If you’re a surfer or avid tidepooler, you likely have been irked by the reality of a sea urchin prick. But there’s more reason to dislike these little purple pincushions, which have taken over kelp forest beds and helped cause the endangerment of bull and giant kelp along the coast. Though they are indeed native to the area, purple urchin populations have proliferated, causing an imbalance in Northern California marine ecosystems. A West Coast-based design company out of Berkeley, California, called Primitives Biodesign is finding creative ways to combat that through their creation of Urchinite—a biomarble made of mineralized sea urchin shells that’s designed to support both marine restoration and architectural design.
Primitives has also done work in the compostable packaging space, but their project involving urchin is arguably their most unique yet. Their stunning shades of lavender and grey tiles are crafted from biocalcites, which are a naturally occurring marine mineral found in purple sea urchin shells. Purple urchins, or strongylocentrotus purpuratus, are harvested from targeted restoration sites where kelp forests have been severely damaged, and then crafted into tiles using a proprietary process that’s the result of a unique collaboration between with marine scientists, urchin divers, and conservation groups.
Working in partnership with the Nature Conservancy, experienced scuba divers harvest purple urchins at kelp restoration sites where outbreaks have been particularly detrimental. They’re then brought into the lab, where they’re mineralized and cultured with a bio-based binder material, resulting in a durable, marble-like stone material called biomarble. It’s then finished and graded by a team of engineers. The company says that for every 50 units of biomarble, 1.1 acres are cleared of purple urchins. The hope is that this will enable kelp forests to eventually regrow and the delicate ecosystem that resides within them to rebound.
“Urchinite has a glacial cool tactility with a rich granular texture and variegated shades of light and dark hues that are entirely derived from natural purple sea urchin shells,” says Primitives Bioesign CEO Virj Kan. “Its color palette spans from soft foamstone ivory tones and thistle hues to smokey wisteria and amethyst umber—colors resonant to oceanic hues in a rocky coastline filled with soft pearlescence, purple sea urchin, and mussel shell.”
The resulting, one-of-a-kind material is more durable than natural marble and limestone, and strikingly beautiful too. Kan says that its architectural and design applications are endless—think countertops, wall coverings, flooring, furniture, and decor. What’s more is that these organic beauties have more than just a great story, they’re made from regenerative materials that contribute to the continued health of marine ecosystems for generations to come.
