Mycelium: Regenerative Switch Plate

Designed by Bella Boak Weinstein, Bural Eceral, and Walker Mahany

A switch plate grown from mycelium to replace plastic with living texture and low-impact material.

Light switch plates are some of the most overlooked objects in our homes. They’re touched dozens of times a day yet are almost always made of cheap plastic or metal—materials that require extraction, manufacturing, and, eventually, disposal. As small as they are, their ubiquity makes them a quiet example of how everyday products reinforce unsustainable systems.

This project explores an alternative: a switch plate grown from mycelium, the underground root network of fungi. Mycelium has gained attention in recent years as a regenerative biomaterial—it’s lightweight, compostable, and can be cultivated in controlled conditions using agricultural or organic waste as feedstock. By applying this material to a mundane household component, the Regenerative Switch Plate asks a larger question: What if the objects we touch every day were designed not just to function, but to restore?

Research Context:

Conventional switch plates are almost always injection-molded plastic or stamped metal. While inexpensive, these materials carry significant environmental costs: plastics are derived from petroleum and persist for centuries, while metals require energy-intensive mining and refining. Because switch plates are standardized and mass-produced, there’s little consideration of their lifecycle beyond cost and durability.

At the same time, research into mycelium-based biomaterials has shown their potential as renewable alternatives. Mycelium can be cultivated in molds using agricultural byproducts such as husks or wood chips, producing lightweight structures that are naturally fire-resistant, insulating, and fully biodegradable under the right conditions. Companies like Ecovative and MycoWorks have demonstrated how mycelium can replace foams, leathers, and even structural components.

Bringing this material exploration into the scale of a switch plate creates an accessible test case. It allows the object to function as both a prototype—examining strength, texture, and finish—and as a statement piece: a familiar household item reimagined through the lens of regeneration and circular design.

Inspiration: Designers Working with Mycelium

Phil Ross

Evocative and BioMason

Danilelle Trofe

Mushlume Hemo Pendants and Grown Table Lamp

Process:

To explore mycelium as a replacement for plastic switch plates, our team worked with prepared substrates purchased online as well as organic waste sourced from a local farmers market. These materials provided the feedstock the fungi needed to grow.

Mold Design

We designed and built a mold scaled to the dimensions of a standard switch plate, including allowances for thickness, edges, and screw holes. This mold guided the growth process and ensured the final piece could function as a cover rather than just an experimental sample.

Growth

We packed the substrate into the mold and placed it in a controlled environment where temperature and humidity supported mycelial growth. Over several weeks, the fungi spread through the material, binding it into a single solid form that carried the imprint of the mold.

Drying & Stabilizing

Once the growth reached the desired density, we removed the plate from the mold and dried it under heat. This step halted biological activity while hardening the material, improving durability. We also pressed the surface to reduce irregularities and ensure a better fit.

Iteration & Challenges

Not every attempt was successful. Some plates cracked around the screw holes, while others warped as they dried. Through repeated trials, we adjusted the substrate mix, mold dimensions, and drying process until the material produced a stable plate. These iterations revealed both the potential and the current limitations of mycelium as a substitute for everyday household components.

Initial Experiments:

3 Week Grow

Fired at 170 degrees fahrenheit for 2.5 hours

Mushroom Species:

• Oyster mushrooms

• King oyster mushrooms

Variables:

• Cardboard thickness (impacts aeration)

• Alcohol sterilization

1/8in Cardboard, King Oyster:

Successful, Abundant Growth

1/8in and 1/2 inCardboard layered, King Oyster, Alcohol Sterilization:

Unsuccessful, Mold Growth

1/8in Cardboard, King Oyster, Alcohol Sterilization:

Unsuccessful, No Growth

1/8in Cardboard, Oyster:

Successful, Mild Growth

Further Experiments:

1 Week Grow

Not fired

Mushroom Species:

• King oyster mushrooms

Variables:

• Growth medium (sawdust, corn kernels)

• Concentration of mushrooms

Saw Dust, 150% King Oyster:

Successful Growth

Corn Kernels, 100% King Oyster:

Unsuccessful, No Growth

Saw Dust, 50% King Oyster:

Unsuccessful, No Growth

Outcome:

The final switch plate prototypes showcased both the strengths and limitations of mycelium as a building material. Once dried, the plates were lightweight yet rigid, holding their form well enough to be handled and installed. The natural texture of the mycelium gave each piece a unique surface quality, ranging from smooth areas where the mold pressed tightly to more organic, fibrous edges.

Our renders illustrate how these plates would appear in a home setting. Visually, they offer a striking contrast to conventional glossy plastic, bringing warmth, tactility, and an organic aesthetic to a surface most people overlook. The prototypes successfully demonstrated that mycelium can be shaped to match standard switch plate dimensions, including screw holes and edges.

However, the material also revealed challenges. Some plates remained brittle around stress points, and the natural irregularities made achieving a perfectly flush fit more difficult than with manufactured plastic. These outcomes reinforced that while mycelium has real promise, further refinement is necessary for consistent durability and usability.