françois jaubert upcycles wasted material into eco-surfboard

françois jaubert — founder of the french architectural firm COMAC — is a young retired architect who left his office life for the surfing culture. after working for more than ten years in international and european firms, including his own, the designer started devoting his time to the beautiful moments spent in the ocean.

‘obsessed with the discovery of new horizon, I travel around the world to get inspiration from the most beautiful colors created by the beauty of nature’, says jaubert.

 surfboard- upcycle contest / almagreira, VISSLA

francois jaubert found an ideal platform to explore his passion with the upcycle contest 2016 organized by VISSLA, in partnership with the surfrider foundation. this competition aims at transforming waste into an object of value within the ocean. the designer quickly began combining his crafting and architectural skills together to express the thrill of surfing. in order to do that, he developed an approach which focuses on the aesthetics of the sport, as well as the relationship between the surfer and natural environment. the final product became known as ‘upcycled surfboard’.

wishing to promote ecological values, jaubert designed his structure with recycled materials that reflect a more creative and sustainable image of the surf industry. 90% of the board is made from reused materials: the main structure (blank) is made up of recycled card boards, the contour is shaped with homemade pasta, and the finishing (glass) is composed of polyester and fiber resins. the size of the surfboard sums up to : 5”3 – 21 – 2 1/8

side view 

the finish is made up of  two types of resin

the texture is rich, offering a more natural design

close up of the surfboard

detail of the texture

choice of materials are in perfect harmony with colors found on the beach

the material creates a translucent effect

technical drawings – dimensions and structure

creative process – jaubert’s sketches for the upcycle contest

the board is tested out by a surfer

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom