Reactive bioluminescent algae lights up the haute couture collection and show of Iris van Herpen in Paris. Co-crafted by biodesigner Christopher Bellamy of Bio Crafted, there are 125 million bioluminescent algae embedded into the dress, showcased by the maison during the Paris Haute Couture Week on July 7th, 2025. In an interview with designboom, the biodesigner tells us that the material is an evolution of his previous project, Lucid Life | Marama Ora. ‘It’s a process I initially developed to encapsulate bioluminescent microalgae in collaboration with indigenous artists and scientists in French Polynesia,’ he shares with us. ‘A bespoke 35-step process was developed, which encapsulates the algae in a nutrient gel and a protective coating and allows them to live for many months. This was possible thanks to an artist residency at the University of Amsterdam in the Soft Matters Group.’

Once encapsulated, the algae only require regular sunlight to photosynthesize and maintain their circadian rhythm. The biomaterial can live for many months, even during hot weather conditions, and Chris Bellamy says that he also has samples that have been alive for more than a year. ‘However, as this new material is so experimental, we are still working to understand what exactly is going on,’ he explains to us. ‘To help keep the algae in perfect condition for the show, a bespoke full-size climate chamber was developed for the garment so that it can be exhibited in different locations and maintain its circadian rhythm.’ For the biodesigner and maison, developing the algae dress is a collaborative effort, as they need to keep the microorganisms alive through two heatwaves and while transporting them to Paris for the Iris van Herpen show for the haute couture.

all images courtesy of Chris Bellamy of Bio Crafted, unless stated otherwise

Living microorganisms encapsulated in nutrient gel

The collaboration between Iris van Herpen and Chris Bellamy of Bio Crafted allows the two to tap into the capabilities of living microorganisms such as algae. The biomaterial is reactive too; as the wearer moves, the dress glows gently, emitting a bluish glow that lights up in the dark. The maison and biodesigner say that the bioluminescent algae are placed in seawater and then encapsulated inside a nutrient gel that keeps them alive for a long time. The dress with bioluminescent algae forms part of the collection Sympoiesis, the recent series from Iris van Herpen shown in Paris Haute Couture Week. As the model walks, wearing Iris van Herpen’s algae dress co-created with Christopher Bellamy, the set design also glows in the background through the light sculptures by artist Nick Verstand. These artworks, called biospheric, add more light to the show, making the bioluminescent algae embedded into the Iris van Herpen dress glow even brighter. 

‘The vision to have a fully living garment that illuminated while on the runway in Paris was incredibly ambitious. On top of that, the design had to match the level of intricacy and detail expected with Iris’ work. To achieve this, we had to develop an entirely new process to encapsulate and form the algae,’ Chris Bellamy shares with designboom. It took them and the design team around four months of biotechnological process to develop the dress and match its detail and aesthetics to the rest of the Sympoiesis collection, but the biodesigner tells us that he only had a breakthrough finishing the illuminating material just 24 hours before the deadline. The project was only possible to develop in person, and thanks to an artist residency at the University of Amsterdam in the Biophysics and Soft Matters research group, completing the Iris van Herpen algae dress was realized in time for the show.

reactive bioluminescent algae lights up the haute couture dress of Iris van Herpen in Paris

refrigerated trucks to keep the algae dress alive

Because of the time restrictions, Chris Bellamy and Iris van Herpen had to rely on their intuition and gut feeling in developing the algae dress, instead of approaching it in a scientific manner. Luckily, the biodesigner had been knee-deep into the research for two years then, so he was already backed up by personal experiences with the living microorganisms. ‘The final process was incredibly complex, with 35 steps, and required very specific materials, formulations, and techniques. The final challenge was keeping the dress alive while traveling between countries for the show and in the chaos of a show environment,’ he explains to designboom.

To make this happen, the Iris van Herpen team was involved in a logistical trope, renting refrigerated trucks and putting wireless humidity alarms in place that worked under red light to keep the algae dress alive and ready to glow in the dark during the show. ‘Iris was the perfect collaborator, pushing and challenging the design but also learning and adapting as we understood more about the living organism and their behaviors,’ says Chris Bellamy. Back in 2024, the biodesigner worked on and researched the bioluminescent microalgae for just about over nine months. The same algae now flows through the Sympoiesis dress of Iris van Herpen during the Paris Haute Couture Week, which runs between July 7th and 10th, 2025, following the signature coral-inspired designs of the fashion designer.

for the dress, a 35-step process was developed, which encapsulates the algae in a nutrient gel

a protective coating allows the algae to live and glow for many months

detailed view of the dress

once encapsulated, the algae only require regular sunlight to photosynthesize

the algae dress showcased during Iris van Herpen’s show in Paris | image courtesy of Iris van Herpen

project info:

name: Sympoiesis

maison: Iris van Herpen | @irisvanherpen

biodesigner: Christopher Bellamy of Bio Crafted | @bio.crafted

light artist: Nick Verstand | @nickverstand

event: Paris Haute Couture Week

dates: July 7th to 10th, 2025

The post reactive bioluminescent algae illuminate iris van herpen’s haute couture show in paris appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

NASA advances its research to grow habitats in space for explorers and researchers using bricks made from mycelium. Called Mycotecture Off Planet, a team of researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California, led by Lynn Rothschild, develops the project, which has recently received funding from NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program to continue their work. 

