Mimari tasarımda bir biyotasarım işbirlikçisi: Miselyum

While the cities grow bigger and buildings go higher, results of human interventions through rapid deforestation, exploitation of natural sources, and massive land use of human settlements exceeded nature's self-repair capacity. Accordingly, the global construction industry is responsible for around 40% of global GHG emissions in various phases; manufacturing the raw materials, construction, usage, and demolishing. Therefore, the building industry is facing unprecedented challenges to reduce the environmental impact of current consumption practices. In this direction, interdisciplinary studies, which are inspired by nature and related to the fields of science and biology/biotechnology, have a prevalent place in today's design strategies. Among them, a new approach that includes living organisms into the design goes beyond inspiration from nature is biodesign via bio-collaboration. In bio-collaborative design, bio-based materials and composites are an issue of interest in the quest over replacing the late centuries' unsustainable practices and materials used in the industries. This new approach has a beneficial potential and would probably lead to a great change through the future of the design and construction industry. In this context, this study focuses on discussing the potentials of mycelium, which are microscopic cellular fibre network of fungal cells that acts as a natural binder and recycler with variety of wastes, in the design and construction sector to create a bio-based material. Considering that material and design are inseparable, this thesis study aims to try different possibilities in the production phase of a mycelium-based biocomposite and to discuss how this product can be reflected and used in the path of final design.