The Mycelium House: Material Exploration for a Zero-Carbon Tiny Home (Session A)

The Mycelium House is a series of design workshops exploring the possibility of using mycelium, the thread-like structures (hyphae) in fungi, as a residential building material in combination with other zero-carbon fibers and substrates to build a tiny, tent-like shelter. Each workshop will tap into the discoveries made in the AIANY Custom Residential Architecture Network’s Mycelium Project (2021/2022), which resulted in the development of Corōlla, a shading structure designed for the conservatory-like glass-roofed space of the Sculpture Gallery at the Glass House. The original Mycelium Project workshops led to the development of mycelium sheets: pliable, thin, shell forms that, when hardened, offer the structural stability of concrete. These mycelium sheets will serve as the foundation for the development of Mycelium House.

Participants will act as members of a typical residential architecture project team composed of architects, engineers, (myco)builders, and specialized consultants. They will debate the architecture and engineering of the Mycelium House and explore design options through structural, computational, and physical material studies and fabrication in a mock-studio setting. Guests speakers will consist of green building scientists and material innovators, who will offer their insights as the design of the Mycelium House progresses.

This program will provide the audience with tools to partake in a tthree-part workshop on November 3, February 8 and April 12, where participants will explore the 5 week progression of the Mycelium House. Each session can be taken independently of one another.

Speakers:
Bill Browning, Hon. AIA, LEED AP, Partner, Terrapin Bright Green
Rebecca Buntrock, PE, LEED AP, Senior Associate, Silman
Jonathan Dessi-Olive, Assistant Professor of Architecture in Building Technology and Design Integration, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Nico Kienzl, DDes, LEED Fellow, Director, Atelier Ten
Hannah Kim, Adjunct Professor, Parsons School of Design
Omid Oliyan, PhD, Senior Computational Designer, Silman
Nat Oppenheimer, PE, Senior Vice President, Silman

About the Speakers:
Bill Browning is one of the green building and real estate industry’s foremost thinkers and strategists and an advocate for sustainable design solutions at all levels of business, government, and civil society. His expertise has been sought out by organizations as diverse as Fortune 500 companies, leading universities, non-profit organizations, the US military, and foreign governments.

Rebecca Buntrock joined Silman in 2010 and was promoted to Associate in 2018 and Senior Associate in 2021. As a studio leader, she has managed a variety of projects for all types of building construction and has a special expertise in historic preservation and existing buildings. She was the sixth Robert Silman Fellow for Preservation Engineering at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Buntrock is active in industry organizations and currently serves as the President of the Association for Preservation Technology, Northeast Chapter (APTNE).

Jonathan Dessi-Olive is a researcher, designer, and educator. His work takes a critical approach to technology while integrating the history and theory of architecture, contemporary construction, and computational design. Presently he is an Assistant Professor of Architecture in Building Technology and Building Design Integration at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, where he teaches architecture studios, seminars, and structural design. Previously he taught at Kansas State University.

Nico Kienzl is a founding director of Atelier Ten’s New York City office with over 20 years of experience in sustainability consulting with expertise on the application of advanced building analysis for façade optimization, daylight and shading analysis, and optimization of building systems. Kienzel has played a significant role in a wide variety of residential, commercial, institutional, cultural, and masterplan projects throughout the US and internationally, influencing the building industry to move towards a more sustainable future. As Director, he has consulted on over 150 high-performance building projects worldwide.

Hannah Kim is a creative technologist and industrial designer with an MFA in Textiles from Parsons School of Design and a BFA in Industrial Design from Rochester Institute of Technology. She is the Fabrication Manager and R&D Specialist at Loomia Technologies Inc. and an Adjunct Professor at Parsons School of Design for MFA Textiles. Her work focuses on seamlessly integrating technology such as lighting, sensors, and sound systems with traditional textile techniques. She often experiments with culture, color, memory, and humor to achieve playful and interactive textiles that often critique the harsh realities of life.

Omid Oliyan joined Silman in 2020. Oliyan’s research explores new possibilities at the intersection of design and technology towards the development of more integrative design‐build processes. Trained as both an engineer and designer, he uses applied research, analytical methods, and digital technologies to solve design and engineering problems. His research has been published in both architectural and engineering publications and at conferences. As an educator, Oliyan has taught courses and seminars in design and technology at the University of Michigan and Lawrence Technological University.

Nat Oppenheimer joined the firm in 1988 and has extensive experience in the areas of new construction, renovation, sustainable engineering, and historic preservation as Principal in Charge of much of the firm’s institutional, private residential, and educational work. Since 2013, he has been an active participant of the Industry Advisory Group for the US Department of Statue Bureau of Overseas Building Operations. He is also a member of the Grace Farms Foundation Architecture + Construction Working Group, an interdisciplinary group of A/E leaders who are advocating to end the use of modern slavery in the supply chain and labor for the built environment.

This event is offered virtually; you will receive an email with a Zoom link to access the program.