World’s first carbon-negative mushroom house arrives in Namibia

This innovative project, known as MycoHouse 1.0, is a collaboration between MycoHab, Namibia’s Standard Bank, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

MycoHouse 1.0 is crafted from MycoBlocks, a durable substance derived from the root system of oyster mushrooms (mycelium). These mushrooms digest invasive encroacher bush, producing nutritious and lucrative mushrooms as a natural byproduct.

While the mushrooms are cultivated for food, the building material formed during the process helps store carbon dioxide, effectively offsetting greenhouse gas emissions.

“We wanted a new, better way to curtail the housing crisis and a sustainable way to curb the negative effects of the encroacher bush on our environment,” Magreth Mengo, head of brand and marketing at Namibia’s Standard Bank is quoted by The Guardian.

Despite initial concerns about potential odours from these natural blocks, Kristine Haukongo, a senior cultivator at MycoHab, assured that the house is odourless. “People think the house would smell because the blocks are made of all-natural products, but it doesn’t smell,” Haukongo said. “Sometimes, there is a small touch of wood, but otherwise it’s completely odourless,” she added.

Namibia faces a severe housing crisis with an estimated population of around 2.65 million. The country urgently needs approximately half a million new homes, as one in five people currently live in makeshift homes constructed from waste materials or zinc sheets.