MycoMembrane

DEVELOPMENT OF ELASTICALLY FORMABLE MYCELIUM PANELS FOR MEMBRANE STRUCTURES WITH THERMAL INSULATION

The project investigates potential for transferring the shape-adaptive properties of Mycelium Based Composite (MBC) panels to a new generation of soft-hard insulation materials. These materials are characterized by high moldability when wet and structural stability after drying. The combination of a woven textile as fiber reinforcement with a living mycelium composite creates a novel insulation material that can be flexibly adapted to complex geometries—such as those typical of membrane structures.

The result is a naturally formed, multi-curved insulation panel with textile reinforcement that adapts precisely to the geometry of the supporting structure. It offers good thermal and acoustic insulation values as well as robust mechanical properties.

The targeted design of materials using living organisms represents a rapidly growing field of research within Engineered Living Materials (ELMs)—an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of biotechnology, materials science, and design. In this context, novel materials with functional properties are being developed that could not previously be achieved using conventional methods.

The MycoMembrane project is intended as a first concrete step toward translating the elasticity phenomena observed during the cultivation phase of textile-reinforced MBCs into the development of an adaptive, energy-efficient insulation material for membrane structures.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Götz T. Gresser
Institute for Textile and Fibre Technologies (ITFT), University of Stuttgart

PARTICIPATING RESEARCHER

Prof. Martin Ostermann
Institute of Building Technology and Design (IBK), University of Stuttgart

RESEARCHERS

Piotr Baszyński (IBK)

Eliza Biala (IBK)

PARTNERS
Institute for Textile and Fibre Technologies (ITFT), University of Stuttgart
Institut für Textil- und Verfahrenstechnik (ITV) der Deutschen Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung (DITF), Denkendorf, Germany

Dr.-Ing. Hans-Jürgen Bauder
Timo Weimer
Julia Knopf

FUNDING
Baden-Württemberg Stiftung gGmbH
Unterstiftung Klimaschutzstiftung Baden-Württemberg
Ideenwettbewerb „Forschung für nachhaltiges Bauen“.