property analysis needed.
- Locally and affordably produced.
Efficently and timely production on site.
[ These are key material selection variables that should be considered ]
* Note with every material variable there is a variable component that should be considered and measured if possible to consider the other carbon footprint of the project, much of that is housed in the material of the structure.
Ethical labour, research and production practices that also honour mycelial narratives.-
Development of eco-friendly, low energy and reuseable tools and equiptment for production of the bricks developed on site. -
Mycelium from oyster mushrooms, harvested for consumption and sale locally.
Produced on site.
Growth, harvested, processed and used with relative ease and timeliness.
[ These are desirable impact varibles to consider for material selection ]
Non-profit organization focused on using mycelium research to better communities and ecologies.
- Enabling communities to create holistic systems of ecological restoration, food production, economic growth and sustainable housing practices.
- Expanding food and material markets locally.
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Will return to the earth softly. - Utilizing the encroacher bush to restore ecological balance and growing a material in a small space that doesn’t harm the local ecologies
- Utilizes little water and bush waste that isn’t needed
Long-term durabilty questionable, but an intent.
Mycelium as the main structure stores carbon away.
Little energy requried for the production and maintenance.
Long-term performance questionable, but an intent of the project
Medium
Flat House
▣ TYPE: Residential
⧇ CLIENT: Margent Farm
⧆ TEAM: David Grandorge / Structure Workshop / Paloma Gormley, Niall Gallacher, Lettice Drake, Kate Minns - as Practice Architecture (co-founded by Paloma Gormley) / CONSULTANTS: Oscar Cooper, Will Stanwix, Jon Shanks, EcoInstaller / BUILDERS: Oscar Cooper, Henry Stringer, Simon Keeves, Jack Case, Brian Reid
Primary Bio-Based Material UsedHemp, Wood & Bio-Resin
PROJECT SUMMARY
Margent is a hemp farm located in Cambridgeshire England. Our name comes from the margin surrounding our 50 acres of arable fields which acts as a protection zone and natural habitat for wildlife.
Flat House was designed to demonstrate how a low-tech approach and bio-based materials can be combined with offsite construction to create a scalable low-impact, beautiful architecture. The careful orchestration of natural materials creates a building that regulates humidity, temperature and air quality without the need for any ducting or equipment. The house draws from centuries old material technologies and construction principals, re-rationalising them for contemporary building techniques.
Situated at Margent Farm, a rural R&D facility developing bio-plastics with hemp and flax, Flat House is a ground breaking radically low embodied carbon house. The three bedroom house was designed with the aim of prototyping prefabricated sustainable hemp-based construction to be applied to larger scales of house-construction. The building consists of a radically low embodied carbon timber and hempcrete structural panel.
Working closely with engineers and material specialists we developed a prefabricated panel infilled with hemp grown on 20 acres of the farm. The elements were raised into place in just two days. Whilst the house has been designed for residential use and with the constraints of Class Q permitted development the system has the capacity to be used for any type or scale of building.
Quick Variable Mapping
What variables were perceivable concerned?
How much of a closed system was this project?
Three Quarter - Circular
Impact Highlights
What impact variables were of key concern and achieved?
[ These are the typical decision making variables identified in practice ]
Meaningful narrative about applying natural materials that are locally produced on site.
Motivated to show the beautifully produced cladding and exposed hempcrete on the interior- Experience
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Majority of the materials created locally on site. -
Exploring cladding and structural possibilties of hemp. -
Carbon sequestering material.
Successfuly performing so far, further analysis might be needed in the future.-
Was able to perform as needed, but long term property analysis needed.
- Cost
- Time Time to produce, time for delivery?
[ These are key material selection variables that should be considered ]
* Note with every material variable there is a variable component that should be considered and measured if possible to consider the other carbon footprint of the project, much of that is housed in the material of the structure.
Collaborative design practices that utilized ethical design, production, construction means.- Equiptment Can you identify if the equipment, tools & manufacturing practices involved to make this material are safe and sustainable?
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Hemp biomass. Carbon Sequestering
Can you identify where the raw materials are being sourced from + produced + transported to?
What is the time for growth, regrowth, production and transportion? How long will it last?
