House made of mycelium heading to FOR ARCH 2025
The experimental SAMOROST house by Burinka, made with the maximum use of revolutionary mycelium material – mycocomposite – will offer visitors a unique insight into possible sustainable construction methods. After the spring roadshow across the Czech Republic, the house will be presented at the country’s largest construction fair.
SAMOROST, the first house of its kind in the Czech Republic and the world, was created as a demonstration that there are other ways to build – gentler, more sustainable and with respect for nature. It is a wooden building in which mycocomposite, a material that is created by combining organic waste and mycelium, plays a major role. The house is the climax of a project of the same name launched in the spring of 2023.
“We only had small mycocomposite plates in 2023. Two years later, we were standing in front of a whole house. SAMOROST is a crucial step for us, because we were able to test the material on a real scale for the first time. Thanks to tests at the University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings of the Czech Technical University, we have verified that mycocomposite is a fascinating material. Not only is it light, strong, degradable and grows from waste, but it also provides ideal thermal and sound insulation and can fully replace polystyrene. Thanks to SAMOROST, we can show that research does not have to stay only in the laboratory,” says one of the authors and a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University, Kateřina Sýsová.
The project is the result of collaboration between academia and the private sector. It was initiated and supported by CS Building Savings Bank Burinka (member of Erste Group), as a part of its long-term initiative for more affordable and sustainable housing. The project also involved the MYMO Association, which brings together enthusiasts for experimental architecture from the Czech Technical University and experts from the startup Mykilio, which is focused on the production of mycelium material.
“Sustainable housing is a long-term priority for Burinka. We know that the connection between academia and the private sector makes a huge difference – it provides new impulses and gives people the courage to experiment. So we joined forces with the MYMO Association and the result is the bold, revolutionary SAMOROST house. What you can see here is proof that innovation in construction is not science fiction, but a reality that we can move forward together,” says Libor Vošický, chairman of the board of directors of CS Building Savings Bank Burinka (member of Erste Group).
What Burinka is bringing to FOR ARCH is not only the structure itself, but also an inspiring story about the fact that change in construction is possible
The programme will include a workshop
Visitors will be able to participate in a workshop in Hall 4, PVA EXPO Prague, on Friday, 19 September from 16:00 to 17:00. SAMOROST’s designers will present the innovative mycocomposite material, including the conclusions from its testing, and the entire process of building the house.
“Technological innovations are regularly presented at FOR ARCH, but a house made of mycelium is something that has never been done before. Many visitors cannot even imagine that a real house could be built using mushrooms, and it is all the more valuable that they will be able to see it for themselves here in Prague’s Letňany district,” adds fair director Kateřina Horáčková.
FOR ARCH 2025
- When: 16–20 September 2025
- Where: PVA EXPO Prague, in front of hall II
About SAMOROST
The SAMOROST project was launched in April 2023 with the aim of finding a suitable way to implement mycelium-based material in the construction industry, thereby supporting sustainable development. The project is backed by CS Building Savings Bank Burinka (member of Erste Group) and the MYMO Association.
2023 was a year of substance and design. Experts involved in the project examined the mycocomposite and performed a series of tests to verify its properties. The test results provided crucial information: mycocomposite can replace materials that are not environmentally-friendly (e.g. polystyrene) commonly used in the construction industry. The highlight of 2023 was the exhibition of furniture and interior accessories made from mycocomposite at the Designblok International Festival. The aim was to show that mycocomposite has its place in the field of design.
In 2024, project representatives announced that they had started production of the SAMOROST house, which will demonstrate the options for using mycelium in sustainable construction.
The house was presented to the public in early 2025. It was then part of the #stronger future spring roadshow arranged by the Building Savings Bank and visited Prostějov, České Budějovice, Jihlava and Pardubice.
The creation of the SAMOROST house was supported by Minister of the Environment Petr Hladík, who acted as the project’s patron.
More information here: Samorost | Innovation by Burinka (inovaceodburinky.cz)
What is the MYMO Association?
The MYMO Association brings together personalities from the field of research who have set themselves the goal of laying the foundations of mycelial architecture in the Czech Republic. They are experts from the Institute of Model Design (Molab) at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University and from the firm Mykilio. To this end, Kateřina Sýsová, Karolína Petřeková, Petra Jašicová, Jiří Vele, Matěj Róth, Jakub Seifert and Tomasz Kloza are researching and developing materials based on fungal mycelium. At the same time, together with CS Building Savings Bank Burinka (member of Erste Group), they want to raise awareness of the potential of mycelium in construction among the professional and lay public.
About Burinka
For thirty years, we have been providing clients with advantageous building savings accounts, loans, mortgages and comprehensive financial advice. Currently, we focus on financing energy-sustainable renovations and related grant consultancy. Our profile as a renovation bank is reflected not only in the products and services we offer, but also in our communications. We have prepared a 10-part series called Economical Renovations with Burinka. The combination of expert articles and light-hearted videos will convince anyone who is hesitant to start an economical renovation project. We share low-cost tips on how to save money in individual rooms of your home here.
As a building savings bank, we also feel a commitment towards the construction industry, which we fulfil by supporting innovative processes and materials used in house construction. You can find more about projects brought to fruition to support science and research in the construction industry on www.inovaceodburinky.cz.
Contact for media
Monika Kopřivová
External Communications Manager, Burinka
monika.koprivova@burinka.cz
+420 724 087 666