Category: Product

Mycelium, the vegetative part of a fungus or fungus-like bacterial colony, can be mixed with a liquid food source such as liquidised straw and water and fed into a 3D printer to create forms which continue to grow, and strengthen, until deactivated through heating or drying.

Uses

• This technique was pioneered in 2014 by Dutch designer Eric Klarenbeek, who used it to create a mycelium chair, working with the University of Aachen.

Potential Uses

• Small run packaging or other products, to save on the cost of making a mould (see process at Mycelium Foam).

Processes

• We do not know which strains of mushroom work best for this process.
• Mix with a liquid food source such as liquidised straw and water
• Feed into a 3D printer to create form
• These will continue to grow, and strengthen, until deactivated through heating or drying.

More Information

• http://inhabitat.com/3d-printed-mycelium-chair-sprouts-living-mushrooms/

 

Areca catechu is a species of palm which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa.

Common names: areca (nut) palm, betel palm (because its fruit, the areca nut, is often chewed along with the betel leaf), Indian nut, Pinang palm, 檳榔, கமுகு (bunga), pinang, கமுகு, kamuhu, adakka, adike.

• 100% natural material (0 chemicals used in manufacture)
• 100% direct solar energy used in manufacture reasonably easily
• Hold liquids up to around 5 hours
• Thermally insulating so good for holding hot (or cold) food
• Microwave oven safe
• 100% Biodegradable (compostable/decomposable) within 2-3 months

Uses

• Traditional occasional use vessels: “Hat palathoppi” in souther India

• Contemporary single use Food containers: Plates, bowels,cups, trays

Potential Uses

• Phone/Pad case?
• Book covers?
• Panels: bonded together with natural adhesive (like papier-mâché) for architectural/automotive interiors etc?
• Please comment below with any other Research, Exploratory/student projects, Ideas…

Process

1.  Collect freshly fallen leaves of  Arecanut / Adaka palm tree (trees do not need to be cut down). The leaf which covers the fruit may be the highest quality for this use.
2.  Wash off dirt.  Turmeric can be used as a disinfectant.
3.  Air dry, stretch out and flatten. (*need more information on this step)
4.  Shape using heated press with metal mold.  Multiple items may be possible from each leaf.
5.  Wash clean again and cut off excess.
6. Sun dry

More Information

• Areca Catechu – Wikipedia article
• Vegware – global plant packaging supplier
• Ecopalmleafplates – Indian exported

The skill of shaping trees is known as Arbosculpture. The main idea is to avoid the multistage process of growing a tree, chopping it down, sawing into parts and then nailing or gluing it together of conventional carpentry and instead simply shape the tree as it grows. Many trees can be shapes in this way including poplar, apple, birch, willow, cherry, ash, plum, cedar, hazel and red alder trees.

Uses

• Furniture e.g. chairs, tables, stools and hammocks – see examples by Full Grown which is selling grown furniture commercially.

  

• Ladder
• Hat stand
• Bridges e.g. tree root bridge
• Archways
• Fences

Uses

• Buildings – there are several examples of designers experimenting with creating building structures by growing trees:
• The Patient Gardner –  a design for a study retreat created by Visiondivision which is currently growing at the Politecno di Milano campus. The main two tier structure is being created out of 10 cherry trees which are being trained into dome shapesThe Patient Gardner by Visiondivision

Processes

From Lazerhorse, there are the main ways of shaping trees:

1) Aeroponic Culture

Roots are grown above ground rather than below, sprayed with water and nutrients and remain flexible for longer than they would in the ground so that they can be manipulated.

2) Instant Tree Shaping

This is done on trees a couple of metres tall. You slowly bend the trees and keep them in unnatural positions until they start growing that way of their own accord.

3) Gradual Tree Shaping

This is similar to instant tree shaping but is started on very young saplings so the process is much longer.

4) Grafting

The limbs of certain trees (and other plants) can be joined by growing together, in part or as a whole, by cutting through the outer layer of the whole limb (usually at an angle).

More Information

• fullgrown.co.uk
• grown-furniture.co.uk
• http://www.lazerhorse.org/2013/09/15/arborsculpture-tree-shaping/
• http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-arbosculpture.htm
• https://activities.tjhsst.edu/scifront/articles/arborsculpture.html