CORK HOUSE

WITH A FAÇADE MADE WITH CORK, THIS STUNNING HOME BY INÊS BRANDÃO ARQUITECTURA LDA IN PORTUGAL IS RAISING THE BAR WHEN IT COMES TO SUSTAINABLE DESIGN.

Located in the stunning pine forest area in Aroeira, on the south side of Tejo River, this home is the perfect location for a second home due to its proximity to the Portuguese coast. However, in more recent times, this area has seen a lot of devastation due to high demand, which was a matter of concern to the architects.

The building with the cork façade enables camouflaging of the house with its natural surrounding while also being a sustainable option.

“For us, as architects, it is imperative to counter this careless trend of replacing pine trees with construction. Our goal was to integrate the building into the surrounding landscape by choosing a strategic position to settle the house and by selecting cork as the main covering layer - a camouflage around the trunks of the pine trees,” says Ines, the Principal Architect and mastermind behind this unique home.

A wooden stairway leads to the first floor of the house.

Cork served the purpose both theoritically and in terms of feasibility. While it helped in seamlessly merging the house with the pine trees, the material, being completely natural, was also environment friendly. Besides cork’s higher thermal inertia was ideal to ensure insulation for the house.

The house is developed into two volumes with opposite directions to segregate the social and private areas

PLANNING RIGHT

The client desired a space that was special, where his family and friends could gather, interact, and socialise. He wanted a house that on the one hand would have a practical and playful character, encouraging an active social life, and on the other hand, would allow the creation of a shelter for himself.