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EverBlock: Supersized Lego for modular building

EverBlock: Supersized Lego for modular building
EverBlocks sport protruding nubs and corresponding sockets. They interlock with some applied force and can then be stacked together
EverBlocks sport protruding nubs and corresponding sockets. They interlock with some applied force and can then be stacked together
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A bookshelf made using EverBlock
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A bookshelf made using EverBlock
A dining table made using EverBlock
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A dining table made using EverBlock
A dividing wall made using EverBlock
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A dividing wall made using EverBlock
Applications for the blocks include dining room tables, shelves, assorted furniture, and dividing walls
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Applications for the blocks include dining room tables, shelves, assorted furniture, and dividing walls
Walls can be reinforced with tubes, steel, or PVC rods
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Walls can be reinforced with tubes, steel, or PVC rods
An armchair made of plastic blocks? That would be the EverBlock model
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An armchair made of plastic blocks? That would be the EverBlock model
A coffee table made using EverBlock
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A coffee table made using EverBlock
The company currently offers four different-sized plastic blocks
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The company currently offers four different-sized plastic blocks
The blocks themselves function pretty much exactly as anyone with experience of Lego would expect
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The blocks themselves function pretty much exactly as anyone with experience of Lego would expect
For those interested in building something with EverBlock, single full-size block will set you back US$7.25, while a bulk pack of 18 large blocks costs $125.10
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For those interested in building something with EverBlock, single full-size block will set you back US$7.25, while a bulk pack of 18 large blocks costs $125.10
EverBlock also plans to move into the disaster relief and military shelter space
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EverBlock also plans to move into the disaster relief and military shelter space
A corporate event space made using EverBlock bricks
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A corporate event space made using EverBlock bricks
Entrepreneur, investor, and perennial tinkerer Arnon Rosan's background includes experience as a manufacturer of modular plastic flooring, fencing, and roadway systems
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Entrepreneur, investor, and perennial tinkerer Arnon Rosan's background includes experience as a manufacturer of modular plastic flooring, fencing, and roadway systems
A room divider made using EverBlock
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A room divider made using EverBlock
A sofa made using EverBlock
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A sofa made using EverBlock
A table and shelves made using EverBlock
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A table and shelves made using EverBlock
EverBlocks sport protruding nubs and corresponding sockets. They interlock with some applied force and can then be stacked together
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EverBlocks sport protruding nubs and corresponding sockets. They interlock with some applied force and can then be stacked together
View gallery - 17 images

New York City-based entrepreneur, investor, and perennial tinkerer Arnon Rosan drew inspiration from everyone's favorite construction toy to create a modular building system. Functioning very much like supersized Lego, EverBlock is promoted as suitable for building modular furniture, dividing walls, and even a habitable shelter – no glue, or specialist tools required.

Rosan's background includes experience as a manufacturer of modular plastic flooring, fencing, and roadway systems, in addition to military and disaster relief applications, so he was well-positioned to come up with an idea like EverBlock.

The blocks themselves function pretty much exactly as anyone with experience of Lego would expect
The blocks themselves function pretty much exactly as anyone with experience of Lego would expect

The company currently offers four different sized plastic blocks in an array of colors. There's a full-size 12 x 6-in (30 x 15 cm) block, a half-size 6 x 6-in (15 x 15 cm) block, a 3 x 6-in (7.5 x 15 cm) quarter-block, and a smooth finishing cap. A footing and shelving system is planned next, followed by roofing and a number of unspecified additional shapes.

The blocks themselves function just as you'd expect. Sporting protruding nubs and corresponding sockets, they interlock together with some applied force and can be stacked together. To disassemble, a small flathead screwdriver is recommended for extra leverage.

The kind of structures that anyone could get started with include dining room tables, shelves, assorted furniture, and dividing walls. Brackets can be drilled into structures like dividing walls to ensure that they are safely secured, and advanced techniques include adding LED lighting strips and tubes, steel, wooden dowels, and PVC rod reinforcements.

For those interested in building something with EverBlock, single full-size block will set you back US$7.25, while a bulk pack of 18 large blocks costs $125.10
For those interested in building something with EverBlock, single full-size block will set you back US$7.25, while a bulk pack of 18 large blocks costs $125.10

EverBlock also plans to move into modular building construction, with disaster relief and military shelters targeted specifically. We quizzed Rosan as to the plastic block's efficacy as a shelter, given their lack of insulation.

"There is a strong need for rapidly deployable rigid shelters that transport compactly and efficiently yet provide durability and a more substantial feel," says Rosan. "While tents are great, having a rigid block wall offers a greater level of protection and prevents unauthorized entry. EverBlock would offer superior protection to most tents and heat and air conditioning could be provided within the shelter.

"We haven't sold any blocks yet for military or relief use, but I think its only a matter of time until governments and aid agencies see the value in having a rapidly deployable building system that is so versatile and re-useable. It would be possible to add a simple corrugated metal roofing or even a tent/style roof."

For those interested in getting started with EverBlock, a single full-size block will set you back US$7.25, while a bulk pack of 18 blocks costs $125.10.

Source: EverBlock

View gallery - 17 images
10 comments
10 comments
Mark Salamon
If I were awarding a grade to the "EverBlock", I might give it a "C" for cleverness, but in other respects I think it fails as a 21st century solution. Perhaps if these blocks were manufactured from low-cost, sustainable and recyclable materials, instead of being sourced from fossil petroleum, they would fill a niche in the market. But as they are constituted now, they are prohibitively expensive for anything but use as a novelty item, and they seem to be the type of plastic that would litter the planet for an eternity.
Timelord
Somebody pitched essentially the same idea on the old American Inventor TV show back in 2007. I wonder if it was Rosen. I remember the person making the ludicrous claim that the plastic he would use was fireproof.
andyfreeze
This is an idea still looking for the mesiah. A hebel block of similar proportions costs 22b in thailand, about a $1 AUD. this costs $7.25. BIG FAIL. Low cost, sustainable materials mixed with this idea would be a win win win. At the price point, its purely a novelty item. The makers failed to grasp the big picture.
PaulC.Dickie
I recall a similar product being made in the 1960s.
Called "Inca Brix" (sic), the building blocks were just a shell which could be glued together using the usual solvent cement and which could be filled with poured concrete.
I expect this latest version will be nearly as successful.
Tom Lee Mullins
I think it has a lot of potential and possibilities for someone who is very creative.
the.other.will
Rosan didn't really answer the question about lack of insulation. Better than a tent is obvious.
Lbrewer42
What is it with the LEGO concept and price gouging? No matter who does it, and what size they are, the prices are astronomically more than production costs (yes, I used to work in plastics).
JimSiesfeld
Shoveling dirt into a bag, then stomping on the bag to make the bag a firm "brick-like" form likely costs fractions of a penny in terms of production costs, saves many dollars in environmental costs by removing plastic bags from the environment, and surely adds to the GDP by employing persons for wage or barter to collect the bags and shovel the dirt.
The end result, assuming the engineering is proper and construction oversight is sound, will be lasting refuge for humanity.
If you want plastic? Go to the middle of the oceans and start scooping it up. There is plenty there for the taking, and it is free.
JS
Eddy XLR
In the Netherlands and Belgium we have been using GIANT-BLOCKS lego made from concrete for the last 10 or 20 years. Handy, cheap, fireproof, ideal for making temparal big deposit boxes for grain or sand.
NobabKhan
Since it for children, no mother would want her child to fall of the bed.http://acoolmall.com/cheap-bedroom-furniture-discount-3-panel-screen-4-room-divider/