Research Group: Situated Art, Design and Technology
Mycelium bio-composite exhibits remarkable versatility showing properties that are useful for the construction industry, including thermal insulation and acoustic isolation.
Despite its potential, mycelium remains an unfamiliar material. To enable bio-designers to successfully implement mycelium bio-composite insulation, creating an understanding of potential users’ views on and experience of the material is important. To research this, an interdisciplinary co-design workshop was conducted with potential stakeholders focusing on interaction with, discovery of, and brainstorming about mycelium bio-composite insulation.
The results showed that stakeholders mostly have a positive material experience with mycelium bio-composites and are open to acceptance. They predominantly viewed mycelium bio-composites as a sustainable, circular, lightweight, and bio-based alternative to fossil-based insulation. The stakeholders also indicated that acquiring recognition and certification in the European construction market is a necessity.
Further acceptance could be promoted by increasing familiarity with the material through designing opportunities for interaction with and informing about mycelium bio-composites.
‘The ultimate goal is to provide people with the information, skills and tools that enable them to improve the quality of their daily lives.’
Simone van den Broek is a researcher within the Situated Art, Design and Technology research group, and a tutor for the Communication & Multimedia Design programme at Avans University of Applied Sciences in Den Bosch.
Research Group: Situated Art, Design and Technology
The research group Situated Art, Design and Technology (SADT) focuses on the societal embedding and embodiment of knowledge production that art and design research enables. The conducted research contributes to a deeper understanding of technological developments and their impact on people, society, and the environment, and to the development of situated approaches in the creative sector and beyond. In doing so, it advances a wider acknowledgement of artistic and design research as a mode of knowledge production, one that is grounded in creativity and critical imagination as a way of generating insight into, and intervening in, societal transitions driven by technology.