Growing Matter
Name(s) of graduate(s):Lale Knapp
2026
Description
How can hidden natural cycles be made tangible? This project acts as a didactic tool that shifts perspectives on fungi and demonstrates their material potential, offering an accessible, hands-on approach to mycelium.
Everyday waste, such as beverage cartons and toilet paper rolls, is collected to construct growing molds. The kit provides the living culture, while its packaging unfolds into a functional workspace and manual. Three distinct objects can be grown to physically experience the material’s properties: a birdhouse highlights its insulating capabilities, building blocks convey its structure and lightness, and heat-resistant coasters prove its everyday utility.
Collaborating with others to collect the required waste sparks curiosity, transforming the process into a shared social experience. Ultimately, the project initiates dialogues on circularity, placing mycelium directly into people’s hands and making sustainable production actively comprehensible.
Lale Knapp
2026
Description
How can hidden natural cycles be made tangible? This project acts as a didactic tool that shifts perspectives on fungi and demonstrates their material potential, offering an accessible, hands-on approach to mycelium.
Everyday waste, such as beverage cartons and toilet paper rolls, is collected to construct growing molds. The kit provides the living culture, while its packaging unfolds into a functional workspace and manual. Three distinct objects can be grown to physically experience the material’s properties: a birdhouse highlights its insulating capabilities, building blocks convey its structure and lightness, and heat-resistant coasters prove its everyday utility.
Collaborating with others to collect the required waste sparks curiosity, transforming the process into a shared social experience. Ultimately, the project initiates dialogues on circularity, placing mycelium directly into people’s hands and making sustainable production actively comprehensible.