Berkeley, CA - Primitives, a biodesign and materials innovation company, is announcing the launch of MARBLIS, a new architectural surfaces brand and its debut innovation, Urchinite™ the world’s first architectural surface made from sea urchins. Urchinite represents a breakthrough in material science and ecological design: a biomarble engineered not just for beauty and durability, but for environmental repair.
Once a symbol of underwater imbalance, the overpopulated Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus, aka the purple sea urchin has devastated California’s kelp forests, stripping once-thriving marine ecosystems down to sea urchin deserts. Under normal conditions, sea urchins commonly shelter in rocky crevices and feed on drift kelp that settles on the seafloor. With heat waves and loss of key predators, purple urchin populations have surged by as much as 1,000% in some areas. According to The Nature Conservancy, more than 90% of Northern California’s kelp has vanished in the last decade, leading to biodiversity loss and economic strain across coastal communities. While uni from sea urchins have a reputation as a fine dining delicacy, unfortunately eating them is insufficient since most have little to no roe.
Before & after of healthy kelp forest (left) and current urchin barren (right). Images by The Nature Conservancy.
Urchinite offers a tangible solution where each biomarble is made from purple sea urchins harvested from overabundant urchin barrens, helping to restore balance beneath the waves. Through partnerships with marine scientists, urchin divers, and conservation groups, Primitives integrates material innovation with environmental action by supporting the regrowth of kelp forests vital to carbon sequestration, fisheries, and marine biodiversity. For every 50 units of biomarble, 1.1 acres are cleared of purple urchins, which enable kelp forests to regrow and marine biodiversity to rebound. This measurable ecological benefit puts Urchinite in a category of its own - one where beauty, performance, and impact converge. Urchinite represents a next-generation approach to blue economy innovation, where climate mitigation and habitat regeneration are supported through market-based solutions.
“With Urchinite, we’re not just designing a product, we’re designing a material interface that bridges land and sea - where the construction of a dining table triggers the rewilding of a habitat.”
Close up of Urchinite biomarble sample. Image by Primitives Bio.
Urchinite is designed to be more durable in performance than natural marble and limestone, making them ideal for interior and architectural applications such as countertops, wall coverings, flooring, furniture, and decor. For architects and designers, it offers a material rich in texture, origin, and story - a surface that holds the memory of every marine restoration event. And for homeowners and builders, Urchinite is a chance to incorporate rare, regenerative materials into bespoke environments that impart enduring value and oceanic beauty.
Drawing on over a decade of biomaterials technology expertise, the Primitives team developed a patent-pending process to transform sea urchins into engineered biomarble, a regenerative material inspired by one of the world’s most revered stones. Made from biocalcite, a naturally occurring marine mineral found in sea urchin shells. It is formed by integrating this mineral into a biobased binder, resulting in a durable, marble-like stone material called a biomarble. As the first product in this emerging category of biocalcite surfaces, Urchinite biomarble is setting a new standard in the engineered stone industry.
Once deemed a "zombie" nuisance, the purple sea urchin is now being reimagined as a symbol of recovery and transformation. Urchinite™ is the culmination of years of research, blending cutting edge materials science, biodesign innovation, and artisanal craftsmanship into a product that is as high-performing as it is meaningful and beautiful.
Available now for custom orders and project partnerships.
ABOUT PRIMITIVES
Primitives is a biodesign company that develops advanced materials through cutting-edge materials science, innovative design, and systems engineering. Primitives is reimagining the materials economy, as a platform to solve the planet’s most critical environmental and ecological challenges. Working in partnership with leading conservation non-profits, governments, industry, research organizations, cultural institutions, and regional communities, Primitives is building towards a future where nature speaks, and systems listen. Its consumer-facing brand brings this vision to the built environment. MARBLIS™ is an architectural surfaces brand that is introducing a new class of stone surfaces called biocalcite, engineered to support ecosystem repair and design performance.