The NASA team’s goal is to create mycelium-made habitats out of Earth that can be grown rather than delivered fully built to save weight and space on rockets and make it easier to set up safe shelters once astronauts arrive on the Moon or Mars. Instead of launching large buildings, astronauts would take a lightweight, flat-packed structure made with dormant fungal materials, and once they land, they would add water to the structure.

all images courtesy of NASA

Biomaterial project enters the third and final phase

By adding the liquid, the root-like network of mycelium would ‘wake up,’ and it would begin to grow and shape itself around the structure. Over time, the fungi would fill out the form and harden into a safe, livable shelter. The whole system would be contained, meaning there’s no risk of the fungi spreading uncontrollably or harming the surrounding environments. This project has already made a lot of progress in earlier phases of development, with the team having created several types of materials made from fungi, built sample structures, and tested how the materials perform in simulated space environments. They’ve even added features like radiation shielding to make the habitats safer for humans and have also drawn up detailed plans for what a fungal moon habitat could look like.

Aside from using the mycelium habitats in space, NASA’s project could be useful on Earth since fungi could help clean water through filtration or extract useful minerals from wastewater and support efforts to fight climate change and pollution. The team has now reached Phase III, which is the final and most advanced phase in the NIAC program, and from here, they expect to focus on improving the material’s strength, durability, and safety. They also plan to begin preparing the technology for future tests in low Earth orbit, the region just outside Earth’s atmosphere where satellites and the International Space Station orbit, and if all goes well, the fungi-based habitat system could be used on commercial space stations, future Moon bases, and eventually even on Mars.

stool created by a NASA-funded project using the same fungal mycelia that create bricks on Earth

view of a stool constructed out of mycelia after two weeks of growth

NASA advances its research to grow habitats in space using bricks made from mycelium

project info:

name: Mycotecture Off Planet

agency: NASA | @nasa
division: Ames Research Center | @nasaames

program: NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC)

The post NASA to grow habitats in space for explorers using bricks made from mycelium appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The Korvaa Consortium unveils shoes that emerge from using mycelium, bacterial nanocellulose, and biodegradable plastics. Debuted at the Future Fabrics Expo 2025 in London, which ran between June 24th and 25th, the concept footwear is a collaboration between three biomaterial technologies. Modern Synthesis takes care of the upper, or the top part of the Korvaa shoes. They used bacterial nanocellulose for it, which is a natural substance produced during fermentation, and transformed it into an upper fabric.

The bottom of the footwear is 3D printed by Ourobio using polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), or biodegradable polyesters made from plants or bacteria. They break down naturally, unlike regular plastic, and within them, the mycelium infused by Ecovation grew in around seven days, turning the bottom part of the Korvaa shoes into a lightweight and robust sole. Once all is done, shoemakers put all the materials together, with the laces and linings made from cotton and lyocell, a soft fabric made from wood pulp.

all images courtesy of Korvaa Consortium

korvaa shoes made of mycelium and biodegradable plastics

Aside from its debut at the Future Fabrics Expo 2025, the design team documents the full process of making the Korvaa shoes made of mycelium, bacterial nanocellulose, and biodegradable plastics. Shot by the Finnish science communication company Photino Science Communications, the documentary titled Planet of the Microbes is slated to be released at a major film festival later this year. By sharing how the Korvaa shoes are made, the documentary allows viewers to see and understand the bio and alternative materials producers can use to create footwear.

Each material making up the Korvaa shoes made of mycelium, bacterial nanocellulose, and biodegradable plastics is chosen carefully by the London-based company, the New York-based biotechnology group, and the materials science team. For the design collectives, the footwear showcases how nature-based materials can replace traditional materials that rely on many synthetic (man-made, often plastic-based) components. So far, the Korvaa shoes made of mycelium, bacterial nanocellulose, and biodegradable plastics are concept footwear.

the upper of the footwear comes from bacterial nanocellulose

the sole made of biodegradable polyesters has grown mycelium within it

the laces and linings are made from cotton and lyocell

the concept footwear is a collaboration between three biomaterial technologies

the documentary titled Planet of the Microbes documents the making of the shoes

the film is slated to be released at a major film festival later this 2025

view of the materials used to produce the footwear

project info:

name: Korvaa shoes

team: Modern Synthesis, Ourobio, Ecovative, Photino Science Communications | @modern_synthesis, @ecovative  

The post korvaa shoes come to life using mycelium, bacterial nanocellulose and biodegradable plastics appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

At ETH Zurich, scientists develop a building material that is alive and store carbon dioxide from air using growing bacteria and hydrogel. The research has already been applied to the 3D printed biostructures inside the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 as well as in Dafne’s Skin at the 24th International Exhibition in Triennale Milano. The team’s goal is to make living materials that can be used for construction and to capture and store carbon dioxide from air using photosynthesis. To achieve this, they combine active cyanobacteria with hydrogel, and as a result, they can shape it using a 3D printer. 

