Biomaterial Symbiosis
I began attempting to answer some of these questions through a speculative material production model I’m calling Biomaterial Symbiosis. Firstly, this is a creative, more kinesthetic way to investigate the above questions for myself. Therefore, it’s very much a working idea—with a growing repository of data and research supporting project feasibility.
Does something like this exist? Maybe. Is it impossible? Possibly. Either way, here’s what’s happening in the sketches:
The model
I began attempting to answer some of these questions through a speculative material production model I’m calling Biomaterial Symbiosis. Firstly, this is a creative, more kinesthetic way to investigate the above questions for myself. Therefore, it’s very much a working idea—with a growing repository of data and research supporting project feasibility.
Does something like this exist? Maybe. Is it impossible? Possibly. Either way, here’s what’s happening in the sketches:
The model
- This model connects a hemp farm and hemp processing facility with a mycelium production site, both linked by a central Waste-Energy-Resource System (WERS).
- The production of hemp textiles leave byproducts that become substrate for mycelium composite growth; mycelium waste is returned to the soil to nourish hemp crops used for textiles and other products. WERS transforms all organic waste from both sites into raw material or energy through composting, digestion, and pyrolysis, generating power and value from production waste. This model would produce biodegradable textiles, building materials, and packaging in a closed-loop, independently regenerative manufacturing system.