CLIMAVORE is developing a new building material from waste seashells. Shaped as a tile it is an alternative to cement,—the second most consumed product in the world after water, and a significant contributor to climate breakdown.

In collaboration with restaurants based on the isles of Skye and Raasay we collect waste seashells from their CLIMAVORE meals, which are cleaned, sorted and crushed into unique tile pieces in our workshop in Skye in collaboration with Skye Stone.

Learning from experiments CLIMAVORE developed in New Orleans, Taiwan and Los Angeles, we have worked with stone masons, fabricators and material scientists from various UK institutions to prototype a composite tile, with the potential to be used in a variety of architectural applications.

The tiles use a seashell-lime binder, where shells are fired at low temperatures to create a lime putty. In 2022, this material was showcased as part of In the Eddy of the Stream, an exhibition of work by Cooking Sections and Sakiya at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Edinburgh. CLIMAVORE continues developing this material through a series of five Bivalve Murals.

Currently, we are exploring new trials in the high-pressure processing of seashells to create tiles without fire or heat. Inspired by geological processes and forms of slow production, a series of initial tests reveal a stone-like composite tile allowing for a carbon-negative production that processes food waste to evolve.

Partnering with the West Highland College for their Construction Skills Course, a new syllabus encourages learning from historic techniques for tabby concrete, seaweed thatching and insulation, and shell composites, connecting food-webs with wall building, exploring ways to construct CLIMAVORE.

Supported by Historic Environment Scotland, Creative Scotland, Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation, Gaia Art Foundation.