Explore the Symbiocene with PLP Labs' Mycelium Installation at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023
• PLP Labs launches Symbiocene Living, an installation at Clerkenwell Design Week, showcasing a positive symbiotic relationship between civilization and nature through mycelium modular blocks.
• Bio-based sculptures made from mycelium and 3D printed wood structures form PLP Labs' exhibit, offering abstract seating, planters, a table, partitions, and captivating spatial formations.
• Mycelium bio-composites, a versatile and sustainable material, demonstrate excellent architectural potential with renewable, biodegradable, lightweight, and fire-resistant properties.
PLP Labs have launched Symbiocene Living, an installation for Clerkenwell Design Week made from mycelium modular blocks, which demonstrates a possible future in which civilization and nature entertain a positive symbiotic relationship.
PLP Labs' exhibit comprises of bio-based sculptures, crafted from hybrid blocks composed of mycelium and 3D printed wood structures. 84 blocks, resembling watermelons in size, are arranged to form abstract seating, planters, a table, partitions and captivating spatial formations. Visitors are encouraged to interact and explore these mycelium structures, gaining firsthand experience of the symbiotic relationship between humans and fungi.
Mycelium, the intricate root-like network of fungi, holds immense potential in the development of the Symbiocene, a future era where humans and nature actively collaborate to create a better world. Recognising the pivotal role of architects and urban designers in shaping this transformative period, PLP Labs has conducted an extensive year-long experiment to explore the structural capabilities and architectural potential of mycelium bio-composites.
The study revealed mycelium to be a versatile material suitable for various architectural applications. Unlike conventional materials like concrete and steel, mycelium bio-composites are renewable, biodegradable, and have minimal environmental impact. Additionally, they boast lightweight properties, excellent insulation characteristics, and high fire resistance. PLP Labs successfully combined engineering ingenuity with the natural attributes of fungi, employing the fusion of mycelium and 3D printed wood shells to create a myriad of precisely moulded configurations.
The Symbiocene Living installation will be on display at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023 from the 23rd to the 25th May. Visitors are encouraged to stop by and talk to the PLP Labs team of experts. Those interested can engage with further events throughout the year.
Team:
Architect: PLP Architecture
Photography: George Fielding Photography, PLP Architecture
