FAQ - CORKBRICK EUROPE

Corkbrick Europe and Santander Bank collaborate to offer sustainable construction solutions

FAQ

1) What is CORKBRICK?

It's a modular  system, cork made,  where you can build most of pieces of furniture, walls and  structures, for inside or outside use at home or in your office, with no tools, no screws, no glue - that's CORKBRICK! With only 7 different “brocks” you can build whatever you imagine.

It's a solution that empowers creative minds and that goes beyond the DIY (do-it-yourself) to embrace all those with a passion and enthusiasm to create unique and innovative solutions in their home and office.

Corkbrick defines two new paradigms: 

1) People can play, have fun while simultaneously create useful sustainable solutions to improve the space you live in; 
2) People can change the space you live in as many times as you need, with no further investment, generating no waste.
 

In terms of dimensions, the "BASE"  is a 20 cm cube;  The "DOUBLE" is the equivalent of two  "BASE" on top of each other. So its a 20x40x20.cm. All the other "brocks" are  just connectors: 1D, 2D, 3D, 4D and T. Hence all objects and structures created are multiples of 20 cm.

BASE(BASE)
 
Seven characteristics of the CORKBRICK system:
1- Accessible, light;
2- Sound and temperature insulation;
3- Useful, ergonomic;
4- Dynamic, flexible, versatile;
5- Sustainable, Natural, circularity;
6- Beautiful, comfortable;
7- Fun, stimulate collaboration and creativity.

2) What are the benefits of Using CORKBRICK?

CORKBRICK can be used to build interior and exterior structures in general and furniture in particular. Although it can be seen as a substitute to classic structures and furniture, in reality CORKBRICK will be understood as a new and unique solution because of its variable application and dimension. With CORKBRICK the user can assemble and disassemble everything in minutes, giving a new use to the same brocks depending on its configuration.

It’s a unique, natural, flexible, simple, easy, durable, resistant, renewable, sustainable, light, sound and thermal-insulation solution to build most of pieces of furniture, walls and  structures with no tools, screws or glue.

CORKBRICK EUROPE is the pioneer in “sustainable dynamic structures and furniture”. With the useful, Eco-friendly, CORKBRICK system, redesigning spaces and transforming furniture becomes easy, fun, and accessible.

Additionally, CORKBRICK is intuitive, practical and creative and can also encourage collaboration among people in family and work environments.

3) Who were the brains behind this idea?

CORKBRICK story started in April 2012 at a Lisbon airport coffee shop, on a trip to Casablanca... a  conversation between Miguel Reynolds Brandão (the father and a serial entrepreneur) and Catarina Reynolds Brandão (the daughter and an architect) about flexibility in home spaces. They were discussing solutions for open spaces, specifically searching for ideas to create dynamic guest rooms in their attic. They needed something simple, scalable, easy to mount and dismount - and, most importantly, dispensing the use of tools, glues, or screws! That was when they first thought of the potential behind a modular construction brick such as the CORKBRICK concept and designed the first sketches.

Ten days later, already back home from Morocco, they resumed their brainstorming and explored the global market to find that nothing fulfilled such imaginative solution! There was no concept available with easy modularity and flexibility to build structures and furniture at home for people, such as them, who were hopeless at DIY - This was the origin of CORKBRICK!

Starting the development stage, the biggest challenge was the optimization of the design of the bricks (or as they called them, the “brocks”!) - finding the lowest possible number of brock designs necessary to ensure the highest number of modular solutions and guaranteeing structural stability.

After a period of research, testing and trial and error, they finally came up with SEVEN optimized brock designs. Seven brocks to build structures in any possible direction, providing a solution for walls, furniture and plenty other creative applications at your heart's desire.

4) How can a structure stand firm (fixed) without tools, glue or screws?

Through it’s interlocking system, the brocks self-sustain themselves and sustain weight.

5) Can I paint brocks?

Better than painting is covering with different materials with the colour you like. CORKBRICK is designed for potential permanent change. If you paint the brocks you compromise this concept and the quality of CORKBRICK. (read this https://corkbrick.com/blogs/news/corkbrick-without-cork-cover-it

6) What If I need a custom design built with CORKBRICK?

If you are planning to do a different and sustainable event;  (re)organize your office, (re) decorate your home or your hotel or hostel, we have a very special and talented team that can build your CORKBRICK personalised Project. Just contact us trough info@corkbrick.com and we will handle the CORKBRICKS for you!  

7) Unlimited exchange warranty. Really?!

CORKBRICK are highly durable and resistant.

However, as our products are 100% recyclable, if your brocks are damaged, at any time you may send them  back and we will replace them for free.

Yes, lifelong exchange warranty for free! You only need to support the costs for shipping the brocks back to CORKBRICK and for us to delivering the new brocks back to you.

Moreover: when the defect or damage is detected within a period of two years from the delivery of the goods and you report it to CORKBRICK within a period of two months from the date of the detection, you will bear no costs at all for returning the items and for the delivery of the new, replacing item.

Notice that we cannot accept brocks that have been altered with other materials (e.g. paints/glues/pins) as the recyclability of the product would be compromised.

