a hut BUILT FROM hundreds of mushrooms

 

spruce cones, snowballs, and now mushrooms. ulf mejergren architects (UMA) continues its primitive hut series in sweden with a dome-shaped structure covered in hundreds of fantastic fungi.

 

this latest hut is seasonal, looking specifically at what materials are available during autumn. while spring and summer in sweden offer an abundance of flowers, crops, leaves, and other foliage, the other two seasons don’t have as many things to show. but there are some things, such as mushrooms, that prefer the wetter and cooler autumn weather.

ulf mejergren architects mushroom hut
front view of the mushroom hut

images courtesy of ulf mejergren architects (UMA)

 

 

picking the mushrooms

 

the architects wanted to build the shelter mainly from parasol mushrooms, which is one of the largest fungi species in europe with a cap diameter that can reach up to 40 cm when mature.

 

UMA explains that parasol mushrooms grow remarkably fast and can suddenly appear overnight, first with an egg-shaped cap, which is the preferable state to pick them if you want to eat them. the cap then unfolds and transforms into the characteristic parasol shape. it took a couple of long days to gather all the mushrooms from a vast clearing where they seemed to thrive.

ulf mejergren architects mushroom hut
close up of the exterior texture

 

 

building the hut

 

for the assembly, the architects built a frame out of rebar bent into arcs and driven down into the ground, crossing each other at the highest point where they are also fastened with wire.

 

a mesh was then wrapped around the rebar to create a permeable dome-shaped structure where the mushrooms could be placed. each stem goes into the mesh while the cap prevents the mushroom from going all the way through, creating a round façade panel.

 

the assembly took less than a couple of hours and used no adhesives or other means of fastening the mushrooms other than gravity. the result is a mushy bump in the landscape with an interesting texture both inside and out. as a bonus, it also tastes very good when fried.

ulf mejergren architects mushroom hut
interior view

ulf mejergren architects mushroom hut
diagram of how the mushroom hut was made

 

 

project info:

 

name: mushroom hut

location: sweden

architect: ulf mejergren architects (UMA)

year: 2021

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: lynne myers | designboom