Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), in collaboration with local biomimicry design firm bioSEA, have unveiled a groundbreaking innovation in sustainable building materials.
The team has developed ‘fungi tiles,’ a biomaterial combining fungal mycelium and organic waste, designed to cool buildings passively while reducing environmental impact.
The tiles are made from mycelium — the root network of fungi — mixed with bamboo shavings and oats.
This composite is molded into hexagonal shapes featuring a texture inspired by elephant skin.
Elephants regulate heat through the wrinkles and crevices on their skin, which trap water and promote evaporative cooling.
Mimicking this natural mechanism, the scientists enhanced the cooling efficiency of these tiles, making them particularly suitable for tropical climates.
Laboratory tests revealed that the elephant skin-inspired tiles cooled 25 per cent faster than flat mycelium tiles and performed 70 per cent better in simulated rain conditions.
The textured surface also slowed heat absorption, increasing thermal efficiency.
Associate Professor Hortense Le Ferrand, who leads the study, highlighted the environmental benefits of mycelium-bound composites.
“Insulation materials today are largely synthetic and come with significant environmental consequences throughout their life cycle,” she noted.
“Our biodegradable mycelium composite is highly porous, making it an excellent insulator comparable to or better than conventional synthetic materials.”
The construction industry accounts for nearly 40 per cent of global energy-related emissions, underscoring the importance of eco-friendly alternatives like these fungi tiles.
The researchers tested the tiles under simulated rain conditions by spraying water onto their textured surfaces while monitoring cooling rates.
The elephant skin-inspired tiles demonstrated a cooling improvement of 70 per cent, attributed to their hydrophobic properties that retain water droplets for evaporative cooling.
Eugene Soh, an NTU researcher and first author of the study, explained that the fungal skin repels water, allowing droplets to remain on the surface longer and enhance cooling efficiency.
While promising as a sustainable solution, scaling up production poses challenges due to the time-intensive process of growing mycelium tiles — currently taking three to four weeks.
Additionally, overcoming industry inertia toward adopting unconventional materials remains a hurdle.
The team is working with local start-up Mykílio to increase tile size and conduct outdoor tests on building façades.
Efforts are also underway to improve mechanical stability and explore different mycelium strains for enhanced durability.
Dr Anuj Jain, Founding Director of bioSEA, highlighted the inspiration behind the innovation: “Elephants evolved to develop heavily wrinkled skin that promotes cooling without sweat glands.
“By replicating these mechanisms, we aim to provide sustainable solutions for thermal management in hot climates.”
The study was published in Energy & Buildings (Volume 328) on February 1, 2025, under the title Biodegradable mycelium tiles with elephant skin inspired texture for thermal regulation of buildings.
The research builds on earlier work exploring mycelium-based composites as greener construction materials.
This breakthrough marks a significant step toward integrating nature-inspired designs into sustainable architecture while reducing reliance on synthetic insulation materials.
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