Re-Creating Nature

ECOncrete seeks to make the billions of humans living along the world’s coastlines a little less disruptive to marine ecosystems by replacing intrusive concrete infrastructure, from sea walls to seafloor mats, with products that blend in with their surroundings. Instead of building concrete blocks, ECOncrete uses a technique known as bio­mimicry, relying on the shapes, textures and size of natural systems to dictate how the company builds its products. “Nature does it better than we do,” says Adi Neuman, head of design at ECOncrete. —Justin Worland