My.Le

My.Le  - Additive manufacturing of insulating building components based on mycelium and clay

To achieve the political goal of climate and greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045, it is essential to identify and implement potential savings within the building materials industry. Alongside concrete, bricks and brick insulation systems are among the most commonly used building materials. However, producing them generates significant material flows and consumes large amounts of energy. This is where My.Le comes in. This project focuses on regional value creation and is developing the material and process engineering foundations for thermal and sound-insulating building components made from unfired clay, organic substrates, and fungal mycelium. These components are produced in a digitally integrated process and could replace conventional brick components. My.Le is investigating clay-based composites with lignocellulosic substrates bound by mycelium. This allows the thermal, acoustic, and structural properties to be improved and adjusted specifically.  The components can be laid without mortar using form-fit technology, which makes them easily reusable or replaceable. Building physics and structural engineering tests are used to develop and characterize composite and component properties. Resulting application scenarios are illustrated and evaluated using demonstrators made from prototype components. A final exhibition at the LWL Museum Ziegelei Lage will promote acceptance and facilitate further evaluation. The project aims to fill research gaps in clay building materials, identify scalable applications for bio-based building materials, and use digital methods to identify cost- and time-efficient design and manufacturing processes for clay, a traditional building material.