“This project explores the challenges and
opportunities of introducing plant life into lunar habitats.
While plants are primarily considered as a food source,
they also have benefits for human psychology acting to
reduce environmental stress. As such the project adopts a
‘closed-loop’ systems approach to design and focuses on
the symbiotic relationship of humans and plants in space. It also engages with research in ‘living architecture’ to explore certain types of algae and mycelium as building materials.
Human habitation has historically been connected to our ability to cultivate plants. Evolution saw a shift from treetops to small huts made from natural materials, eventually cultivating and farming forests for their timber.
The next phase of human evolution may see a move into
space, away from traditional natural materials, where trees cannot be grown. However, I propose that we can still grow our homes.
Fungal spores are extremely resilient to the effects of space, due to a hardened cellular shell. From these spores, come mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of mycelium, an interconnected fibrous root structure. Radiotrophic fungi are a particular type of fungus which feeds off high radiation – blocking incoming radiation – and recent research in biochemistry allows for the radiotrophy DNA to be synthetically implanted into other varieties of fungus.
Thus, this project proposes a combination of cladosporium sphaerospermum and pleurotus ostreatus, for a fast-growing, anti-radiation mycelial body. Additionally, the fungus can also provide fire and water resistance, oxygen recycling, gray water recycling, and can even be used as a material for manufacturing clothing, packaging, and furniture.” Matthew Nayda