The project will be developed as a refurbishment
of the south-oriented façades on the two towers,
which were built after the original complex, in
the UB Faculty of Economic Science. Concrete grid
pattern claddings on south facades of towers do
not perform as functional elements in terms of
ventilation, noise isolation, and sustainability.
The project proposes to refurbish the existing
façade of the towers and to fill the gap between
two towers with ecological and organic material
that is called “mycelium” which is attained from
mushroom roots. Modular mycelium-based panels
will be openable and fixed according to various
necessities. Flexibility in design encourages
dynamism and allows these to change by replying
to the different angles of solar incidence and
climatic variables.
mycelium
Since the manufacturing of materials is the main
reason for the high level of carbon emission and
energy consumption in the construction industry,
it is an inevitable necessity to adapt ecological
solutions during the production, construction,
and deconstruction phases. Therefore, the proposal
will explore the benefits of the refurbishment of
existing facades, which are constructed with
conventional materials, with sustainable and
ecological alternatives. It is a fireproof material,
resistant to mold and water, and that can reach a
hardness greater than that of concrete at the same
weight. Implementation of new mycelium-based panels
will be made on the south-oriented surfaces of the
adjacent towers (Tower 4 and Tower 6) of the UB
Faculty of Economics & Science building. In order
to have a continuous design, the void between the
two towers will be covered with mycelium-based
panels. The installation of vertical panels of
Mycelium is made following a pattern in accordance
with the existing modulation of the building. They
are not fixed (not all of them) and rotate on a
vertical pivot, which allows them to adjust their
opening degree depending on the variable weather
conditions of the seasons, and times of the day,
among others, thus allowing them to naturally
ventilate and illuminate the interior spaces. This
new layer is anchored to the old concrete grid
structure. This panel system is conceived to be an
automated system that would be controlled with
sensors and electronic devices.
deconstruction
The project aims to find out a solution to the
waste of construction materials after the
demolition. Therefore, through the philosophy
of “construction for deconstruction”, the
production of mycelium panels has been tested
through the small-scale prototype of the project.
Mycelium panels grew within 5 days and their
growing performance differs according to
environmental conditions and their sizes. The
sustainability of the mycelium façade proposal
has been assessed in two different methods.
Mycelium production and degradation process have
been investigated and documented over 35 days.
At the end of the investigation, it has been found
that most of the mycelium has degraded within
30 days. During the production process of
mycelium, prototypes have been tested in
different environmental conditions. Mycelium
panels degrade in the soil without creating any
waste while biodegradation takes just months.
On the other hand, conventional construction
materials such as concrete and steel do not
degrade in nature. Furthermore, mycelium panels
use less energy, for the creation of moldings
and the heating process, during production.
Until the heating process, living panels capture
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