DISCLAIMER: 

CORKBRICK Brocks can crumble slightly with its continue use. This crumbling shall not be considered a defect or a damage since it does not affect its use and its functionality. Due to their natural characteristics, all BROCKS should be handled with care and they CAN NOT suffer sudden falls or heavy/sudden impact at the risk of being damaged. The client should also avoid an intensive solar exposure because BROCKS can change their natural colour. Lastly, the client should also avoid rain exposure because BROCKS can change if they get soaked. 

Nevertheless, as we nurture a lifelong relationship with our Fans, we are pleased to offer you an unlimited exchange warranty, under the conditions mentioned here ( 3) EXCHANGE) .

For details on our cancellation, exchange and refund policy check here.

8) How is the shipment policy?

We take care of everything! You just have to order, pay the shipment fee and tell us the delivery address, and your CORKBRICK orders will be delivered at your doorway! 

For details on our shipment policy check here.

9) Do I have to pay taxes on the brocks?

Within the European Union, if you are a company and your company has a valid VAT you do have to pay VAT. If you don’t have a valid VAT, you will have to pay Portugal’s VAT at a rate of 23%.

As an individual, it is likely that you’ll have to pay VAT at the rate applicable in your country. In any case, you’ll always get the opportunity to check the final price you will pay - including VAT, whenever due - before you are asked to confirm your purchase. Sales to countries outside EU don't pay VAT. 

10) Can I make my own creations? Am I rewarded for that?

Yes. You can and we pretty much encourage you to do so! “Corkies” can use our CORKBRICK PLAY APP to create and design a personalised CORKBRICK solution and upload it directly to our platform. After approval of your creation’s originality, usage and practicality (by our Corkbrick Design Team), you will be notified, and your creation will be inserted directly on the CORKBRICK SHOP. You will be automatically rewarded every time someone buys your creation with 3,78% of the sale price from each package sold, for as long as your creation is kept in our list of selling products! But hurry up, as the number of creators we can reward is not unlimited, so be fast and create your solutions at once!

11) How and when do I get paid for my creations? Do I have to pay any taxes?

When creating your personal CORKBRICK account you will have the option to sync your ‘paypal’ account, in order to receive your payment.

The payment is done weekly via the customer’s ‘paypal’. The customer is free to draw money from ‘paypal’ whenever wished.

Taxes on the payment received may vary from country to country. It’s your responsibility to check your national income tax law on any tax due.

13) What types of files can I upload to the library? 

 JPEG; GIF; MP4; SKP; DWG

14) What is a Sustainable Dynamic Structure?

It's a new philosophy to create comfort and happiness, whilst preserving and improving the habitat, managing the space people live in, employing dynamic, sustainable, useful, durable and re-usable structures to build walls, divisions or furniture, that can be easily transformed and adapted to the need of the moment.

It Is a clever response to the urgent need to extend product life cycles creating solutions that will be used and reused over time by more than one generation.

15) What makes investing in CORKBRICK EUROPE so distinctive?

Below, a checklist 18 factors that contribute decisively to our uniqueness:

  1. Disruptive concept: Yes!
  2. Creates a better life for everyone: Yes!
  3. Distinctive and useful intellectual property: Yes!
  4. Patented: Yes! 
  5. Innovative, flexible and profitable business model: Yes!
  6. Manageable execution risk: Yes!
  7. Impact 6 of the 17 UN SDG: Yes!
  8. Diverse Team of experienced entrepreneurs and Young talent: Yes!
  9. High growth potential: Yes!
  10. Previous successful professional funding rounds: Yes!
  11. Proven technology concept with MVP: Yes!
  12. Gender parity: Yes!
  13. Experienced  management team: Yes!
  14. Sources its raw materials from sustainable sources: Yes!
  15. Environmentally minded Company: Yes!
  16. Looking to expand. Yes!
  17. Embraces the ideals of sustainability and equity in their totality: Yes!
  18. It is an example of how to LEVERAGE natural resources to create a SIMPLE, PRACTICAL, BETTER solution that STIMULATE CREATIVITY AND COLLABORATION among people, in family and work environments: Yes!

To learn about the motivations of some of our current shareholders, click here.

16) Which problems CORKBRICK solve? 

  1. The lack of sustainable, Eco-friendly, solutions that can be used at home or office to adequate the space to the need of the moment
  2. The dependence on outsourcing, the difficulty and the cost, to organise, renovate, or design residential, commercial or public spaces in a sustainable way.
  3. The need for permits to renovate or repurposed listed buildings.
  4. The need for an absolute Do It Yourself solution, that anyone can use. (no tools, no manuals, no glue, no screws)

17) Why Corkbrick shop mostly show renderings instead of real pictures?

Three simple reasons:

  1. It is highly efficient and the renderings mimic reality very well, enough to show clearly the solution and how it can be used.
  2. iI reduces our CO2 footprint without compromising the objective of simulating corkbrick solutions to the user in a real application.
  3. It is much faster and cheaper to create the images besides the images can be produced by any of our remote team members regardless of where they are.

18) Is there enough cork in the world? Is cork sustainable?

"Unlike its synthetic counterparts, cork is an inherently sustainable resource, both renewable and biodegradable. The cork oak tree (Quercus suber) is unique in that its thick bark can be stripped off every decade to extract the cork without damaging the trees, which can live 170 to 250 years on average.”

For further details please read this article and this