MycoCellular: Yeast-based 3D printed wall panels for green buildings

Research Project, 2025 – 2029

Traditional building materials cause 50% of global resource depletion and 30% waste generation. Thus, new materials from biomass, manufactured as building elements using zero-waste 3D printing were recently proposed. However, their pricing is high, access to large quantities limited, and non-uniform properties difficult to control, leaving full-scale applications in buildings largely undemonstrated. To address these gaps, we will leverage a novel material formulation based on baker’s yeast, an underexplored bioingredient that is affordable, abundantly accessible, and has tunable properties. The material will also include recycled cellulose from forest scraps, agricultural residues, and textile waste. We will show its application as custom, modular, biobased interior wall panels that can act as alternatives for less sustainable gypsum and plywood. We will develop a full methodology for the design, robotic 3D printing, assembly, and disassembly of the yeast panels, and demonstrate their application in typical insulated wall frame systems. We will also conduct LCA analyses to compare our material with traditional ones and conduct user studies to get input on preferred panel designs. The final biobased wall demonstrator, installed in the HSB Living Lab in Gothenburg, Sweden, will amplify the project’s impact through the first real-life application. Our goal is to lift the low TRL of biobased solutions from 1-3 to 4 and higher, accelerating their uptake in buildings