Category: Lapurdi

Alki unveils its new headquarters: a sustainable workshop with a showroom and shop

Posted on by joseba

ALKI UNVEILS ITS NEW HEADQUARTERS

Text: Christine Holmes Photos: Mito & Pierre Leibar
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The Basque cooperative Alki has embarked on an important new chapter in its history by leaving Itsasu, the location of its original base for more than 40 years.

Alki’s new workshop, designed by Leibar & Seigneurin, is a shining example of sustainable innovation. Covering 8,260 m², it illustrates the cooperative’s strong commitment to the Basque Country’s economic and cultural development while placing sustainability at the heart of its priorities.

The building’s architecture was designed to adapt to the site’s sloping topography, reducing ecological impact and optimising manufacturing processes. Its ensuing circular organisation provides greater comfort for the teams and more efficient production.

“It can operate without heating or air conditioning thanks to its advanced insulation”

The site goes even further in terms of energy efficiency. It can operate without heating or air conditioning thanks to its advanced insulation, while natural lighting, amplified by open facades, minimises the use of artificial light. In partnership with local energy supplier Enargia, electricity is already 100% renewable, and solar panels will soon cover all the site’s energy needs.

An immersive showroom: a space for creation and discovery
The 400 m² showroom, designed by Iratzoki Studio, provides a glimpse into the world of Alki through a series of curves and apertures laid out around a curtain measuring over 100 metres in length. Here, both private individuals and professionals can discover Alki’s furniture collections, whether creations for the home, solutions for the hospitality industry or fitting out offices. The showroom is laid out with various spaces that stage different settings, for example a restaurant, lounge, projection room, library, that highlight the versatility of Alki’s creations.

A shop dedicated to local expertise
To enhance the experience, there is a shop adjoining the showroom that sells items designed in partnership with local artisans and brands. Discover or rediscover Basque know-how through a careful selection of original items, made on site or by other designers in the region. The showroom and shop is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

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Notox: ecological, high-performance surfboards

Posted on by eki

Notox: ecological, high-performance surfboards

Text: Christine Holmes / Photos: Mito & Notox
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Pierre Pomiers and Benoît Rameix, surfing enthusiasts and colleagues in a robotics company, decided to take action.

True harmony with nature
At the turn of the millennium, surfing, despite its symbiotic relationship with nature, revealed its shameful side. The manufacture of surfboards generates a great deal of pollution: a 3 kg board produces 6 kg hazardous waste, and the materials needed to make it travel an average of 9,000 km.

Faced with this reality, Pierre Pomiers and Benoît Rameix, surfing enthusiasts and colleagues in a robotics company, decided to take action.

In 2006, they founded Notox in Anglet, an innovative workshop that puts the health of its craftsmen and the environment at the heart of its priorities. Working with the occupational health department, they equipped their workshop to minimise environmental pollution: extraction of fine particles, noise reduction, substitution of toxic solvents and waste recycling.

The first eco-friendly boards
In 2010, Notox launched its first ecological surfboard made from linen fibre. Its recycled polystyrene core and biosourced epoxy resin (56% plant-based) drastically reduce its ecological footprint: materials are sourced from 700 km away and 75% of the 4 kg waste produced per board is recycled. This innovation also guarantees optimum performance in terms of lightness, vibration absorption and manoeuvrability.

Contouring and sanding a cork board

“Combining technical expertise, ecological responsibility and accessibility, Notox embodies a new vision of surfing.”

The cork revolution
In 2016, after three years of research, Notox created its cork board, ideal for beginner and intermediate surfers. Shock-resistant and non-slip, cork eliminates the need for wax. The board was an immediate success and now accounts for over 50% of production.

A fast-growing brand
Notox’s creations, exhibited at numerous trade fairs and at the Milan World Expo in 2015, are attracting international attention. Today, 20% of sales are exported, and the brand is planning to open a licensed workshop in Australia.
Combining technical expertise, ecological responsibility and accessibility, Notox embodies a new vision of surfing, where passion and respect for the environment can finally surf the wave together.