Symbiocene Architecture (Femmesocial x PLP Labs Collaboration)

We at PLP Labs, the research group of PLP Architecture, spent the last two and half years experimenting with mycelium bio-composites. The research is documented in chronological order, from simple cubes and woodworking tests to 3D-printed configurations and material testing completed at the University of Cambridge. We showcased a novel 3D printed wood and mycelium modular system at major design festivals in London, including Clerkenwell Design Week, London Design Festival, and London Design Biennale in 2023. During this time, we converted a meeting room at our London headquarters into a makeshift lab to grow hundreds of mycelium samples including every prototype shown in this book. We cracked, crushed, and snapped three types of mycelium samples at an engineering lab. We became a node in the fungal network in London and beyond, by working in tandem with mushroom enthusiasts from local community groups to bio-oriented AI designers. The report is intended as a gateway and a milestone, not a finale, for those interested in mycelium’s potential to help steer the architecture and construction industry away from fossil fuel-based materials and towards a more ecologically sensitive future.