MyCera, a composit material of clay, wood and mycelium

Hana Vasatko, Julian Jauk (ShapeLab, TU Graz)

BASEhabitat Lecture Series #9

Tue, Nov. 12, 2024, 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Rooftop room D, 4th floor
diearchitektur, University of Arts Linz
Hauptplatz 6, 4020 Linz

Participation also online via Zoom.

MyCera is a composite material made from clay, wood sawdust and mycelium, developed at the Institute of Architecture and Media, Graz University of Technology. Using mycelium as an intelligently oriented fiber reinforcement increases the structural performance of 3D printed ceramic elements and allows for bio-welding of assembled pieces. Our interdisciplinary research combines digital fabrication with the use of mycelial growth to manufacture high-performance and versatile – here static and heat-insulating at the same time – building components that gradually allow a substitution of cement-based binders in architecture. This work was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

Hana Vašatko is an architect based in Graz, Austria, specialising in mycelium-based composites and bio-based materials within architectural applications. In 2020, she began working as a student project assistant on the Special Research Programme (SFB) "Advanced Computational Design," contributing to the subproject Material- and Structurally Informed Freeform Structures at the Institute of Architecture and Media, Graz University of Technology. Upon completing her studies, she continued her role as a project assistant on the same initiative. Simultaneously, Hana started her doctoral studies, focusing on the hybridization of mycelium-based composites and clay. She also joined the Principal Investigator Project (FWF) “Mycelium-Based Clay Composites in Architecture”. Her research operates at the intersection of experimental architecture, with interdisciplinary connections to fields such as mycology and geology.

Julian Jauk studied Architecture at Graz University of Technology. His diploma thesis presented a kinetic and adaptive architectural design, which was exhibited at Ars Electronica Festival 2017. Since 2020, he has worked as a researcher at the Institute of Architecture and Media at TU Graz. His current research within the SFB Project "Advanced Computational Design" explores resource-efficient techniques for fabricating complex geometrical structures. His PhD thesis focused on 3D printing with clay. In 2023, he launched "Termite," a software plugin specifically designed for 3D printing of clay. His teaching experience includes seminars and workshops at TU Graz and TU Innsbruck, as well as at several international events. In addition to his academic work, Julian is an active musician and freelancer, working across architecture, art, sound, and video production.