Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Mycelium-Based Biocomposites for Building Envelopes: A Structured Review

Urban Heat Island (UHI) and Urban Noise Island (UNI) are major environmental stressors in cities; however, they are typically addressed through separate mitigation strategies. This study investigates the potential of mycelium-based biocomposite panels as a low-carbon material solution capable of contributing to the simultaneous mitigation of both phenomena through coupled thermal and acoustic performance. Previous studies report the sound absorption coefficient (α) values ranging from 0.40 to 0.90 over the 500–4000 Hz frequency band, depending on panel thickness, drying and pressing parameters, and substrate type. In parallel, the mycelium-based biocomposites exhibit thermal conductivity values of approximately 0.045–0.183 W/m·K, which, together with low thermal diffusivity, indicate reduced heat transfer through building envelopes. Based on this dual performance profile, this work highlights the relevance of mycelium-based panels as an integrated sustainable material approach for contributing to the concurrent mitigation of the UHI and UNI effects when applied in building envelope systems.