The living material, then, grows, and as it does, removes the carbon dioxide from the air. The scientists add that the material only needs sunlight, a kind of artificial seawater with nutrients, and carbon dioxide to survive, and because of this, they believe it can be used in architecture to store carbon, which in turn can help fight climate change. The building material that stores carbon can also cause minerals to form with a chemical reaction that happens during photosynthesis. These solid minerals trap the carbon dioxide in a more stable way than biomass does.

all images courtesy of ETH Zurich; photos by Yifan Cui and Dalia Dranseike, unless stated otherwise

cyanobacteria is able to form and build up minerals

A reason that the building material that stores carbon dioxide is possible to use for architecture is because as the cyanobacteria is able to form and build up the minerals inside the living object, it becomes harder and stronger eventually, and the structure becomes solid over time. In the published study, the scientists document their laboratory tests where they discovered that the building material kept absorbing carbon dioxide for over 400 days, or more than a year. Then, most of the captured carbon was stored as solid minerals inside the material. 

The scientists have also used hydrogel as the base to mix cyanobacteria with because it is light enough to allow nutrients, and even carbon dioxide, to pass through it and spread out within it evenly. The team turns to 3D printing to shape the building material that stores carbon dioxide, and they’ve also created tailored shapes that allow the light to come inside the object so the nutrients can spread inside and bacteria can stay active for more than a year inside the material. For the scientists, this is a low-energy, eco-friendly way to capture carbon dioxide from the air.

view of a 3D printed lattice structure using cyanobacteria in hydrogel

Projects where the living material is applied to

Some projects have already started applying the building material that stores carbon dioxide to their works. The first is in Picoplanktonics, which is an exhibition of 3D printed biostructures inside the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. Led by Andrea Shin Ling, a doctoral student at ETH Zurich and lead designer of the Living Room Collective, the project uses cyanobacteria on a large scale to capture and store carbon dioxide from the air. It is an example of how the bacteria hardens the structure enough to be used in architecture and construction.

The second is at the 24th International Exhibition at Triennale Milano through an installation called Dafne’s Skin. A collaboration between MAEID Studio and Dalia Dranseike, it is part of a larger exhibition called We the Bacteria: Notes Toward Biotic Architecture, which looks at how living things can be used in architectural design. The structure is covered with wooden shingles where microorganisms are growing on the wood, creating a green layer over time. This green layer, called a patina, is usually a sign of aging or decay, but here it’s part of the design, changing the look of the wood while absorbing carbon dioxide from the air over time.

3D-printed pineapple with cyanobacteria growing inside after a development period of 60 days

3D printed cup that can trap carbon dioxide from air

detailed view of Dafne’s Skin at Triennale Milano

living patina on wood (II): Microbial texture (visualisation, generated with AI) | image by Lorem / Luca Pagan

Picoplanktonics in Canada Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 | photo by Valentina Mori | read here

the project uses cyanobacteria on a large scale to capture and store carbon dioxide

project info:

name: Dual carbon sequestration with photosynthetic living materials

institutions: ETH Zurich, University of Wyoming | @ethzurich, @uofwyoming

scientists: Dalia Dranseike, Yifan Cui, Andrea S. Ling, Felix Donat, Stéphane Bernhard, Margherita Bernero, Akhil Areeckal, Marco Lazic, Xiao-Hua Qin, John S. Oakey, Benjamin Dillenburger, André R. Studart, Mark W. Tibbitt

study: here

The post scientists create living building material that stores carbon dioxide using growing bacteria appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Living Room Collective uses live cyanobacteria within 3D printed biostructures to capture carbon dioxide from air in the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. Named Picoplanktonics, the exhibition commissioned by The Canada Council for the Arts is on view from May 10th to November 26th, 2025. designboom speaks with Living Room Collective’s lead and biodesigner Andrea Shin Ling about the project. In our interview, she says that architecture often uses the term ‘regenerative design’ when referring to circular or upcycled material systems. ‘In Picoplanktonics, we are talking about the biological definition of regeneration, which means the literal ability to regenerate or renew from damaged or dead parts,’ she tells designboom.

