Sea stone: The new sustainable material made from wasted seashells

Central Image: newtab-22.com

In the context of research-based design, creators from all over the world experiment with different combinations of materials, artificial or natural, to construct an exemplary material to meet the needs of contemporary design. So, the duo of Hyein Choi and Jihee Moon created, through their studio newtab-22, an innovative material called “Sea Stone”. Their aim, since 2019, has been to achieve sustainable design by researching natural materials that remain unexploited, with the additional principle of creating a natural aesthetic. 

Embracing this philosophy, the studio has been experimenting with “sea stone” for years. Sea shells are the raw material, discarded by the fishing industry and by aquafarming. In many regions, the concentration of large quantities of shells, along the coastlines or in landfills, hurts the environment since only a small part of them are used as fertilizer. However, these shells contain calcium carbonate, which, like limestone, makes them ideal as the base material for a new type of cement. In this way, tons of waste can be channeled into a 100% sustainable production process for this new material.

Photo: newtab-22.com

This process is simple and it’s carried through completely by hand so as to not waste any energy during production and keep the cost low. In fact, the designers are active in Seoul where there is huge sea shell pollution. After collecting them from seafood industries, the shells are processed, ground and mixed with mineral, sand and natural binders, resulting in a mixture that resembles cement or stone after it dries up. Each different combination of these elements can result in different levels of hardness, texture and durability of the material. To showcase this variety, studio newtab-22 has created a plethora of small-scale objects, as well as a series of tiles.

Photo: newtab-22.com

For the “Cliff” object series, Choi and Moon were inspired by the steep, rough sea cliffs and sedimentary rocks. They constructed a mirror with a pedestal, two different versions of a vase and a candle holder, all showcasing the small rock and shell fragments embedded in the rocky and dark-coloured material. The “Wave” series implements very different colours and it is made up of a vase that comes in different pastel colour shades, with finished touches on its wavy surface. Last but not least, the design of the “Shelluminator” tile is particularly interesting. It’s a thin, flat or embossed, surface made from “sea stone” that can be used in interior spaces. 

Photo: «Cliff» object series | newtab-22.com

Photo: «Shelluminator» tiles | newtab-22.com

It is important to note that, for now, “Sea Stone” hasn’t been developed to the point of being able to function as a building material for large-scale construction. That is due to the fact that in order to become as durable as cement, the material has to undergo an energy-intensive procedure, thus implicitly hurting the environment, a direction that studio newtab-22 rejects as part of their philosophy. And perhaps it is this strong persistence to a certain philosophy that results in impressive design today. 

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