Frugal Connections

It’s clear that many ways of modern production are not viable, mainly due to the depletion of scarce resources. With ‘Frugal connections’, Philip Somann pioneers a new and more sustainable manufacturing method utilizing fast-growing organic material, like fungi. Mycelium, a network of fungal threads, expands rapidly and can attach itself to other materials like glue. To show the potential of this method, Philip constructed a table using mycelium and bamboo. The also fast-growing bamboo consists of a hard profile with a hollow interior that the mycelium can grow into. ‘Frugal connections’ shows that reinforcing organic multi-material connections with mycelium allow for many shapes and applications to be processed sustainably and without toxins.