The research team has merged two ancient metabolic processes for Picoplanktonics: photosynthesis and biocementation. For the former, they turn to cyanobacteria, one of the oldest groups of bacterial organisms on the planet. ‘Cyanobacteria are among the first photosynthetic organisms and are believed to be responsible for the Great Oxygenation Event, where 2.4 billion years ago, the atmosphere transformed from a high CO2 environment to a high O2 environment because of photosynthesis,’ Andrea Shin Ling explains. They can also produce biocementation, or the process of capturing carbon dioxide from air and turning it into solid minerals, like carbonates. Because of this, the resulting minerals act like ‘cement’ and can store the carbon permanently, keeping it out of the atmosphere.

all images courtesy of The Living Room Collective | photos by Valentina Mori, unless stated otherwise

Infusing the bacteria during the printing stage

Before bringing them to Venice, Andrea Shin Ling and the Living Room Collective fabricated the 3D printed biostructures at ETH Zürich’s laboratory. The biodesigner shares with us that when they make these structures, they already infuse the living cyanobacteria during the printing stage instead of later on. Then, they need to let the bacteria grow and take care of them so they can grow. This means they have to provide enough light, warmth, and humidity so that they can proliferate and slowly harden the prints.

‘The idea is that the bacteria cooperate in a human-initiated fabrication process and, with our care, can continue and finish that process (in this case, hardening the printed structures they live in),’ says Andrea Shin Ling. She adds that for the 3D printed biostructure with live cyanobacteria in Venice, favorable conditions mean warm sunlight, high humidity, and access to salt water. ‘These are conditions that are common in Venice and achievable in the Canada Pavilion, which informed our design process,’ the biodesigner explains to designboom.

Living Room Collective uses live cyanobacteria within 3D printed biostructures to capture carbon dioxide from air

Microorganisms that can repair themselves to a healthy state

In Picoplanktonics, the Living Room Collective works with bacteria as the living component of their material system. It has the ability to grow and die within the 3D printed biostructures, as shown in Venice, and the colony can restore itself under favorable conditions after periods of decline. Andrea Shin Ling says, however, that the process isn’t necessarily consistent since it depends on the environmental conditions at a particular point in time.

‘So, for instance, a bioprint might dry out if the air is too dry that week, and many of the bacteria die. But because the system is regenerative, the bacteria population has the potential to restore itself when favorable conditions return and then continue their carbon sequestration work,’ she shares with designboom.

these biostructures are inside the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025

During their research process, the group has also had samples where the bacteria have gotten ‘sick’, worn out, or where they looked like they were over-oxidized. With some care, the live cyanobacteria were able to repair themselves back to a healthy state. This is what Andrea Shin Ling means when she describes regenerative design. It looks more into the potential of biological material systems that are dynamic and restorative.

‘But their responsivity can also create situations that we don’t want. So much of the project is then trying to understand what is causing these situations and monitoring conditions so that we can respond accordingly,’ the biodesigner adds. Visitors to the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 can see the research process and progress of Picoplanktonics firsthand inside the Canada Pavilion. It remains on-site from May 10th to November 26th, 2025.

the research group takes care of the bacteria throughout the exhibition to maintain their healthy state

the bacteria need warm sunlight, high humidity, and access to salt water to thrive

the research group already infuses the living cyanobacteria during the printing stage | image © designboom

the bacteria harden the printed structures they live in | image © designboom

the research team has used ancient metabolic processes for Picoplanktonics | image © designboom

the cyanobacteria can also produce biocementation, or the process of capturing carbon dioxide from air

Living Room Collective’s lead And biodesigner Andrea Shin Ling

the exhibition is on view until November 26th, 2025

project info:

name: Picoplanktonics | @picoplanktonics

group: The Living Room Collective

team: Andrea Shin Ling Nicholas Hoban, Vincent Hui, Clayton Lee

commission by: The Canada Council for the Arts | @canada.council

event: Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 | @labiennale

location: Calle Giazzo, 30122 Venice, Italy

dates: May 10th to November 26th, 2025

research and development: Andrea Shin Ling, Yo-Cheng Jerry Lee, Nijat Mahamaliyev, Hamid Peiro, Dalia Dranseike, Yifan Cui, Pok Yin Victor Leung, Barrak Darweesh

photography: Valentina Mori | @_valentinamori_

production

eth zurich: Huang Su, Wenqian Yang, Che-Wei Lin, Sukhdevsinh Parmar; Tobias Hartmann, Michael Lyrenmann, Luca Petrus, Jonathan Leu, Philippe Fleischmann, Oliver Zgraggen, Paul Fischlin, Mario Hebing, Franklin Füchslin; Hao Wu, Nicola Piccioli-Cappelli, Roberto Innocenti, Sigurd Rinde, Börte Emiroglu, Stéphane Bernhard, Carlo Pasini, Apoorv Singh, Paul Jaeggi; Mario Guala, Isabella Longoni;

