U.S. firm Ecovative has constructed a home made from mushrooms, which could be the answer to sustainable living one day. Evocative used a part of the mushroom known as ‘mycelium’ (the vegetative part of a fungus) to grow the structure of the house. Mycelium is the unseen part of a mushroom. It’s made up of millions of tiny fibers and is used as ‘growing glue’. How it works: Ecovative built the tiny home on wheels from fungi using pine wood. They poured the fungal mycelium mix inside the wall mould and it was then left to grow. Mushroom insulation then grew into wood forms. Once fully grown, this mushroom insulation continued to dry over the course of a month to give an extremely strong airtight wall. The “Mushroom Tiny House” is different from traditional houses because:
- The wooden walls of this house are lined with mycelium and not with petroleum-based foam insulation.
- This mushroom insulation forms an airtight seal and excellent thermal protection.
- It is affordable.
- It is fire resistant.
- It has low or no VOCs.
- It is naturally-grown insulation, the house also has ceiling tiles made of mushroom material.
Mushroom Tiny House looks rather basic but the idea of ‘growing your own home’ is itself compelling.
