An architectural column made from mycelium

London – Using 3D printing technology, coffee cups collected around the city, and mycelium, sustainable design practice Blast Studio is creating an architectural column that provides structural support while producing edible mushrooms.

To create the Tree Column, Blast Studio mixes coffee cup waste with mycelium into a blend. Then, this mixture is fed into a custom-made cold extruder that prints the material into a column. Once the material has been processed and printed, the mycelium begins to consume the paper pulp of the cups, taking over the column and producing edible mushrooms in the process. After this, the column is ready to be dried to produce a load-bearing architectural column that provides natural insulation and has fire-retardant qualities.

Offering architectural strength while providing food, this innovative column strives to replace environmentally harmful materials like concrete. ‘Our vision is to start a new type of living architecture that could self-repair and be harvested to feed people,' explains Paola Garnousset, co-founder of Blast Studio. Elsewhere, we have explored how eco-materials like algae can improve the urban environment with their air-purifying properties.