Broche Coffee Shop by NAAW: A Sustainable Mycelium Renovation in Oxford

Broche Coffee Shop, designed by NAAW, is a compact yet conceptually ambitious renovation project located at a quiet intersection within one of Oxford’s historic residential neighborhoods. Completed in 2024, the project explores how emerging bio-based materials can be thoughtfully integrated into protected urban contexts, balancing architectural restraint with material innovation.

Situated within a conservation area, the coffee shop occupies a modest corner plot where architectural intervention needed to be subtle, respectful, and contextually sensitive. Rather than pursuing visual dominance, the design focuses on atmosphere, tactility, and sustainability, transforming an understated structure into a welcoming community-oriented space.

Building with Mushrooms: Introducing Mycelium in Everyday Architecture

One of the defining aspects of Broche Coffee Shop is the use of mycelium panels, marking NAAW’s first architectural application of this material. Discovered by the practice at the Venice Architecture Biennale, mycelium was selected for its low environmental impact, biodegradability, and warm, organic appearance.

The softly textured beige panels line the interior walls above the kitchen counter, immediately shaping the spatial experience through material softness and visual calm. Beyond wall finishes, mycelium becomes a central design language: custom mushroom-inspired tabletops and street lamps were fabricated from the same bio-based material, reinforcing a cohesive narrative between furniture, lighting, and interior architecture.

To realize this ambition, NAAW collaborated with Grown Bio, a Netherlands-based pioneer in mycelium construction, previously recognized for the Growing Pavilion at Dutch Design Week 2019. The partnership ensured that experimental material use met functional and durability requirements for a public hospitality space.

Interior Warmth Within a Compact Footprint

Given the coffee shop’s limited size, the interior design prioritizes clarity, comfort, and material efficiency. The neutral tones of the mycelium surfaces are complemented by restrained detailing, allowing texture and light to take precedence over visual clutter. This approach enhances the sense of intimacy while maintaining a contemporary aesthetic aligned with sustainable design values.

The project demonstrates how small-scale commercial interiors can become testing grounds for innovative construction materials without sacrificing usability or visual coherence.

Minimal Exterior Intervention with Urban Impact

Externally, the renovation adopts a deliberately light touch. The original windows were replaced with sliding wooden windows, framed with wide casings that enable seamless takeaway service and stronger interaction between interior and street. This move reinforces the coffee shop’s role as a neighborhood hub rather than an enclosed destination.

The surrounding public realm was subtly enhanced using clinker tiles, carefully selected to complement the existing terracotta brick facades typical of the area. Benches and three small coffee tables were added, encouraging informal gathering and extending the café’s presence into the pedestrian intersection.

Both the façade and the original porch were painted in a warm beige tone, visually linking the exterior to the mycelium-dominated interior and creating a calm, cohesive identity that sits comfortably within the historic streetscape.

Rethinking Sustainable Materials in Public Design

Broche Coffee Shop is not positioned as a temporary experiment or conceptual installation. Instead, it serves as a real-world case study demonstrating how mycelium can function as a durable, expressive material in everyday public architecture. The project challenges the perception of bio-materials as short-lived or purely experimental, presenting them as viable alternatives for future renovation and hospitality projects.

This ethos is shared by the café’s owners, who reinforce the sustainability narrative through the use of biodegradable packaging and cups, ensuring that architectural intent extends beyond the building envelope into daily operation.

A Modest Project with Broader Architectural Implications

Through careful renovation, material innovation, and contextual sensitivity, Broche Coffee Shop by NAAW illustrates how sustainable architecture, heritage preservation, and contemporary design can coexist at a small scale. The project stands as a thoughtful example of how emerging materials like mycelium can be meaningfully integrated into urban life—quietly reshaping how we build, renovate, and inhabit public spaces.

All photographs are works of Luke Hayes