Hemp structure – Walls

Tests aim to explore system behaviours on a different hemp arrangement. Two kinds of “walls” follow the hemp bending.

Sequential operations
  • design and lasercut the plexi structure: plexiglass, diameter 95mm, thickness 2mm (thanks to MakeInBo)
  • build hemp structures: distance between plates 85/50mm
  • put the structure in a glass jar with some ml of water
  • autoclave, 121°C – 20′
  • (bio)plastic #2.1.2 spread on fibers
  • inoculate with POS1 – Pleurotus Ostreatus
  • growth in a dark room at 22.5°C for 18 days

Sample: #3.2.1 _ Simmetric Wall

wall_benchmark_sample#3.2.1

IMG_20141118_144242 IMG_20141205_152210

IMG_20141118_144308 IMG_20141205_151945b

IMG_20141205_152029 IMG_20141205_152139

IMG_20141205_152129 IMG_20141205_152525

IMG_20141205_152439

Sample: #3.2.2 _ aSimmetric Wall

wall_benchmark_sample#3.2.2

IMG_20141118_144349 IMG_20141205_153547

IMG_20141118_144521 IMG_20141205_153050

IMG_20141205_153222

IMG_20141205_153151 IMG_20141205_153141

IMG_20141205_153135

bio-analogic computation

Mycelium is a living agent-system. The hemp fiber structure built here connects two plexiglass plates and It provides a good substrate to mycelium growth. Result shows a redundant and hyper connected system: a fibrous composite material made of (and by) mycelium.

> Benchmark.

Sequential operations
  • design and lasercut plates: plexiglass, diameter 75/88 mm, thickness 3mm (thanks to MakeInBo)
  • build hemp structures: distance between plates 15cm
  • put the structure in a glass jar with some ml of water
  • autoclave, 121°C – 20′
  • (bio)plastic #2.1.2 spread on fibers
  • inoculate with POS1 – Pleurotus Ostreatus (5 infected wheat grains)
  • growth in a dark room at 22.5°C for 12 days > image
Sample #3.1.1 – bio-analogic computation _ mycelium tectonics

bioanalogic-computation_02

bioanalogic-computation_00 bioanalogic-computation_01

bioanalogic-computation_03 IMG_20141114_155007

bioanalogic-computation_05

bioanalogic-computation_06

Hemp structure – benchmark

After latest and satisfying inVitro results (1, 2), some simple structures eneble the possibility to investigate the 3th dimension. These “benchmark” are a kind of analogic computation to understend and finally explore mycelium tectonics, architecturally speaking.

Sequential operations
  • design and lasercut the wood structure: poplar, diameter 60mm, thickness 4mm (thanks to MakeInBo)
  • build hemp structures: distance between plates 10cm
  • 24h in water (this step involved fiber bending and volume reduction)
  • autoclave, 121°C – 20′
  • (bio)plastic #2.1.2 spread on fibers > image
  • inoculate with POS1 – Pleurotus Ostreatus (one infected wheat grain)
  • put the structure in a glass jar with some ml of water to ensure humidity > image
  • growth in a dark room at 22.5°C for 16 days > image

#3.0.1B – “gravity”

sample_#3.0.1B_t0 sample_#3.0.1B_t1-2

sample_#3.0.1B_A sample_#3.0.1B_B
sample_#3.0.1B_E

#3.0.2B – “double plate linear”

sample_#3.0.2B_t0 sample_#3.0.2B_t1

sample_#3.0.2B_A sample_#3.0.2B_B

#3.0.3B – “double plate open”

sample_#3.0.3B_t0 sample_#3.0.3B_t1

sample_#3.0.3B_A sample_#3.0.3B_B-2
sample_#3.0.3B_C

#3.0.4B – “double plate bend&torsion”

sample_#3.0.4B_t0 sample_#3.0.4B_t1

—

Achim Menges 01

“Natural morphogenesis, the process of growth and evolutionary development, generates systems that derive complex articulation, specific gestalt and performative capacity through the interaction of system-intrinsic material characteristics, as well as external stiumli of enviromental forces and influences. Thus, formation and materialisation are always inherently and inseparably related in natural morphogenesis.”

– Achim Menges

(bio)plastic benchmark

These tests aim to understand if starch plastic could be a good substrate for micelia. After a lot of experiments, finally I found the plastic that has the right consistency to be spread on fiber.

(bio)plastic recipe: #2.1

85% H20
6% Starch
4% Carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt
3% Glycerol
2% PDA – potato dextrose agar
0.1% Ammonium Acetate

Micelia used for the test:
POS 1 _ pleurotus ostreatus
GLU 2 _ ganoderma lucidum
GLU 16 _ ganoderma lucidum

Recipe #2.1 after 4 days and 8 days:

2.1E_t12.1E_t2

Continua a leggere →

in vitro petriMask

fungi renew
mycelia renewal

Exploring boundaries

How does the mycelium explore boundaries and build bridge connetions from landscape morphology?
This test allows to understand mycelium’s behaviours of growth through PLA substrate.
To do that a 3d printed mask was insert into a petri dish before the sterilization.

Substrates are:
LIGN _ Lignosulphonate bretax C 1,5% + AA 1% | pH: 6,12
CELL _ carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt 1,5% + AA 1% | pH: 5,92
Micelia are:
GLU2 _ ganoderma lucidum (inoculated on 18th of September 2014)
POS1 _ pleurotus ostreatus (inoculated on 18th of September 2014)
ARM _ armillaria mellea (inoculated on 18th of September 2014)

Thanks to MakeInBo
MAKEINBO_over

Ganoderma Lucidum after 6 days, 9 days and 21 days:

glu_a3 glu_a3_t1 glu_a3_t2

glu_a3a glu_a3a_t1 glu_a3a_t2
Continua a leggere →

in vitro mycoTests 02

Previous in vitro mycoTests here.

Lignin and cellulose substrate

Some tests highlight behavioral growth differences of three species of micelia. Substrates were prepared and filled in petri capsules divided in three sub-compartments.

Substrates are:
AA _ agar agar grade A | pH: 6,038 (test)
LIGN _ Lignosulphonate bretax C 1,5% + AA 1% | pH: 6,12
CELL _ carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt 1,5% + AA 1% | pH: 5,92
Micelia are:
ARM _ armillaria mellea (inoculated on 18th of September 2014)
GLU2 _ ganoderma lucidum (inoculated on 18th of September 2014)
PCO1 _ pleurotus cornucopie (inoculated on 18th of September 2014)

Armillaria Mellea after 6 days, 9 days and 21 days:

ARM_t1 ARM_t2 ARM_t3

Continua a leggere →

Theo Spyropoulos 01

“The architecture itself is not designed to a site in a conventional sense but we have to try at least […] to think about certain fitness criteria that will allow the system to develop possibilities, different sites and configurations.”

– Theo Spyropoulos

Phil Ross 01

“By providing enviroments to live within, we can appriciate the details of a framed existence. Our attention is drawn not only to isolated living element, but also to the greater organization from which it has been removed. The small parts, once enclosed and removed from their native residence, are where we truly focus our gaze, their isolation serving as a lens through which to imagine an entire living world.”

– Philip Ross