A tenth of global carbon emissions is made up of building materials and construction. That’s why engineers are in search of better alternatives to polluting materials such as cement bricks, which require a whole lot of energy to produce and winds up in the landfill at the end of their lifecycle.
One unlikely alternative to the cement brick is mycelium, the fungal network from which mushrooms grow. Although construction materials made from mushrooms are still in the pretty early stages of research and development, mycelium bricks are showing a whole lot of promise.
To start with, they produce far less planet-heating carbon dioxide than cement. Plus, they’re biodegradable. But perhaps most importantly, mycelium bricks are surprisingly durable. Although not as strong as cement, architects such as David Benjamin of The Living have already produced sturdy structures using bricks made of mycelium and agricultural waste.
Recently, the people over at The Verge made a video in which they spoke with the leading people in the mushroom revolution. They even made their own mushroom brick and put it to the test for everyone to see! Want to check out the video for yourself? Have a look right here.
