A bio-based grown material for living buildings

The idea of formal and functional integration between architecture and surrounding environment is exceeded to the achievement of material biodynamic integration. Technological innovation carry out a real revolution in building-environment relations. The contribution illustrates the results of an experimental research to produce grown bio-based thermal insulation, carried out in collaboration with industrial partners. The research takes conceptual inspiration from the study of a grown material, Ecovative, a biomaterial made with hemp or tremulous poplar straw and mycelia. The DADI research group is experimenting alternative use of different straws. The results of the experimentation have registered a highly adaptive response of the final material, fully in line with the Regenerative Design and Eco-social Design approaches, which emphasize the recovered dialectic connection between nature/environment/wellbeing and human beings.