Mussel shell, Sodium alginate

Future Protein

As part of the Future Protein Project, IM-A Studio (Katya Bryskina and Nataly Khadziakova) created design objects from shell-based materials to demonstrate the ecological footprint of our food system, use shells to manage waste after mussel consumption, and experiment with 3D printing. All objects were designed with AI and generative design and 3D printed with the support of Davide Tagliabue and Space Caviar.

Mussels have all the factors: they filter water, collect nitrogen, phosphorus, and CO2 while growing, enhance biodiversity, and are highly nutritive. Mussels’ ecological footprint can be evaluated using CO2, bio- and nitrogen credits, sustainable food sourcing, and shell-based waste management.

Mussel ID (futureprotein.space) is a remote-sensing model that predicts the development of mussel farming and shows its potential in terms of nutrition and ecological value now and in the near future. The formula behind the platform builds the relationship between consuming mussels and the ecological possibility behind it.

Shells can be used in biomaterials similar to concrete or ceramic, reducing their production’s substantial CO2 emissions. The material's properties and aesthetics depend on the grinding process, which affects the colour and the finish. About 330 grams of shells are considered waste for every kilogram of mussels consumed, whereas the 3D printing mixture contains around 97% mussel shells and 3% sodium alginate.

A food-sharing event was organised by IM-A Studio together with Studio Other Spaces to introduce the impression of living, growing food, eating and recycling biowaste in the new reality of global warming. Food sharing is a sociable form of gathering, and it was used as a vehicle for building community around the crucial issue. To create the atmosphere of being on the water, the space in the middle of the mussel farm was surrounded by beautiful video projections from our visit to a mussel farm in Tuscany.

There was an opportunity to play with a digital prototype to create mussel farms and make predictions for the new farms. Taste novel mussel-based recipes and see the material aspect of mussel shell recycling. The tables were decorated with bio-cement cubes for people to take home and remember about their meal’s ecological footprint. Two cubes are approximately each person’s dinner in material equivalent, CO2 and Nitrogen collected from the atmosphere. Furthermore, all mussel shells collected from the dinner will be turned into biomaterials and shaped into HEC collaborative sculpture.

To drive change, the project focuses on adapting to new climate conditions and cultivating and consuming food within the evolving landscape of climate change. The project experimented with aquatic foraging and developed novel recipes to increase mussel's integration into our culture.
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Envisioning a future where we transition from agriculture to aquaculture, it’s possible that one day, we will live near mussel farms or visit them as frequently as we currently visit parks. As the next step, we aim to design and visualise these future communities.​
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Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.