ATRIUM is a European project that develops construction materials from natural fibres, next-generation bioplastics and mycelium, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of the construction sector and support the circular economy.
At Fundación Ibercivis, we are driving collaboration with art, design and citizens to explore what these materials can offer beyond their use in construction.
What is ATRIUM
ATRIUM (Alternatives for an effective Transition to sustainable, Reusable and recyclable construction products by the Innovative production of User and eco-friendly bio-based Materials) is an Innovation Action funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme and co-funded by UK Research and Innovation. Fundación Ibercivis is part of the consortium, together with fourteen other organisations from seven countries.
Its goal is to develop bio-based construction materials that reduce environmental impact and can be reused and recycled. To do this, it combines natural fibres, next-generation bioplastics and mycelium biotechnologies into biocomposites that contribute to the circular economy, developing five products for the sector from them: outdoor flooring, indoor flooring, acoustic panels, green walls with planters, and building blocks. The work follows a complete process: materials are developed, manufacturing technologies are adapted, intermediate and final products are obtained, and they are tested at demo sites. In parallel, the project assesses sustainability, life cycle and product cost, works on digitalisation and communication, and explores sustainable business models.
Zaragoza is home to one of the demonstration sites where the possibilities and limits of the materials are explored by moving them into new contexts, particularly art and design. The idea is to generate innovation opportunities through interaction between disciplines and citizen science methodologies.
The project’s materials
A bio-based material is one made, wholly or partly, from raw materials of natural origin rather than petroleum derivatives. A classic example is wood, whose main component is cellulose mixed with lignin. ATRIUM does something similar with other naturally sourced ingredients, working with five materials:
Lightweight bio-based polyethylene profiles
Although polyethylene is a very common plastic, the one used in this project comes from biologically sourced raw materials. It is mixed with MDF powder (wood fibreboard) recovered from manufacturing waste, and the result is a long profile for outdoor decking-type flooring. It is produced using two combined techniques:
- Foaming: a gas-releasing agent is added that expands under heat, forming small bubbles so the interior becomes light and spongy.
- Co-extrusion: two extruders work simultaneously — one shapes the spongy core, the other coats it with a solid skin that adds strength and protects it from sunlight.
Mycelium-based panels
Mycelium is the vegetative part of fungi, a network of fine filaments that acts as a natural glue between fibres. Panel production starts with a mix of plant-based raw materials and organic waste, which is first sterilised so that only the chosen fungus grows. It is then inoculated with the fungus, which grows under controlled humidity and temperature. Once the mixture is covered in mycelium, it is placed in a mould where the fungus continues growing and binding the fibres together. The panel is dried with heat, which stops growth and leaves a stable material, and finished with a coating that improves fire resistance while preserving its sound-absorbing capacity. This material is used to make acoustic panels and indoor flooring tiles.
Figure 2: Front view of the panel
Hemp-reinforced cellulose acetate
Cellulose is obtained from forestry, cotton or fibre plants. After industrial processing it becomes cellulose acetate, a plastic that softens with heat and can be moulded repeatedly, similar to PLA, the bioplastic used in household 3D printing. In ATRIUM it is reinforced with hemp fibres in varying proportions and supplied as granules, which can be injection-moulded or 3D printed. Printing uses a robotic arm with an extruder that melts the material and deposits it layer by layer to build the piece.
Figura 3: LSAM setup.
Figure 4: Final printed containers for the Green Wall.
PHA, a microbial bioplastic
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are bioplastics produced by microorganisms. They feed on waste, ferment it, and store the polymer internally, which is then separated and purified. To give PHA the necessary properties, it is mixed with natural fibres, with or without hemp, in an extruder, then cooled and cut into granules. These feed an injection-moulding machine, which melts the material and forces it under pressure into a mould, where it cools and takes its final shape.
Figure 5: Planters made from PHA with hemp (darker colour) and without hemp (lighter colour).
The final products from hemp cellulose acetate and PHA planters will be used to build “Green Walls” for decorative and functional purposes, dividing spaces with different plants.
Figure 6: Final form of the Green Wall
Hemp concrete
Here hemp contributes its woody part rather than its fibres. It is crushed into small fragments and mixed with a mineral binder, lime, and water. The resulting paste is 3D printed: a screw pushes it through a nozzle and deposits it in layers. It is a more sustainable substitute for cement, since it incorporates a natural polymer. The technical challenge lies in the fact that hemp fragments can clog the nozzle, so both the mixture and the machine are adjusted accordingly. This material is used to make blocks and construction elements.
Figure 7 — First printing attempts and representation of the final product.
The materials and Ibercivis’s role
A construction material is designed to fulfil a function, but several of ATRIUM’s materials have properties that also invite creative use. Hemp cellulose acetate can be moulded or 3D printed, hemp concrete could be suitable for sculpture, mycelium panels allow for different textures and geometries, and PHA can be injection-moulded into pieces of varying thickness.
With this in mind, in September 2026 Ibercivis organised, in collaboration with AITIIP and Tecnopackaging, the training session “Exploring the artistic possibilities of ATRIUM materials.” The event brought together artists and teaching staff from the Escuela Superior de Diseño de Aragón (ESDA) and the Escuela de Arte de Zaragoza, who visited the laboratories, learned about the materials’ manufacturing and transformation processes, and had their questions answered about their technical possibilities. The session also featured Néstor Lizalde, a Zaragoza-based artist behind The Plant Machine, an exhibition project that will use ATRIUM materials.
For the artistic work, the project has brought together these materials in different formats derived from intermediate and final products. Artists and students will have the chance to explore the possibilities of these materials, broadening their vision and use beyond the construction sector.
Fundación Ibercivis promotes collaboration between researchers, artists, designers, educators and citizens through its role in ATRIUM, with the aim of observing and interpreting bio-based materials in new ways and contributing, from different perspectives, to the transition towards more sustainable and circular production models.