Brussels architectural collective Bento has expanded to four members with the addition of designer Corentin Mahieu, De Tijd reported.
Building in Benin Shaped the Collective’s Methods
Before leaving Belgium, the team followed an introductory workshop on building with earth. They spent their first month on site observing, visiting local craftspeople, and talking with elders.
That method of starting from available raw materials and their limitations still forms the basis of the firm’s work. The Benin project prompted the founders to rethink architecture both structurally and politically.
Expanding to Four Creative Minds in Brussels
Corentin Mahieu joined the studio as an official partner last year after regularly collaborating with the team. The collective develops projects through collaborative brainstorming sessions during the initial hand-drawn sketch phase. Individual projects are then typically divided among pairs, while major design directions are decided collectively.
The studio’s work rejects the conventional practice of designing a shape and applying a material texture afterward. Instead, the architects design directly with raw elements like earth, straw, hemp, cork, and mycelium.
Material Limitations and Regulatory Hurdles
Natural materials introduce structural limitations that differ from the mechanical freedom of concrete and steel. The collective works to understand what each material can achieve under specific regulatory frameworks and price points.
Regulations remain a primary obstacle for earth construction, particularly in public projects. In France, partner company Origin Rénovation worked with a local brickworks to develop a certified earth block and finance fire testing for legal compliance.
Economic conditions also favor conventional materials because energy is taxed lightly while human labor is heavily taxed. Earth, straw, and traditional masonry require intensive manual labor from skilled craftspeople.
Experimental Mycelium Installations Across Europe
Mycelium remains a core focus of the practice’s experimental installations. The collective constructed a dome of mycelium tiles on a wooden structure at the Villa Medici in Rome to test how the material withstands outdoor conditions.
For the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the studio designed a vault using tiles made with Trametes versicolor, a natural red mycelium. The architects ultimately aim to build a pavilion featuring mycelium as the primary load-bearing structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bento’s most significant project to date?
The founders point to their initial student project in Benin as their foundational experience, while identifying the 2023 Venice Biennale as their most significant institutional showcase for working with earth, mycelium, and wood.
What types of buildings does Bento want to design next?
The collective hopes to design public buildings such as schools, theaters, and cultural centers where complex societal questions intersect.
Architectural References on the Brussels Scene
Brussels hosts several pioneer practices working with alternative construction methods. Rotor focuses on building component reuse, while BC Architects specialize in building with earth, lime, and straw.
The studio’s work inside the Fondation Thalie in Ixelles featured an interior constructed from organic materials, including a wall and a long table built from natural fibers for the “Regenerative Futures” exhibition.