toronto metropolitan university: Venessa Chan, Minh Ton, Daniel Wolinski, Marko Jovanovic, Santino D’Angelo Rozas, Rachel Kim, Alexandra Waxman, Richard McCulloch, Stephen Waldman, Tina Smith, Andrea Skyers, Randy Ragan, Emma Grant, Shira Gellman, Mariska Espinet, Suzanne Porter, Stacey Park, Amanda Wood, Lisa Landrum, Dorothy Johns, Cedric Ortiz

university of toronto: Daniel Lewycky, Philipp Cop

visualisation: Adrian Yu, Nazanin Kazemi, Ariel Weiss

structural advisors: Andrea Menardo, Kam-Ming Mark Tam

graphic design: Shannon Lin

website: Sigurd Rinde, Shannon Lin

local project logistics: Tamara Andruszkiewicz

project advisors: ETH Zurich, Benjamin Dillenburger, Mark Tibbitt

support: Canada Council, Digital Building Technologies, Institute of Technology & Architecture, D-ARCH, ETH Zurich, Department of Architectural Science, Toronto Metropolitan University, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada; Advanced Engineering with Living Materials (ALIVE) Initiative, ETH Zurich; Additive Tectonics GmbH; ABB Switzerland; Vestacon Limited and NEUF Architect(e)s

The post 3D printed biostructures with live bacteria capture carbon dioxide from air at venice biennale appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Ogilvy Colombia develops a prototype of biodegradable packaging or plastic made of whey and cheese waste that decomposes in 300 days. The project is named Self-Packing Cheese because the cheese is wrapped with bioplastic made of materials taken and recycled from the production process. The design teams, comprising Ogilvy Colombia and Nestlé, use microorganisms controlled in a lab to produce PHA, or polyhydroxyalkanoates, which is a type of bioplastic. They mix it then with organic byproducts from cheese production, specifically the whey, or the water-like liquid produced after the cheese is made. Combining these creates small pellets.

all images courtesy of Ogilvy Colombia

Material that can decompose in 300 days

These small pellets, then, are processed with injected air. This creates the thin, plastic-like film of the biodegradable packaging for Self-Packing Cheese. The design teams say that the prototype can help reduce waste and the use of traditional plastic. They add that typical plastic breaks down after around 900 years. With their biodegradable packaging made of cheese, the plastic can decompose as early as 300 days. Design-wise, the film is translucent and lightweight, although it does have a smoky look to it given the whey.

The company can still print over the cheese’s plastic, hinting at the robustness of the biodegradable packaging. The material represents a potential model for circular packaging. It refers to packaging that can be reused, repurposed, or broken down naturally rather than ending up as waste. The biodegradable packaging or plastic, in this case, actually comes from the cheese itself and eventually returns to the environment without completely polluting it. The project also foresees other potential uses of the wrapper. In this case, companies can adopt the material for different products and purposes, helping reduce the use of plastic.

the cheese is wrapped with bioplastic made of materials taken and recycled from the production proces

the design teams use microorganisms controlled in a lab to produce the bioplastic

the wrapper can decompose as early as 300 days

cheese whey makes up the recycled materials of the wrapper

detailed view of the packaging

the company can still print over the plastic

the project aims to reduce the use of traditional plastic

project info:

name: Self-Packing Cheese

companies: Ogilvy Colombia, Nestlé | @ogilvycolombia, @nestle

The post self-packing cheese: biodegradable packaging made of whey & waste decomposes on its own appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Researchers at EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) have created a living biodegradable material made from fungi that can allow trash bags to decompose the organic waste. It is only of the many potential applications of the studied fungi. In the field of electronics, the living biodegradable material made from fungi can be used to produce sensors as well as bio- and paper batteries. It’s because the kind of mycelium the researchers have used, the split-gill mushroom, reacts to moisture and its surroundings. Also, it is a ‘biodegrader’. This means that its properties can actively decompose wood and other plant materials. 

The study begins with the split-gill mushroom, an edible fungus that grows on dead wood. Usually, researchers clean and process the mycelium before they use it as a material. In the Empa study, the team has used the entire living mycelium as it is, including the ‘extracellular matrix,’ which contains a natural mix of proteins and fibers that the fungus creates as it grows. Then, they choose a specific strain from the finger to make two molecules. The first is schizophyllan, which lets them produce a strong and thin fiber. The next is hydrophobin, which is a protein that behaves like soap and interacts well with water and oil. These two make the living biodegradable material made from fungi robust, flexible, and adaptable, creating a component that’s ideal for biodegradable and natural products.

all images courtesy of Empa

Objects using living biodegradable material made from fungi

Now for the testing part. The researchers have tried out two applications in their lab. First as a plastic-like film, then as an emulsion. The latter is what helps create the schizophyllan fibers and hydrophobins, even producing more of the molecules over time, which the team describes as a rare occurrence. For the former, the scientists have turned the living biodegradable material made from fungi into a thin film. They’ve discovered in their study that the resulting object is strong and flexible. This is due to the extracellular matrix and the long schizophyllan fibers.  The team adds that they could make it significantly stronger when they align the fungal fibers in the same direction. 

