Material Crush: Mycelium
Material Crush: Mycelium
Author
Author
DesignUplift
DesignUplift
Sustainability is no longer enough. The conversation is shifting toward something deeper: regenerative design. It's not just about reducing harm, it’s about leaving things better than we found them. And in this search for materials that give back to the planet, mycelium foam is quietly emerging as a favorite.
Let’s be honest: no single material is going to solve everything. But if we’re chasing natural alternatives for the plastics, foams, and fillers that dominate our lives, mycelium; the root system of fungi might be one of the most exciting contenders.
It’s grown, not manufactured. Fed by agricultural waste. Molded into form. And when its job is done, it returns to the soil, leaving no trace. Unlike traditional foams, mycelium is biodegradable, home-compostable, and non-toxic yet strong enough for furniture, fashion, packaging, and even architectural applications.
This wasn’t just theory at Milan Design Week 2025. It was on full display.
Kia’s EV2 concept car used mycelium panels in its interior trim, merging automotive function with biomaterial innovation.
Henning Larsen’s “Growing Matter(s)” pavilion used mycelium spheres to explore architecture that decomposes as gracefully as it emerges.
And a team from Vrije Universiteit Brussel unveiled home goods and wearable pieces, all grown from fungi, proving this isn’t sci-fi. It’s already here.
Mycelium doesn’t just replace synthetic materials. It changes our relationship with how we create—and how we discard. It embodies the very idea that design can be circular, ephemeral, even alive.
The question is no longer whether mycelium can grow into our workflows, It’s whether we’re ready to grow alongside it.
Sustainability is no longer enough. The conversation is shifting toward something deeper: regenerative design. It's not just about reducing harm, it’s about leaving things better than we found them. And in this search for materials that give back to the planet, mycelium foam is quietly emerging as a favorite.
Let’s be honest: no single material is going to solve everything. But if we’re chasing natural alternatives for the plastics, foams, and fillers that dominate our lives, mycelium; the root system of fungi might be one of the most exciting contenders.
It’s grown, not manufactured. Fed by agricultural waste. Molded into form. And when its job is done, it returns to the soil, leaving no trace. Unlike traditional foams, mycelium is biodegradable, home-compostable, and non-toxic yet strong enough for furniture, fashion, packaging, and even architectural applications.
This wasn’t just theory at Milan Design Week 2025. It was on full display.
Kia’s EV2 concept car used mycelium panels in its interior trim, merging automotive function with biomaterial innovation.
Henning Larsen’s “Growing Matter(s)” pavilion used mycelium spheres to explore architecture that decomposes as gracefully as it emerges.
And a team from Vrije Universiteit Brussel unveiled home goods and wearable pieces, all grown from fungi, proving this isn’t sci-fi. It’s already here.
Mycelium doesn’t just replace synthetic materials. It changes our relationship with how we create—and how we discard. It embodies the very idea that design can be circular, ephemeral, even alive.
The question is no longer whether mycelium can grow into our workflows, It’s whether we’re ready to grow alongside it.
Sustainability is no longer enough. The conversation is shifting toward something deeper: regenerative design. It's not just about reducing harm, it’s about leaving things better than we found them. And in this search for materials that give back to the planet, mycelium foam is quietly emerging as a favorite.
Let’s be honest: no single material is going to solve everything. But if we’re chasing natural alternatives for the plastics, foams, and fillers that dominate our lives, mycelium; the root system of fungi might be one of the most exciting contenders.
It’s grown, not manufactured. Fed by agricultural waste. Molded into form. And when its job is done, it returns to the soil, leaving no trace. Unlike traditional foams, mycelium is biodegradable, home-compostable, and non-toxic yet strong enough for furniture, fashion, packaging, and even architectural applications.
This wasn’t just theory at Milan Design Week 2025. It was on full display.
Kia’s EV2 concept car used mycelium panels in its interior trim, merging automotive function with biomaterial innovation.
Henning Larsen’s “Growing Matter(s)” pavilion used mycelium spheres to explore architecture that decomposes as gracefully as it emerges.
And a team from Vrije Universiteit Brussel unveiled home goods and wearable pieces, all grown from fungi, proving this isn’t sci-fi. It’s already here.
Mycelium doesn’t just replace synthetic materials. It changes our relationship with how we create—and how we discard. It embodies the very idea that design can be circular, ephemeral, even alive.
The question is no longer whether mycelium can grow into our workflows, It’s whether we’re ready to grow alongside it.
