Cork Block 沙发 by Miguel Arruda is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 银奖 in 家具设计 Competition Category.

银家具· 2021

Cork Block 沙发

by Miguel Arruda

Client: Miguel Arruda Arquitectos Associados, Lda

A' Design Award 银奖 Winner in 家具 Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Cork Block 沙发

Cork Block 是一款采用再生软木聚合材料制成的模块化沙发。该材料将软木颗粒与聚氨酯结合，两者均为再生材料，通过粘合剂在金属模具内经加压加热成型。由此形成的模块结构紧密、富有弹性且触感舒适。单人座布局由九个模块组成，双人座布局则由十三个模块构成。模块共有六种造型切割方式，因而可实现多种组合。选定的模块可替换为不同颜色的软包版本。靠背与扶手的支撑设计提供了多种舒适度选择。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 银奖

Cork Block 沙发是 A' Design Award 银奖得主，这是授予顶级、华美而令人印象深刻的设计的极为崇高的认可。银奖得主是极其卓越、极具创造力的作品，展现出其设计师杰出的专业技能、才华与敏锐。预计Cork Block 沙发将成为一件出色的典范之作，兼具非凡的专业性与深刻的创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 银奖的设计是一项备受瞩目、令人钦佩的发明，造福并拓展艺术、科学、设计和技术的边界。Cork Block 沙发是一件令人羡慕的创作，它唤起渴望，带来积极的情感，并激发惊叹与赞叹。

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