Newcastle Researchers Grow Mycelium Dome With Knitted Molds to Test Low-Waste Construction

Researchers at Newcastle University have built a freestanding dome using MycoCrete, a material made from mycelium grown inside knitted molds. The approach is part of a push to find low-waste construction materials that could replace foam, timber, and plastic in lightweight building applications. The team says the material is stronger and shrinks less than earlier mycelium composites, though it is not yet a ready substitute for concrete. The work highlights the environmental cost of conventional construction. Cement production accounts for roughly 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, and sand extraction for concrete is outpacing natural replenishment. Mycelium-based materials could reduce demand for those inputs, but the article notes that the research does not yet provide equivalent emissions data for the foam, timber, or plastic it might replace. More testing and demonstration projects will determine whether this material can move from a lab-scale dome into real construction. For now, it is one of several experimental building materials, including hempcrete and biochar concrete, that aim to lower the carbon footprint of the built environment.