Designer, artist, and mycologist Philip Ross recently wrapped a stint at The Workshop Residence in San Francisco, where his interest in biology drove him to create these works. They are made from mycelium, the network of fungus flesh that grows below what we know as mushrooms, which Ross calls the “fruit” of the fungus. He fed the fungus with locally sourced agricultural waste, and the wooden supports are salvaged.
"It sounds like a joke, right, mushroom furniture, but actually it's a versatile building material with many attractive qualities," he told the SFGate. He added that he once fired a handgun at one of his constructions and the material was strong enough to block the round completely.
Ross is calling these stools and chairs Yamanakita stool, and the chairs Yamanka, named for the Japanese scientist Shigeru Yamanaka, who pioneered the use of fungal cells.
The only downside could be the possibility of smell.
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[via PSFK]
