Growing Futures

By Daniela Amandolese & Basque Biodesign Center

VIDEO

Concept & Prototype description

Growing Futures envisions a symbiotic ecosystem where humans, mycelium, and robots collaborate to create sustainable, biodegradable habitats from local waste. Inspired by nature’s cycles, the project embraces a circular—spiral—model, transforming waste into adaptable structures that enrich the soil upon decomposition. Robots monitor and guide mycelium growth, mimicking natural systems like fungal networks and ant colonies, enabling self-repairing, bio-responsive habitats. By integrating technology with biological intelligence, Growing Futures redefines sustainable design, fostering a regenerative relationship between humans and nature while positioning mycelium as an active participant in material creation.

Connection to the scenario
Future scenario: What the World Eats

The Growing Futures project aligns with Peter Andersen’s scenario by addressing global warming and fostering Hybrid Natures, where technology bridges human and natural systems. Inspired by mycelium’s regenerative properties, the project embraces coexistence between humans and fungi, leveraging fungal structures that grow, build, and repair themselves. Guided by the Future Compass, it prioritizes Collaboration (a symbiotic ecosystem of humans, mycelium, and robots), Efficiency (mycelium’s energy-conscious growth), Adaptability (its responsiveness to local environments), and Responsibility (a commitment to sustainable, future-proof solutions). The project serves as a scalable model for integrating organic materials into resilient, eco-conscious design.

Prototypes & Technology

The project explores the evolving interactions between mycelium, humans, and robotics through a series of controlled experimental Settings, integrating sensors and robotics to monitor, influence, and adapt growth.

• Setting 01 – Unconstrained Growth: A controlled environment tracks mycelium growth using sensors that monitor temperature, humidity, pH, oxygen levels, and infrared data. This data informs analyses of surface expansion, growth direction, and responses to nutrition.
• Setting 02 – Controlled Casting: Introduces user interactivity, allowing adjustments to casting forms and nutrient distribution while continuing sensor-based monitoring.
• Setting 03 – Robots That Feed: Integrates robotics to distribute nutrients along growth paths, using sensor data to define movement and timing for optimal growth patterns.
• Setting 04 – Ecosystem: Combines human-coded design inputs with robotic actions, guiding growth while allowing adaptive interactions between design intentions and mycelium’s natural behavior.

Throughout the process, human roles shift from observation to active collaboration, enabling a responsive and evolving symbiotic system.