Towering feat: A sculpture built from bio-bricks

Designed by New York studio The Living, Hy-Fi was the winning entry in the Young Architects Program (YAP) contest, in which emerging architects were invited to propose a temporary courtyard structure to host summer events.

Hy-Fi is made of circular towers that are constructed from a biomaterial blend of corn, agricultural by-product and mycelium, a living mushroom fibre.

‘This year’s YAP-winning project is no small feat. It is the first sizeable structure to claim near-zero carbon emissions in its construction process and, beyond recycling, presents itself as being 100% compostable,’ says Pedro Gadanho, curator in MoMA’s Department of Architecture and Design.

Designers are increasingly looking to biological processes to create new textiles and structures, a phenomenon known as Biofacture. For more, read our Future Materials: Top 10 report.