It’s the similar technique as weaving of layering threads in fabric. The researchers then imagine using the living biodegradable material made from fungi to produce plastic bags that can compost waste. If not that, then other compostable objects for packaging. It behaves like plastic, and it is natural and even safe to eat. The Empa researchers now look into combining traditional fiber material science with the new field of living materials, ones that can grow, adapt, or heal themselves. Because the mycelium is alive, they can also control its properties by adjusting how it is grown, like temperature, humidity, and nutrients, opening the path to alternative materials.

researchers can also use the film to make other packaging materials

the film can be used to produce bioplastics

the kind of mycelium the researchers have used, the split-gill mushroom, is already a ‘biodegrader’

view of the emulsion as a result of the mixture

the mixture can create the schizophyllan fibers and hydrophobins

the mushroom’s properties can actively decompose wood and other plant materials

the split-gill mushroom is an edible fungus that grows on dead wood

the material is edible because it comes from a mushroom

the resulting object from the study is strong and flexible

project info:

name: Living Fiber Dispersions from Mycelium as a New Sustainable Platform for Advanced Materials

researchers: Ashutosh Sinha, Luiz G. Greca, Nico Kummer, Ciatta Wobill, Carolina Reyes, Peter Fischer, Silvia Campioni, Gustav Nyström

institutions: EMPA, ETH Zürich | @empa_materials_science, @ethzurich

study: here

The post living biodegradable material made from fungi curls and unfolds as it reacts to surroundings appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

In a quiet Venetian courtyard, a concrete structure stands as the result of an experimental collaboration between Holcim and ELEMENTAL. At first glance it’s austere, shaped as a blocky sectional module of precast panels. Most important is its material of biochar concrete and the story it tells. At the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, sustainable construction firm Holcim and Chilean architecture studio ELEMENTAL unveil a full-scale prototype that demonstrates a new way of building which resists the choice between climate action and social housing. Instead, it proposes a method to both sequester carbon and propose answers to urgent housing needs. designboom met with ELEMENTAL founder Alejandro Aravena in Venice to learn more about the collaborative project.

‘Whoever comes with solutions and technological developments that lower the carbon footprint of building is welcome,’ Aravena tells designboom in an interview. This collaboration with Holcim emerged from years of overlapping commitments to climate responsibility and socially-responsive architecture. Aravena, a Pritzker Prize-winner, recalled his team’s first encounter Holcim during post-earthquake reconstruction efforts in Chile. ‘It was pragmatic: people need places to live, and they’ll build them whether or not governments or markets are ready. This project explores what happens if we meet that inevitability with better tools.’

Alejandro Aravena (Founder, ELEMENTAL), Miljan Gutovic (CEO, Holcim) | image © designboom

elemental notes architecture’s human-centric process

The prototype on display at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale is a deceptively modest proposal by Holcim and ELEMENTAL. It is a structural sanitation unit that addresses core needs — water, shelter, and infrastructure — through an expandable frame. This is ‘incremental design,’ a method pioneered by ELEMENTAL in which housing is conceived as a process over a finished product. ‘You have to reframe your role as an architect,’ Aravena explained. ‘It’s not about control. You start the thing, but then you have to let it go.’ According to Alejandro Aravena, the role of the architect is to provide a sturdy beginning. He recognizes the inevitability of self-construction, especially in the Global South, where most new square-meters are built by individuals, not design studios.

‘In most developing countries, public housing is also property. It’s the biggest transfer of public money to private families,’ Aravena noted. ‘If we can help it gain value by being adaptable, expandable, better placed, it becomes more than shelter. It becomes an economic investment for its owners and occupants.’ The structure in Venice reflects decades of this thinking. ELEMENTAL’s earliest incremental homes tripled in value by allowing for self-built expansion.

Holcim and ELEMENTAL debut a carbon sink housing prototype at the Venice Biennale | image © Celestia Studio

carbon neutrality through holcim’s biochar concrete

Aside from the process, the Venice Architecture Biennale display is a celebration of a new material logic by Holcim and ELEMENTAL. At its heart is the construction company’s new carbon sink technology, which introduces into concrete a charcoal-like material called biochar, which is derived from organic matter. Biochar traps carbon permanently, preventing its release into the atmosphere at end of life. According to the team, one kilogram of biochar can prevent up to three kilograms of carbon emissions. What matters is that it performs with no compromise. It’s not weaker, not slower, not more expensive. Applied to cement, mortar, and concrete, this biochar formulation creates what Holcim calls ‘net-zero concrete,’ here used with 100% recycled aggregates in a closed-loop construction process.