[ These are desirable impact varibles to consider for material selection ]
For Margent Farms and the production of bio-based materials in a ecological sound way for humans and non-humans
- Beautiful and inspiring space promoting the use of healthier materials - changing perspectives on hemp as a material
- Proof of material use in a beautiful and effective way to further promote sale and distribtion of product
- End of Lifecycle
Margent Farm is committed to promoting ecological balance on site
Does require less water but the use of lime, and binding agents for the hempcrete are not ideal but were considered- Durability
Hemp as the main structure stores 5 tons of carbon away- Energy
Long-term performance questionable, but an intent of the project
Large
Bell Museum
▣ TYPE: Public
⧇ CLIENT: University of Minnesota
⧆ TEAM LEADS: John Slack, Jeff Ziebarth, Douglas Pierce, Heidi Costello
Primary Bio-Based Material Used
Thermally-Modified Wood
PROJECT SUMMARY
The Bell Museum is Minnesota’s official natural history museum and has been preserving and celebrating the state for more than 144 years. Previously housed in a confined building, the new site is designed as a learning landscape—its surfaces configured to tie people, nature, and the environment together.
The building was conceived as a living, interactive diorama – linking interior space to adjacent landscapes.
Much of the museum’s exterior is covered with thermally modified white pine wood cladding, harvested from Minnesota forests that are ecologically managed and certified to Forest Stewardship Council criteria (FSC). The landscape surrounding the building includes a diverse blend of drought tolerant native and adapted plants. To mitigate the threat to birds, the architects developed a custom visual frit pattern for the glass that deters bird strikes, and is non-obtrusive to Bell Museum visitors.
We created a personal journey of discovery through time, space, and life—told through the lenses of art, science, and culture.
Bell’s monumental storybox windows are part of the magnificent personal journey that each visitor takes through the museum. Three monumental glass and wood storyboxes are “lenses” between the interior and exterior spaces inspiring every visitor to connect across time between environmental experiences that are only in the past (within the museum) and environmental experiences that are immediately present (outside the building), informing our collective future.
Quick Variable Mapping
What variables were perceivable concerned?
How much of a closed system was this project?
Quarter - Circular
Impact Highlights
What impact variables were of key concern and achieved?
[ These are the typical decision making variables identified in practice ]
This project was motivated by the narrative qualities of the material that connected to the regional history
This project was motivated by the aesthetic qualities of the material as well
The experience of the material supported the larger narrative goals of the project.-
Harvested and processed in Minnesota and distributed locally. - Applications What are this material's applications?
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Carbon sequestering material. - Performance Does this material meet performance specs for the project?
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The properties of the thermally modified wood cladding were well suited to the application.
- Cost How far does this material need to travel to get to the site?
- Time Time to produce, time for delivery?
[ These are key material selection variables that should be considered ]
* Note with every material variable there is a variable component that should be considered and measured if possible to consider the other carbon footprint of the project, much of that is housed in the material of the structure.
- Agents What living agents are involved in the creation of this material? Consdier ethical labour practices, ethical co-design with other organisms and ethical partnerships.
- Equiptment Can you identify if the equipment, tools & manufacturing practices involved to make this material are safe and sustainable?
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Wood biomass. Carbon Sequestering - Can you identify where the raw materials are being sourced from + produced + transported to?
- TimeWhat is the time for growth, regrowth, production and transportion? How long will it last?
[ These are desirable impact varibles to consider for material selection ]
- Well-Being
- How does the use of this material impact the socio-cultural aspects of the building and site?
This project had signifcant effect on Arbor Wood Co. the company that produced the cladding and assissted them in growing their company after having to ramp up production to meet the scale of this project.- End of Lifecycle What will happen to this material at its end of life?
The use of the wood echoes other attempts to restore ecological environments to the site.- Resource Depletion What is the water and other natural resource depletion associated with this material?
- DurabilityLong-term impacts of this materials durabilty? How will it deterioate? Is it safe?
The use of a wood product as the exterior cladding allows for the external surface area to be utilized as carbon storage- Energy
- Performance Does this material perform as needed and improve the building system as a whole?