Ferment

Having received funding from the Future Observatory at the Design Museum, we aim to unlock the potential of mixed plant by-products from food crops grown on regenerative farms – as an alternative to monocultural fibre, that competes with food systems for land.

The project will prototype production of fermented insulation in a Harvest-to-House system – accessible to farmers at all scales, using existing machinery, skills and infrastructure to supply local markets.

We hope to demonstrate the power of fermentation to provide a lower carbon, faster curing and stronger insulation product.

Ferment is follow-on research from our project Ag.Lab. that was completed in 2025, using grant funding from Ecological Citizen(s) Network+ (Royal College of Art).

Ag.Lab. project report

Ag.Lab. animation

Future Observatory is the Design Museum’s national hub for design research and the green transition. Established in partnership with the UKRI Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) they act as a catalyst by supporting design research that can have real impact.