Mycelium: Rethinking Materials in Design

MATERIAL RESEARCH
Written By Nina Zulian

Material District Utrecht 2025

Photography courtesy of ©MOGU

 


Beneath our feet, mycelium—a vast underground network of fungal threads—sustains ecosystems by decomposing organic matter, cycling nutrients, and forming symbiotic relationships with plants. But mycelium’s role extends beyond decomposition; it is also part of a complex underground communication system known as the Wood Wide Web, facilitating the exchange of nutrients and information between plants.

This ancient biological network, which has existed for over a billion years, is essential for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Today, it is inspiring a radical shift in material innovation.

Designers and scientists are tapping into mycelium’s potential to develop materials that are not only biodegradable and non-toxic but also regenerative, structurally sound, and aesthetically compelling.

Mycelium-based materials can be grown rather than manufactured, requiring minimal energy and resources compared to conventional production methods. Because it is regenerative, mycelium continuously replenishes itself, offering a truly circular approach to material design. With applications spanning from packaging to textiles, furniture, and even architecture, mycelium offers an organic alternative to synthetic materials that often persist in the environment for centuries. Yet, despite its potential, systemic challenges continue to shape its path to widespread adoption.

One of the biggest barriers is the dominance of synthetic materials, particularly plastics, which continue to receive heavy investment due to their perceived convenience and the promise of recyclability—despite their persistent environmental impact. The plastics industry benefits from decades of infrastructure development, subsidies, and a global supply chain optimized for low-cost mass production. Large corporations and governments often promote recycling as a solution, even though only a small percentage of plastic waste is actually recycled, while the majority ends up in landfills, incinerators, or polluting ecosystems. This creates a misleading perception that plastics are sustainable, making it harder for alternative materials like mycelium to compete.

Another challenge is the aesthetic perception of mycelium-based materials. While celebrated in experimental design and sustainable innovation circles, these materials are still finding their place in mainstream consumer markets. Many consumers and industries are accustomed to the sleek, uniform appearance of plastic and other synthetic materials, while mycelium-based products often present a more organic and textured aesthetic. This shift in visual and tactile expectations requires a rethinking of material norms, which can influence market adoption and consumer preferences. The transition from research to commercialization is improving, but the gap between laboratory breakthroughs and widely available products remains substantial.

At the forefront of this movement, several designers and companies are pushing the boundaries of what mycelium can achieve. Their work is redefining materials and proving that fungi-based solutions can be both functional and beautiful. During Material District, three exhibitors stand out for their pioneering contributions to this field: Mogu, Mycelium Material, and Dasha Tsapenko.

 
 

Mycelium - Lab Tools - Photography courtesy of ©MOGU

 
 

Mogu: Innovating with Mycelium in Architecture and Interior Design

Maurizio Montalti, the founder of Mogu, has long been fascinated by mycelium’s potential—not just as a material, but as a design philosophy that challenges conventional production models. As a researcher and pioneer in fungi-based design, Montalti has dedicated his career to understanding how mycelium can reshape industries. His work at Mogu is not just about creating products but challenging the way materials are perceived and produced. The journey has not been without challenges; early on, convincing manufacturers to experiment with a living material required persistence and innovation. Through years of experimentation and collaboration, Mogu has demonstrated that mycelium is not just a conceptual alternative but a viable material for industrial applications, paving the way for biomaterials in mainstream design and construction.

Building on this vision, Montalti founded Mogu in 2015 to push the boundaries of fungi-derived materials in architecture and interior design. Their research and development focus on creating materials that balance functionality, aesthetics, and biodegradability, demonstrating how mycelium can be adapted for contemporary spaces. They produce acoustic panels—entirely made of fungal mycelium and upcycled textile residues—along with resilient floors created from agro-industrial residues, as well as wall coverings that merge natural beauty with engineered precision. By applying mycelium-based solutions at scale, Mogu contributes to the ongoing effort to integrate biomaterials into industrial production, offering an alternative to conventional synthetic materials. Through ongoing experimentation and collaboration, Mogu continues to refine its approach, exploring how mycelium can meet the practical demands of modern construction while reducing reliance on resource-intensive materials.

