Spotted: With short-term renting, homeworking, and growing families: living is more dynamic now than it ever has been before. Although DIY (Do It Yourself) has been a fair solution to modern life so far, its time-consuming and inflexible nature lets it down. Noticing a gap in the market for a way to build structures at home with easy modularity and flexibility, a father and daughter decided to take matters into their own hands. And so, they founded Portugal-based Corkbrick to help to reinvent the spaces we live in. 

Inspired by Lego, Corkbrick is a real-size modular system with interlocking cork blocks, or brocks, that are the company’s trademark. There are seven of these brocks, two that are foundational, four that are directional, and one that is a filler to create dynamic furniture, furnishings, and structures. These eco-friendly, sturdy, heat-resistant, and soundproof blocks can be assembled and disassembled easily, without the need for tools, screws, or glue.

For the founders, cork was a natural choice for their product. It has a minimal impact on the environment because the harvesting of cork does not require the harming or cutting down of trees. Once the bark is extracted, a new layer of cork regrows, making it a renewable resource – and each cork tree typically lives more than 250 years. 

Corkbrick is a fully operational enterprise, providing solutions and products from home decor, workspace furniture, and even kid’s play. 

Springwise has previously spotted other architectural innovations that resemble Lego, from stackable homes to help solve the housing crisis to building bricks made from volcanic glass that don’t need mortar or insulation.

Written By: Georgia King