Cork Block Sofá by Miguel Arruda is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award de Prata in Design de Mobiliário Competition Category.

PrataMobiliário· 2021

Cork Block Sofá

by Miguel Arruda

Client: Miguel Arruda Arquitectos Associados, Lda

A' Design Award de Prata Winner in Mobiliário Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #124323

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Colors

The Design

About Cork Block Sofá

O Cork Block é um sofá modular feito de aglomerado de cortiça reciclada. O material combina granulado de cortiça com poliuretano, ambos reciclados e unidos por um aglutinante dentro de um molde metálico sob pressão e calor. Os blocos resultantes são coesos, elásticos e agradáveis ao toque. Nove blocos compõem a configuração de assento individual e treze blocos compõem a configuração de assento duplo. Os blocos são cortados em seis formatos, permitindo inúmeras combinações. Blocos selecionados podem ser substituídos por versões estofadas em diferentes cores. Apoios para as costas e para os braços proporcionam diversos níveis de conforto.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Prata

Cork Block Sofá conquistou o A' Design Award de Prata, um reconhecimento extraordinariamente prestigiado atribuído a designs de topo de gama, deslumbrantes e impressionantes. Os vencedores da Prata são obras tremendamente brilhantes e extremamente criativas que ilustram a perícia, o talento e a acuidade excecionais dos seus designers. Espera-se que Cork Block Sofá seja uma obra maravilhosa e de referência, notavelmente profissional e profundamente inovadora. Este design vencedor do A' Design Award de Prata é uma invenção muito notável e admirada, que beneficia e faz avançar as fronteiras da arte, da ciência, do design e da tecnologia. Cork Block Sofá é uma criação imensamente invejada que desperta desejos, traz sentimentos positivos e faz nascer espanto e deslumbramento.

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