 
 

Acoustic panels—entirely made of fungal mycelium and upcycled textile residues - Photography courtesy of ©MOGU

 
 
 

Mycelium - Photography courtesy of ©MOGU

 


Mycelium Material: Repurposing Waste for New Materials

For Erik Swaagstra and Rob Banken, the journey into mycelium innovation began with a fundamental question: how could the waste from mushroom farming be transformed into something valuable? Within Banken’s mushroom-growing facilities, they started testing ways to repurpose discarded substrate blocks—materials traditionally considered waste. Their experiments evolved into a process that converts these blocks into functional materials, bridging the gap between agricultural waste and sustainable design.

Mushrooms are traditionally cultivated on substrate blocks, where the mycelium network grows before producing fruiting bodies. Once the mushrooms are harvested, these substrate blocks are typically discarded as waste, although some growers repurpose them as compost, mulch, or animal feed. Mycelium Material has developed a process to repurpose these blocks into new materials. By refining this technique, they demonstrate how fungi-based materials can be reintegrated into production cycles, reducing waste while expanding the practical applications of mycelium in various sectors.

Their focus remains on expanding the industrial applications of mycelium, ensuring that scientific research translates into commercially viable, scalable solutions. By addressing key challenges such as durability, water resistance, and adaptability, Mycelium Material contributes to making mycelium-based materials more practical for widespread industrial use, developing applications ranging from acoustic panels to biodegradable urns.


Photography courtesy of ©Mycelium Material

 
 

Acoustic panels by Mycelium Material – Presented at MaterialDistrict Utrecht 2025

 
 


Dasha Tsapenko: Mycelium as a Collaborator

For Dasha Tsapenko, mycelium is a playground for experimentation—a material that allows her to push the boundaries of fashion, design, and living systems. Working with mycelium as a textile is an unconventional and sometimes unpredictable process—growth rates, textures, and integration with fabrics require constant experimentation. Tsapenko embraces this unpredictability, seeing it as part of a new, symbiotic way of designing clothing. Through trial and error, she has developed a technique to grow mycelium directly onto textiles, challenging the idea of garments as static objects and imagining a future where fashion interacts with nature in a regenerative way.

Her project, ‘Myc-Closet,’ explores the interaction between fungi and fabrics, creating garments that challenge traditional manufacturing methods. Beyond textiles, Tsapenko has also expanded her work into furniture design, experimenting with how mycelium can be integrated into functional and sculptural pieces. By growing mycelium-infused textiles, she redefines how we perceive design and materials—not as something manufactured but as something cultivated, demonstrating how mycelium can be a bridge between biological systems and functional objects across multiple disciplines. Her research also questions design’s reliance on resource-intensive production methods and suggests new ways to think about regenerative materials and manufacturing.

 

‘Myc-Closet’ Material Reserach by Dasha Tsapenko

 

Mycelium as a Design Frontier

As these innovators demonstrate, mycelium holds vast potential for reshaping the materials industry. Whether in architecture, furniture, packaging, or fashion, its regenerative properties offer a glimpse into a future where materials work in harmony with nature rather than against it. However, overcoming industrial and economic barriers remains a key challenge. With continued research, investment, and public awareness, mycelium may soon move from niche experimentation to becoming a widespread, viable alternative to synthetic materials. The focus must now be on production, shifting consumer perceptions, and ensuring fungi-based materials are integrated into mainstream industries beyond niche design projects.

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Presented at: MaterialDistrict Utrecht 2025
Instagram: @materialdistrict

Photography Courtesy of: Mogu, Mycelium Material, Dasha Tsapenko

Words: Nina Zulian

Nina Zulian https://pluralmagazine.net
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