Holcim’s biochar concrete sequesters carbon while maintaining full performance | image © Celestia Studio

‘Normally, the world moves by example,’ Aravena tells designboom, describing his optimism for the project’s impact. ‘When we proposed our first project in 2003, people said it wouldn’t work. Too idealistic. Too expensive. Too slow. So we built it. Then we built it again, in different climates, on flat land, on slopes. The skepticism faded.’ This prototype is similarly direct. It is a built object, not a rendering or a speculative diagram. ‘You can’t argue with a real thing,’ Aravena continues. ‘Some people will find excuses, but others, especially policymakers and engineers, will see that there’s no technical reason not to do it.’

For both Holcim and ELEMENTAL, the project is not disruption for disruption’s sake, but a response to the realities of the built world. ‘Forget utopia. What’s pragmatic is that people will keep building,’ Aravena reflects. ‘So let’s make what they’re building work for them, for the environment, for future generations.’ That vision echoes in the rough concrete shell by the canal. In a year when the Biennale theme circles back to ‘Time Space Existence,’ this prototype quietly reframes each: time as carbon accounting, space as participatory infrastructure, existence as inhabitation with agency.

ELEMENTAL’s incremental housing approach empowers residents | image © Celestia Studio

the prototype addresses basic needs with a precast core designed for rapid deployment | image © Celestia Studio

Aravena explains that most housing is self-built and must be treated as part of the solution | image © Celestia Studio

recycled aggregates and net-zero biochar technology reduce environmental impact | image © Celestia Studio

Aravena hopes the project will serve as an inspiring, real-world example | image © Celestia Studio

the goal is not to control the process but to channel the energy of those who build | image © designboom

Holcim and ELEMENTAL will exhibit the carbon sink unit in venice through November | image © Celestia Studio

project info:

event: 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale Di Venezia

architect: ELEMENTAL (Alejandro Aravena)

construction: Holcim

photography: © designboom, © Celestia Studio

The post ‘examples move the world’: holcim and ELEMENTAL’s net-zero prototype at venice biennale appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

In the hands of Rotterdam-based Belgian designer Isaac Monté, the Lady Dior handbag undergoes a metamorphosis — where minerals bloom into crystals and a fashion icon finds new resonance in the world of contemporary art. Monté’s collaboration with Dior and Belgian gallery Spazio Nobile channels his long-standing fascination with material alchemy into a glimmering new chapter, crystallizing the house’s legendary handbag into a radiant display of craftsmanship and material experimentation.

The Crystallized series marks an ongoing body of work that began with vases and now spans the windows of Dior boutiques and the Lady Dior itself. The project draws inspiration from stalagmites and mineral formations, exploring time as a sculptural medium. Each object grows organically, its form determined by the chemistry of its environment rather than a mold or machine. The results are singular: no two are alike in color, structure, or surface. For Monté, the growth process is not just aesthetic, it’s philosophical. ‘It’s about patience,’ the artist notes. ‘About letting nature intervene in the act of making.’

image © Kristen Pelou, video by Sticky Stuff Agency

material experimentation lends glimmering result

Isaac Monté, Dior, and their shared attention to detail have turned what could have been a static display object into something much more visceral. When the fashion house commissioned Monté to reimagine the Lady Dior for its new Vienna flagship, the designer approached the task as he would a piece of living architecture. Crystallizing the handbag involved a painstaking layering of minerals and oxides, a process he has honed over ten years. The result is both bold and delicate — faceted surfaces that shift in color and sheen, catching the light like gemstones. The familiar silhouette of the Lady Dior becomes something otherworldly, a relic from a future that embraces both luxury and decay.

The crystallized Lady Dior handbag pushed the boundaries between design object and collectible artwork. While the bag is no longer a functional accessory, its presence is magnified by its transformation into a sculptural artifact. The design preserves Dior’s signature canework pattern beneath layers of crystalline growth, merging the iconography of high fashion with the language of geological time. It demonstrates preservation-through-reinvention, an approach that reflects both the heritage of the brand and the experimental ethos of the gallery Spazio Nobile, which has represented Monté since 2019.

Dior’s Vienna Flagship displays crystallized handbags by Isaac Monté | image © Kristen Pelou

the Intersection of Craft and Concept

Dior’s Jewelry Gem Collection has also been brought to life in boutiques and window displays featuring Isaac Monté’s crystal installations. These spatial compositions play with transparency, luminosity, and structure, echoing the jewel-like logic of the crystallized handbag. They invite passersby into a slowed-down world of mineral bloom, where nature’s quiet processes are amplified in a language of luxury and spectacle.

The project presents a compelling case study in the evolution of applied arts. Monté’s background in product design and bio-art — his early work even involved bacterial growth and deception — feeds into a conceptual rigor that underpins the decorative beauty of the handbag. What might first appear ornamental is deeply process-driven, each crystal a result of controlled chemical reactions. The handbag becomes a surface of experimentation, where applied chemistry meets fashion’s iconic forms.

