Printing Mycelium-Bacteria Bound Composites:Towards a Digital Fabrication Method for a Living Material

This paper describes a bespoke 3D printer that investigates a freeform fabrication method for building and creating with living organisms, leveraging their self-actuation over time and overcoming the need of new moulds for each new design. With the development of this machine, we explore the strategy of adaptation of digital fabrication tools towards the living organisms we design with. In recent years a stronger focus has been set on circular, regenerative and fast growing materials for architecture. Amongst those explorations, fungal mycelium based materials show promising potential through natural binding of loose substrate, growth on natural material that can be sourced from waste-streams and production of such materials in semi-sterile environments. The here described fabrication method explores a dry particle deposition of a mineral and an organic, and inoculated material at time of depositions. Humidification after each layer supports growth and therethrough self-actuation of the grown material. The printer offers geometrical freedom and full reuse of the moulding material.