Calcáreo is a research and development project that seeks to transfer knowledge on creating with biomaterials made from mollusk waste, which is abundant in Chile's mussel farming industry. The project is led by Carolina Pacheco, an Integrated Designer from UC. Through experimentation with open-source recipes for a biocompound made of ground shells and bound with an alginate solution—a polysaccharide derived from brown algae—the project has succeeded in composing a biomaterial with a texture, appearance, and properties similar to those of ceramic. Its use remains experimental, and the prototypes follow circular economy principles, dissolving upon contact with water to reintegrate into the ecosystem.
We are building a narrative, as it is very important to me that the people who use this material are aware and considerate of where it comes from and what human and non-human relationships interacted in the process of growing and cultivating the raw materials, in what context, in what territory, etc. So the role of the project is to function as a platform to disseminate knowledge about working with this material, but in a conscious way. - Carolina Pacheco, creator of Calcáreo.