Dior display windows bloom with mineral forms | image © Kristen Pelou

the crystallized Lady Dior is grown, not made | image © Kristen Pelou

each Lady Dior handbag is transformed into a one of a kind crystal object | image © Kristen Pelou

each crystallized object forms naturally over time | image © Sticky Stuff Agency

crystals form layer by layer, creating unique textures on each handbag | image © Sticky Stuff Agency

the crystallization process transforms, oxides and minerals | image © Sticky Stuff Agency

the process draws from stalagmites and natural mineral growth | image © Sticky Stuff Agency

crystallized surfaces reveal the passage of time through material form | image © Sticky Stuff Agency

project info:

project title: Crystallized

location: Dior Flagship, Vienna, Austria

artist: Isaac Monté | @isaacmonte.nl

brand: Dior | @dior

gallery: Spazio Nobile | @spazionobilegallery

retail photography: © Kristen Pelou | @kristenpelou

video production: Sticky Stuff Agency | @stickystuffagency

The post isaac monté grows glimmering, crystallized artifacts from lady dior handbags appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Kia reveals the interior design of its concept electric SUV EV2 at Milan Design Week 2025, made of hemp, mycelium, flax fibers, and recycled textiles. As part of the exhibition Transcend Journey at Eastend Studios, visitors can see the cabin of the concept vehicle for the first time. One of the first biomaterial elements the design team applies is the cellulose-based Simplifyber Fybron from renewable sources such as wood, paper, and recycled textiles.

It emerges at the Kia electric SUV EV2’s dashboard and door panels. This ingredient comes through a liquid-based process, eliminating the need for weaving or spinning. The team also integrates biodegradable mycelium-based components into the interiors, courtesy of Biomyc. These materials include hemp and mycelium, which are grown and colored to match Kia’s Pantone specifications for visual consistency throughout the cabin.

all images courtesy of Kia

Mycelium-based materials for the interior surfaces

There are two types of mycelium that Kia’s design team uses for the electric SUV EV2. The first is mycelium-infused polyurethane, applied across light blue interior surfaces, containing visible mycelium particles. The second is a grown volume material, produced by mycelium cells binding with cellulose from agricultural waste. This solid structure is used in components such as the door armrest, where it provides insulation.Inside the Kia electric SUV EV2, the team also incorporates a bio-based composite made from flax fibers named AmpliTex, courtesy of Bcomp.

It shows up in the back seat shell and front seat substructures of the concept vehicle. The use of this component replaces traditional synthetic materials, which helps reduce the overall vehicle weight. AmpliTex is also fully recyclable. At the end of its use, companies can process it into composite pellets for reuse. Kia’s Color, Materials, and Finish (CMF) team has also developed a dark-blue finish for the material to align with the vehicle’s overall design.

exhibition view of Transcend Journey with the electric Kia concept model

From concept to real-life model starting 2026

Aside from the biomaterials in the cabin, the Kia electric SUV EV2 features seat headrest-integrated speakers, portable door speakers, side-extendable seats, detachable seat cushions, and pop-up luggage dividers. The vehicle is also capable of sending message lighting to the pedestrians crossing so they know that car has stopped to make way. The interior is also configurable. This means that the Kia electric SUV EV2 has a rear bench that can be lifted. It reveals a flat floor that can double as a ‘living room’ inside the car.

The vehicle also comes with rear-hinged back doors so it opens up more for easy entry. Then, the front section features vertical daytime running lights and an open lighting structure without a cover lens. The bumpers and lower sections have contrasting graphic elements, which contribute to the concept vehicle’s utility-focused design. The profile of the Kia electric SUV EV2 evidently includes a straight shoulder line that connects the front and rear sections. The solid fenders contrast with geometric glass shapes and wheel arches to define the vehicle’s form. First unveiled in February 2025, the Kia electric SUV EV2 expects to hit the market in 2026.

the exhibition takes place at Eastend Studios between April 7th to 9th, 2025

the interior parts uses biomaterials such as mycelium and hemp

dashboard view of the electric vehicle

the car also features seat headrest-integrated speakers, portable door speakers and side-extendable seats

exterior view of the electric vehicle

view of the sunroof and the vehicle’s straight shoulder line

the solid fenders contrast with geometric glass shapes and wheel arches

so far, the model expects to hit the martket in 2026

project info:

name: Kia EV2 electric SUV

car manufacturer: Kia | @kiausa

companies: Biomyc, Bcomp, Simplifyber | @biomyc.eu, @bcompltd, @simplifyber_inc

exhibition name: Transcend Journey

location: Eastend Studios on Via Mecenate, 88/a, Milan, Italy

dates: April 7th to 9th, 2025

The post kia turns hemp, mycelium, flax fibers & recycled textiles into cabin parts of electric SUV EV2 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.