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Cork Block Sofa by Miguel Arruda

Cork Block Sofa by Miguel Arruda is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award Perak in Desain Furnitur Competition Category.


PerakFurnitur· 2021

Cork Block Sofa

by Miguel Arruda

Client: Miguel Arruda Arquitectos Associados, Lda

A' Design Award Perak Winner in Furnitur Category

29,280

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #124323

Colors

The Design

About Cork Block Sofa

Cork Block adalah sofa modular yang dibuat dari aglomerat gabus daur ulang. Materialnya menggabungkan granulat gabus dengan poliuretana, keduanya hasil daur ulang, yang disatukan menggunakan bahan pengikat di dalam cetakan logam dengan tekanan dan panas. Blok yang dihasilkan bersifat kohesif, elastis, dan nyaman disentuh. Sembilan blok membentuk konfigurasi kursi tunggal dan tiga belas blok membentuk konfigurasi kursi ganda. Blok-blok tersebut dipotong dalam enam bentuk, sehingga memungkinkan banyak kombinasi. Blok-blok tertentu dapat digantikan dengan versi berpelapis kain dalam berbagai warna. Penyangga untuk punggung dan sandaran tangan memungkinkan beberapa tingkat kenyamanan.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Perak

Cork Block Sofa adalah pemenang A' Design Award Perak, pengakuan yang sangat bergengsi yang diberikan kepada desain kelas atas yang indah dan mengesankan. Pemenang Perak adalah karya yang sangat cemerlang dan sangat kreatif yang menggambarkan keahlian, bakat, dan ketajaman luar biasa para desainernya. Cork Block Sofa diharapkan menjadi karya yang menakjubkan, etalase keahlian, sangat profesional, dan sangat inovatif. Desain pemenang A' Design Award Perak ini adalah penemuan yang sangat menonjol dan dikagumi yang bermanfaat bagi dan memajukan batas-batas seni, sains, desain, dan teknologi. Cork Block Sofa adalah kreasi yang sangat dicemburui yang membangkitkan keinginan, membawa perasaan positif, dan memercikkan keheranan dan kekaguman.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
The cork agglomerate, results from a composition of cork granulate with polyurethane,both recycled and consolidated through compression, heat and the use of a binder inside a metal mold. The physical, elastic and tactile quality of the material and the possibility to add upholstery solutions with different colors, provides several different confort and ambience solutions, achieving diferent supports to the coccyx, back and arms, for different effective comfort levels.
Dimensions & Packaging
Width 120 or 180cm x Height 57cm and Depth 90cm
Tags
Sofa, Seat, Furniture, Cork, Recycled
Production Technology
A agglomerate from cork granulate and polyurethane, both recycled and consolidated with a binder, is launched inside a metal mold with 90 x 90 x 38cm, and subjected to pressure and temperature, allowing at the end a compression strength of 100, a recovery of 70 and a weight of 230kg pcm.
This blocks of physical, elastic and tactile quality material, are usually used only for technical acoustic solutions, are cutted allowing six types blocks, intended to combine for two different sofa solutions.
Design Challenge
It was necessary to find a binding agent that could merge the recycled cork and plastic particles granting the volume a degree of elasticity and comfort in the sitting position in order to achieve the proper stability and the durability needed for its use. After that first step, finding the right proportions and a reduced number of pieces/bricks needed to assemble each model became a fun but challenging game.
Research
The cork agglomerate by Amorim Composits, from recycled cork granulate particle size 2 to 3 mm with polyurethane, generates a rectangular block resulting from the above described operation with 90 x 90 x 19 cm. Its cohesion, elasticity and overlap adherence, suggested the possibility of composing a set of nine blocks of different shapes for a sofa.
In indoor spaces, some volumes can be replaced by identical ones covered with fabric of different colors and with a more flexible interior.
Inspiration
The observation of nature, where the cork oak tree has a strong sculptural volumetry, the technological possibility of recycling cork and the technology employed that allows an adequate degree of elasticity for the new agglomerate designated by reference 5058, naturally gave space to imagine a diversified association of nine blocks that build the single sheet sofa and of thirteen blocks for the double seet layout. Other combinations appeared during the process, which is not closed but rather available for each user design experiences.
Project Duration
The project started in February 2018 and finished in October 2020, both in Lisbon.
Operation Flow
The rectangular blocks of the Cork Block Sofa are cut in different shapes, allowing it to have several combinations, intended to combine in several shapes and sitting positions. The physical, elastic and tactile quality of the material and the possibility to add upholstery solutions with different colors, provides several diferent confort and ambience solutions, achieving diferent supports to the coccyx, back and arms, for different effective comfort levels.
Team Members
Designer: Miguel Arruda
Image Credits
Image 1:Pedro Sadio, Image 2: Miguel Arruda, Image 3: Pedro Sadio, Image 4: Pedro Sadio, Image 5: Pedro Sadio

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