The UK’s PLP Architects is focused on creating a greener future by collaborating with nature, developing a fungus-based modular block that is renewable and biodegradable, and has the potential to become a new building material with minimal environmental impact.

In biology, the word “symbiosis” is used to describe two different organisms living together for mutual benefit. Borrowing from the concept of symbiosis, it’s predicted that the current Anthropocene age – the age of humans – will make way for the Symbiocene, an era in which humans and nature are reintegrated for the good of the planet.

The folks at PLP Architecture, based in London, have embraced the coming Symbiocene, transitioning to the practice of sumbiotecture, construction focused on the biodegradability of all materials and the use of non-polluting, renewable energy. As part of their transition, over the past year, PLP’s in-house research group, PLP Labs, has studied the structural capabilities and architectural potential of mycelium biocomposites.

Mycelium is the root-like structure of fungi, a web of branching strands called hyphae, responsible for absorbing nutrients and water from the surrounding environment. Fungi are known for their carbon-absorbing abilities and, therefore, their potential to slow climate change.

Fungi, especially their mycelium, have already been earmarked as a sustainable alternative for use in the construction industry, being used to fill concrete cracks and insulate tiny houses. NASA has even explored the possibility of growing fungi houses on the Moon or Mars.

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