2019
Biodegradable materials
Description: A small tree grows from an egg shaped pod. The pod is dark brown and is made of dirt. The pod is made from biodegradable material and is the size of an adult in a fetal position.
Earth to Earth, Dust to Dust
The idea of being “Death Positive” might seem a little paradoxical. But death is a part of life. Perhaps we can embrace that reality, and develop new ways to mark human loss with dignity.
Capsula Mundi is a poetic expression of these ideas. Instead of a coffin, its designers have devised a biodegradable pod-shaped capsule. As the body placed inside decomposes, it turns into materials that nourish new life: a tree.
In early 2021 the world’s first human composting center opened in Seattle. Those interested can arrange to be recomposed into a few wheelbarrows’ worth of garden soil.
Credit: Capsula Mundi by Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel
MycoComposite Bricks
2021
Hemp hurds and mushroom mycelium, grown in seven days
Description: Mushroom bricks are the size and shape of a standard brick. They are a mottled grey and beige color. They have a slightly rough texture.
Buildings Grown Like Mushrooms
These bricks are made from mycelium, the root-like fibers of fungi. This organic material can be grown into a shaped mold and is completely compostable at home. Many architects and designers are exploring this novel material as a way to create biodegradable structures. Like the Capsula Mundi burial capsule, mycelium bricks could help to reduce our permanent impact on the earth—a way of helping future generations.
Credit: Patented by Ecovative Design. Grown by Paradise Packaging, Paradise, CA.