CAA3 Workshops

Material Workshop: Mycelium

April 16th and April 30th 2025, 10:00-16:00
📍Naked Island

Workshop organiser: Myceen

Myceen is a cleantech company based in Tallinn that develops carbon-negative construction materials by combining fungal mycelium with organic industrial by-products such as sawdust and hemp. This innovative approach results in biodegradable and eco-friendly products that repurpose waste and reduce environmental impact.

Sustainability initiatives:
Myceen’s products consist of 99% recycled ingredients and contain no harmful chemicals. Their production process is energy-efficient, and the materials are fully biodegradable—meaning they can return to the natural cycle after use. According to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the materials are carbon-negative, meaning they help improve the environment. Myceen collaborates with the Wooden Architecture Research Center (PAKK) and other research institutions to test its insulation materials in an experimental house insulated with mycelium. The goal is to compare their performance to conventional insulation materials.

Myceen x RAK Workshop
The workshop “Fungal Materials and Healthy Building” takes place over two sessions on two separate days, combining lectures and hands-on work to explore mycelium material technologies and applications. Participants will also visit the test house created in collaboration with Myceen and PAKK, where the performance of a new mycocomposite insulation is being measured in real-world conditions. On the second day, Marek Mardisoo, Product Manager at EstHus, will give a lecture on healthy materials and building practices.

Day 1 Schedule – April 16, 10:00–16:00
📍Naked Island

Seminar: Fungi, Waste, and Materials (Killu Leet and Siim Karro)
Tour: Myceen production facilities – how fungal materials are made
Workshop: Hands-on session where all participants will make sample materials using mycelium

Day 2 Schedule – April 30, 10:00–16:00
📍PAKK x Myceen pavillion, Põhja pst 2-1 ja Naked Island

Site visit: PAKK x Myceen Pavilion
Seminar at Naked Island: Healthy building (Marek Mardisoo, EstHus)
Workshop and discussion

Hempcrete Workshop

May 30th 2025, 10:00-17:00
📍TalTech – School of Engineering, Mäemaja/Mäepealse tn 3

The hempcrete workshop focuses on the use of hempcrete in construction—through both theory and hands-on practice guided by expert lectures. Hempcrete is a sustainable building material mainly used for insulation. It is a lightweight composite made by mixing hemp hurds with a binder. In this workshop, participants will learn about the properties, components, and potential applications of hempcrete, and will test hempcrete mixing and tamping into wall modules. The aim is to provide a broad understanding of hempcrete’s role in construction.

Workshop facilitators: Malvo Tominga ja Hannah Segerktantz

Malvo Tominga is the founder of Wanawiisi OÜ and an experienced natural builder with extensive expertise in rammed earth and hempcrete.
Hannah Segerkrantz is a designer and researcher whose practice focuses on the implementation of sustainable materials in design. She has been working with hempcrete since 2019 through various projects such as Hemp-it-yourself and the Kiukivi product series. Her most recent large-scale hempcrete project, Kosmosekivid (“Cosmic Stones”), was created in collaboration with Aeris Interiors and used 90% Estonia-sourced materials.

Schedule for the day:
10:00-12:00 Introduction & theory: properties, background, and practical applications of hempcrete both locally and internationally.
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-17:00 Practical session: building an architectural test object with a joint detail. All participants will prepare the hempcrete mix and tamp it into formwork.

RAK members participated in the hempcrete workshop held at TalTech’s Mäemaja building, where they explored the composition, properties, and applications of this natural and sustainable material in contemporary architecture.

The day began with two lectures:
– Hannah Segerkrantz introduced the use of hempcrete from the perspective of product and interior design.
– Priit Wilbach explained the engineering aspects of the material and its application in future construction projects.

It was concluded that hempcrete should not yet be seen as a full replacement for conventional building materials, but rather as a component in moving toward more carbon-neutral solutions.The versatility of hemp was also emphasized—it can be used from leaf to core across a wide range of fields, from textiles to construction.

After the lunch break, Malvo Tominga guided participants through mixing the material and tamping it into wall formwork, following principles similar to those used in rammed earth construction. Before the hands-on session, the group visited TalTech’s test building, where a variety of material experiments— including hemp-based ones—were being showcased.

The day was rich in content, and participant feedback was very positive—theory and practice complemented each other well and broadened understanding of the role of biomaterials in architecture.