Square Panda is an architectural, design and illustration studio based in Lisbon. Bruno Maltez, the team spokesman, answers AA’s questions.

Could you present us your activity?
Square Panda is a growing studio in Lisbon that loves to connect people. We try to destroy the boundaries between work and life, bringing people together, because we believe that nowadays work and life have completely merged.  We develop coworking and collaborative spaces, where every day is a good day to get inspired, to learn, to get healthier and to make new friends. ‘I think with ink’ is our work motto; it all starts with that moment when you are challenged with a white sheet of paper, turning ideas into architectural spaces, illustrations or furniture.

You have been collaborating with GENCORK, which is participating to this year’s Maison & Objets Projets edition. Could you tell us about your relationship and the beginning of your cooperation?
We started our collaboration back in 2015, when at Square Panda we were designing NOW, a coworking space at Marvila – Lisbon. They instantly became our partners, and it’s better than a partnership, it’s a friendship based on mutual respect and admiration. Cork is a national treasure, its acoustic and thermal technical features are impressive, but GENCORK designers’ creativity and knowledge bring even more nobility to the material, involving surprising organic patterns. At Healthcare city – an incubator space for healthcare startups – we tried two amazing patterns from GENCORK that transformed the entrance and brought some visual comfort and identity to the interior space.

Why have you chosen GENCORK among all the other brands with which you could have worked with?
At Square Panda we really give importance to the people behind the materials and installations. At GENCORK, the designers are brilliant and communicative, and that communication and enthusiasm makes us want to work with them. We really think they respect cork and admire the way they’ve transformed it into something vibrant and new. Their product stands out from the competition and makes me believe that when we transform brands into friends, the future can just be promising.

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