HALL 5 GIVE WASTE SURFBOARDS A SECOND LIFE
Ignacio Abaitua and his daughter Carlota transform the remains of resin and fiberglass from surfboard production in furniture, crockery, coasters, soap dishes and other everyday items. Based in Zarautz, on Spain’s Basque coast, the Hall 5 studio explores how materials that are usually discarded during the manufacturing process can be made into practical pieces with characteristic colors and textures.
After more than three decades of overseeing Pukas surfboard production factoryIgnacio began investigating ways to reuse the solidified resin and fiberglass that was accumulating around the lab. In early 2024, the pair focused on developing an artisanal process capable of incorporating at least 50% recycled material on each item.
the espresso table uses recycled surfboard resin | all images from material saez
CURING RESIN BECOME A NEW RAW MATERIAL
High performance surfboards are largely custom made to suit the surfer, their physical characteristics and the type of waves they ride. This makes it difficult to automate their production. During the glassing process, excess polyester resin falls onto work tables known as glass grates, where it hardens into large pieces and can no longer be used to make another board.
THE twin behind Hall 5 collects both clear and colored resin from these surfaces. The clear material, used for most performance boards, develops a blue tone when piled up in thick layers. The colored resin, meanwhile, varies according to the boards previously made in the workshop, producing unpredictable combinations determined by each day’s production.
within the workplace where the recycled resin is transformed
TWO COLLECTIONS REVEAL DIFFERENT TEXTURES OF MATERIALS
For the Essentials series, solid blocks are crushed into smaller grains and combined with epoxy resin. The mix can be left colorless or colored before being poured into molds, while recycled fiberglass layers provide additional reinforcement. The resulting objects contain approximately 50% recycled material and display a dense terrazzo-like surface.
The Unique-oh! The pieces use larger fragments of colored resin, broken by hand with a mallet and mallet before being arranged in a mold and bonded with epoxy. Because the colors available depend entirely on the surfboards that are made in the factory, no two compositions can be duplicated. These individual items can contain up to 70% recycled material, turning the visual traces of surfboard production into the defining feature of each design.
each piece reveals a different combination of colors and textures
Ignacio and Carlota Abaitua inside the workshop
