185. Brick Happens: Chris Maurer of Redhouse Studio Redesigns Remote Living for Earth and Mars

About this episode

Chris Maurer discusses innovative building materials and designs that could revolutionize living on Earth and Mars.

What if the building you live in could be grown instead of built, feed people while it goes up, and lock away carbon for a century? Architect Chris Maurer of Red House Architecture and MycoHab joins Karl and Erum to explain how he turns 12 tons of invasive bush into mushrooms that feed a community and mycelium blocks that test stronger than concrete. He breaks down the now famous sledgehammer test, why a ductile living material survives the earthquakes that shatter cinder block, and the counterintuitive truth that more mycelium does not make a stronger brick. Then things get cosmic. Chris walks through his NASA backed work growing habitats that pack down tight, fly to Mars, and unfold to grow their own radiation shielding from algae and fungi, plus the Biocycler that eats the toxins out of old houses and turns that waste into something safe. If you care about biomaterials, regenerative design, and the business models that could actually build us out of the climate crisis, this conversation will rewire how you see the walls around you. Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers…

People in this episode

Hosts: Karl Schmieder, Erum Azeez Khan

Guest: Chris Maurer

Topics covered

• biomaterials
• regenerative design
• climate crisis
• mycelium
• remote living
• space habitats

Keywords

• mycelium blocks
• carbon locking
• biocycler
• invasive species
• sledgehammer test
• radiation shielding
• biotechnology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Red House Architecture, MycoHab, NASA

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