father-daughter duo transforms surfboard waste into furniture and everyday objects
HALL 5 GIVES SURFBOARD WASTE A SECOND LIFE
Ignacio Abaitua and his daughter Carlota transform leftover resin and fiberglass from surfboard production into furniture, vessels, coasters, soap dishes, and other everyday objects. Based in Zarautz, on Spain’s Basque coast, Hall 5 studio explores how materials normally discarded during the manufacturing process can become practical pieces with distinctive colors and textures.
After more than three decades overseeing production at the Pukas surfboard factory, Ignacio began investigating ways to reuse the solidified resin and fiberglass accumulating around the workshop. In early 2024, the pair focused on developing an artisanal process capable of incorporating at least 50% recycled material into each object.
the espresso table uses reclaimed surfboard resin | all images by Maddi Saez
SOLIDIFIED RESIN BECOMES A NEW RAW MATERIAL
High-performance surfboards are largely custom-made according to the surfer, their physical characteristics, and the type of waves they ride. This makes their production difficult to automate. During the glassing process, excess polyester resin falls onto the worktables, known as glassing racks, where it hardens into large blocks and can no longer be used to manufacture another board.
The duo behind Hall 5 collects both transparent and pigmented resin from these surfaces. The transparent material, used for most performance boards, develops a blueish tone when it accumulates in thick layers. Colored resin, meanwhile, varies according to the boards previously made in the workshop, producing unpredictable combinations determined by each day’s production.
inside the workspace where reclaimed resin is transformed
TWO COLLECTIONS REVEAL DIFFERENT MATERIAL TEXTURES
For the Essentials series, the solid blocks are crushed into smaller granules and combined with epoxy resin. The mixture can be left uncolored or pigmented before being poured into molds, while reclaimed fiberglass layers provide additional reinforcement. The resulting objects contain approximately 50% recycled material and display a dense, terrazzo-like surface.
The Unic-oh! pieces use larger fragments of colored resin, broken manually with a mallet and hammer before being arranged inside a mold and bound with epoxy. Because the available colors depend entirely on the surfboards made in the factory, no two compositions can be replicated. These one-off objects 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
the h5 x auzmendi table was designed for a shop window in san sebastián
materials collected from surfboard production are reworked by hand
resin fragments create unique surface patterns
candle holders reveal the varied colors and textures
the corner lamp is made from remolded surfboard resin
project info:
project name: Hall 5 | @hall5.estudio
design: Ignacio Abaitua and Carlota Abaitua
location: Zarautz, Gipuzkoa, Spain
since: 2024–ongoing
materials: reclaimed polyester resin, epoxy resin, and fiberglass
images: Maddi Sáez | @maddi.saez
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