Fossil Grounds: Built to last, designed to fade Part 1 Project 2025 Olivia Williams University of Plymouth | UK In a world where architecture is often tied to permanence, Fossil Grounds offers a radical alternative: that buildings, like natural systems, can be allowed to live, age and eventually return to the earth.Positioned near the shifting edge of the sea, Fossil Grounds is conceived not as a permanent monument but as a biodegradable structure designed to weather, decay and decompose with intention.The project supports food education, environmental awareness and community connection in Stonehouse (Plymouth), where interest in gardening and cooking has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. It uses mycelium, a regenerative material cultivated from on-site food waste, to form modular building panels. This closed-loop system enables the structure to behave like a living organism that grows, serves its purpose and ultimately reintegrates with the landscape.Fossil Grounds proposes a regenerative form of architecture that responds to time, climate and the cycles of nature. Here, decay is not seen as failure but as a deliberate design choice. As the building breaks down, it rewilds the site, leaving behind a peaceful space for biodiversity and reflection. The memory of the structure becomes part of the land itself, offering a new way to think about architecture and legacy. Tutor(s)