They had to be temperature-checked to make sure mould did not grow, and the mushrooms were put in an oven for hours at a time to stop the growing process.

They were then mixed with shredded recycled tree trunks to make the bases of small furniture items, such as lamps, and then sealed with spray.

The Oxley College graduate's project called The roots of illumination, is one of 40 projects displayed in the SHAPE exhibition.

The showcase presents the top major projects in the state in Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and Textiles and Design, in 2023.

"It was very surreal," she said.

"It was great to see people go through this and their ideas were amazing, and it's exciting to see the ideas and innovation of our generation."

For her Design and Technology project, Miss Zupp wanted to create sustainable furniture pieces that reduce the environmental impacts of timber products.

Her teacher Richard Madden suggested looking into fungi, and the former student found mycelium - a root-like network commonly found on a King Oyster mushroom, that grows through soil and absorbs nutrients through its environment.

Spores took two weeks to produce and cultivate, she said.

Fungi that did not grow effectively or could not be salvaged were used for compost at home.

"I wanted to try and use as minimal waste as possible in the project," she said.

Being at the SHAPE exhibition launch on March 18 made Miss Zupp realise she should pursue her passion for design, and has since left her sport science degree.

The plan is to spend the year honing in on her design passions, and looking into projects with sustainable materials.

Frensham graduate Lucy Arnott is also featured in the exhibit for her design and technology project called Sheep counter for drench gun.

All of the major projects will be on display until May 17 at the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct.

It is free to attend.