Fungi are used for food and medicine, to absorb toxic materials, and can be grown for dyes and fabrics. The kingdom fungi can also be harnessed to mold bricks and grown to insulate healthier, climate positive buildings.

On November 20th, growers, manufacturers, designers, architects and innovators, at the forefront of mycelium’s use in material design and architecture, will be in conversation about the opportunities of using mycelium in the built environment.

From Field to Form: Mycelium is an in-person event that explores the potential of mycelium to shape the future of healthy buildings. Mycelium is the network of fungal threads, technically called hyphae, that are harnessed to do everything from cleaning up toxic waste sites to constructing housing to forming patterns on textiles. 

Healthy Materials Lab is organizing this event in collaboration with The Architectural League of New York, with a joint interest in exploring a future for architecture made of healthy, regenerative materials.

The event is now sold out. Get on the waitlist here. 

Panelists:

Serena Camere, Head of Products at mogu, a European company based in Italy, is a multidisciplinary industrial designer and works on the development of consumer products from mycelium-based materials. Her research has focused on the experience-driven use of sustainable materials, particularly of grown materials (algae, bacteria, fungi) for product design. Mogu uses mycelium to make responsible products for interior design, such as acoustic panels, wall panels, and resilient flooring. 

Joshua English, co-founder of okom wrks labs, is an artist and designer with a career spanning 27 years, whose current work focuses on harnessing the self-replicating abilities of mycelium to create 1:1 substitutes for materials that have historically led to deforestation through their production. In 2024, okom wrks patented a mycelium-based biocomposite with structural, load-bearing properties, made with hemp hurd and organic cotton.

Chris Magwood, co-founder and Chief Climate Officer at Okom Works, is dedicated to making buildings part of climate solutions, emphasizing equity, health, and efficiency. Okom Works patented a mycelium-based biocomposite with structural, load-bearing properties. Chris joined RMI’s Carbon-Free Buildings team to develop a standard for measuring embodied carbon in homes. He co-founded Builders for Climate Action, developed the BEAM carbon estimator tool, directed The Endeavour Centre, and authored seven books, most recently Building Beyond Zero: New Ideas for Carbon-Smart Architecture. 

Christopher Maurer, founder and principal architect of redhouse studio, a research, environmental justice, and design studio based in Cleveland, Ohio, has vast experience incorporating mycelium into architectural design. Chris has led offices and projects in North America, Europe, and Africa. Redhouse has developed bio-fabrication solutions for NASA, MIT and other institutions that could make architectural edification more sustainable and just. 

Moderators:

Mae-ling Lokko, Assistant Professor at Yale University and Founder of Willow Technologies, is an architectural scientist, designer and educator from Ghana and the Philippines who works with agrowaste and renewable biobased materials. She explores partnerships that enable “generative justice” by developing low carbon bioregional material cycles, fair labor practices and innovative production models. Her research focuses on ecological design, life-cycle carbon, integrated material life cycle design and renewable biobased materials.

Jonsara Ruth, co-founder and Design Director at Healthy Materials Lab, brings creative leadership to the goal of improving the health of people and planet through design and material practices. Jonsara is an Associate Professor and Founding Director of the MFA Interior Design program at Parsons School of Design. She founded Salty Labs, a collaborative design studio, to experiment with creating circular, healthier interiors, furniture, and environments.