Architectural practice: PLP Labs (PLP Architecture)

Project name/title: Symbiocene Living

Material focus: Mycelium-3D Wood Blocks

Location: Public Pavilion at Clerkenwell Design Week, London

Exhibition year: 2023

Symbiocene Living is the result of an ongoing exploration of a modular architectural system made of mycelium bio-composites and 3D printed wooden formwork. In the end, 84 composite blocks were grown in house (in their office) for a public pavilion. It showcased the modular bio-blocks arranged into everyday objects such as tables, seating, partitions.

Symbiocene Living seeks to explore the symbiotic potential between the built environment and nature. The proposed Symbiocene envisions a future beyond the Anthropocene. It signals a shift in our relationship with the environment from parasitic and extractive to symbiotic and collaborative. The urgency to address environmental challenges, particularly the depletion of natural resources and the need for sustainable alternatives, necessitates this paradigm shift in architectural practice. 

Mycelium bio-composites offer a promising alternative to steer the architecture and construction industries away from fossil fuel-based materials and towards a more ecologically sensitive future.