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London-based designers have recycled quagga mussel shells, which normally clog the Thames canals, into glass tiles for façade cladding.
What’s going on
- London-based architecture studio Bureau de Change has made a glass façade tile using sustainable material from mussel shells, designed by artist Lulu Harrison.
- The tiles have patterns inspired by XNUMXth-century terracotta fireplace pots.
- Tiles are environmentally friendly for two reasons. First, it is made from recycled biomaterials. Secondly, glass can be reused.
- Bioglass is made by hand, so each tile is unique in color and finish and has a unique microtexture.
- According to Billy Mavropoulos, one of the founders of Bureau de Change, such eco-friendly glass tiles can be widely used in architecture.
- Harrison also made blown glass vessels from her material—decanters, glasses, jugs, and vases.
What does it mean
New materials from recycled waste are created regularly. For example, British-Korean design studio Newtab-22 has figured out how to make sustainable cement. To do this, they crush shells and combine them with non-toxic binders. So they not only make cement, but also save coastal areas from pollution by sea shells.
In 2021, researchers from China conducted an experiment by adding powdered sea shells to asphalt. It was found that the modified asphalt has a better consistency, is more elastic, recovers faster and is more resistant to deformation.
The American company SiiZU has made fabric from recycled oyster shells. The shells are powdered and mixed with recycled plastic bottles. According to manufacturers, such material prevents the spread of bacteria that cause unpleasant odors. Therefore, clothes stay fresh longer.