Budějovický Samorost is the first house that has insulation made from mycelium

České Budějovice - The first building in the Czech Republic with mycelium insulation has been created. The Samorost project is an experimental wooden house made up of two rooms connected by a hallway. Mycelium boards inside serve as insulation and decorative cladding. The insulating properties are similar to polystyrene, and they are almost non-flammable, just smoldering. Architects from the Mymo association shared this with journalists during today’s presentation of the object in České Budějovice. They did not disclose the exact investment, which is in the millions of crowns.

The Samorost project is intended primarily for glamping, a more luxurious form of camping. Similar objects can also serve as community centers in urban parks or as shelters in nature, where tourists can find refuge.

By combining mycelium and waste that contains cellulose, such as wood shavings, paper, or pellets, a myco-composite is created. "We use the shiny cork mushroom, which we let grow in something containing cellulose. And as it grows, the material binds, the mushroom acts as a natural glue for us. During production, the mushroom is alive. When we have the finished product, we deactivate the mushroom by passing the product through a temperature of 65 degrees Celsius, causing a cellular change such that the mushroom cannot revive. It’s like baking bread from dough," said Jakub Seifert, chairman of the Mymo association.

The Mymo association brings together personalities from research, who aim to lay the foundations of mycelium architecture in the Czech Republic. They include experts from the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University and the company Mykilio.

After a year of research, they concluded that myco-composite can be used indoors for thermal and acoustic insulation, for the production of cladding and interior accessories. It is as solid as cork, for example. "We can replace polystyrene with a thickness of five centimeters with just under six centimeters of myco-composite. And unlike polystyrene, it reduces the carbon footprint of the house. Moreover, any product made from myco-composite is fully recyclable; we can grind it and make myco-composite again or put it on the compost," Seifert added.

According to him, this material is not suitable for the exterior because other fungi can settle on it. Regular interior humidity is not a problem; the material will dry out. Long-term humidity, such as if water were dripping on it, would cause problems.

Samorost consists of two round cells covered with wooden shingles, resembling two mushrooms growing in the forest. One contains a bedroom, while the other houses a kitchen with a dining area. Both are connected by a hallway, for example, for storing items. The object measures 3.5 by 7.14 meters and is three meters high. The roofs of both rooms are glazed, and there are photovoltaic panels above the hallway that supply energy to batteries. The architectural design of the building was created by Tomasz Kloza, a member of the MYMO association.

The Samorost was constructed by South Bohemian sculptor Michal Trpák at the sculptural architectural studio Scoolpt in České Budějovice. In building the house, he used 1800 kilograms of myco-composite. The substrate was grown for 21 days and then processed for three months. The supporting wooden skeleton is filled with myco-composite insulation; the boards are five centimeters thick, and there are additional two-centimeter boards as decorative cladding on top.

The dimensions and construction of the house were adjusted so that it could be easily manipulated and transported for traveling presentations. Social facilities can also be added to the object.

The project was supported by Stavební spořitelna České spořitelny Buřinka. "At the beginning of 2020, we were thinking about how to support sustainable development in construction. We came up with the platform Innovations from Buřinka and are looking for projects that deserve financial support. The first one was the 3D printed house Prvok made of concrete,” said Ondřej Zahořík, director of marketing and communications at Stavební spořitelna České spořitelny Buřinka. Prvok was produced by sculptor Trpák, just like Samorost.