SHELL-BASED COMPOSITE

Born from remnants of the sea, this material carries within it the memory of its origin. Composed of discarded shells sourced from sustainable fishing practices in Puerto Libertad, this material is developed in close collaboration with Contramar, extending their commitment to responsible sourcing beyond the table. While shell composites exist internationally, this marks our first exploration of its expressive and structural potential. Its tone is guided by the concha chocolata, whose deep, warm hues inform the material’s distinctive color. Ground, bound, and reformed, the shells retain traces of their origin, preserving texture and memory. Through transformation, what was once part of a living ecosystem becomes a new surface—bridging sea, craft, and contemporary material expression.

Exploration Process

The exploration process for this material took nearly a year from the first sample. We experimented with how the shells behaved within the concrete and tested different fragment sizes — large, small, and mixed — to define their expression within the terrazzo. We also studied the ideal shell density, pushing the material to its breaking point to understand its limits and then refining the proportion to achieve the right balance between strength and aesthetics. For the color, we drew inspiration from the natural range of the red clam and developed multiple pigment blends until reaching the ideal tone that defines the final terrazzo result.

Art Pieces