Cork Houses in Italy

the premium cork houses Traces of which still exist date back to the times of the Egyptians and Babylonians. And in ancient Greece, the cork oak was considered a symbol of freedom and honor, which only priests could fell. Cork is making a comeback, thanks to its qualities as a natural, safe material with excellent thermal and acoustic insulation. And we even have houses entirely covered in cork.

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From the province of Milan to that of Ragusa, from Lombardy to Sicily: the number of projects is increasing eco-sustainable homes with the coverings in corkElegant, comfortable homes, well integrated into the local landscape and able to exploit all the benefits of cork.

As in the case of Villa Nemini Temeriin province of Ragusa, built based on a project by architect Giovanni Benedetti in collaboration with the Errante Architetture studio and the Darch2 studio of architect Danilo Demaio.

The Sicilian villa features its entire exterior clad in cork panels, mounted side by side. This gives the building's walls the appearance of a single, continuous structure, providing insulation and soundproofing. Its colors are perfectly in tune with the trees and natural environment surrounding the villa.

Equally extraordinary is the two-story villa, built in the province of Milan, reminiscent of a rural home, with rice straw and cork insulation. The total area is approximately 200 square meters, and the project was designed by architect Luca Compri of the Varese-based studio LCA.

Advantages of cork for green building

Il cork It is to be considered in all respects one of the more eco-sustainable and ecological materials for constructionBiocompatible, recyclable, free of chemical components, cork has a fundamental quality: perfectly insulatingAnd this makes homes with cork insulation cool in summer and well-heated in winter. Temperature stability is linked to the fact that cork is a high-density natural material, hence its excellent thermal inertia values.

Other qualities of cork applied to construction, both for new buildings and for energy requalification interventions, are: its elasticity and lightness, the fact of being very porous e breathable (Hence the complete lack of humidity.) Cork is resistant to mold and doesn't burn as quickly as wood, and it's sound-absorbent. Ultimately, the cork insulation allows the home to breathe freely and significantly reduces indoor and noise pollution.

Cork panels

I cork panels are often used for the redevelopment interventions, from roofs to exterior walls, from partitions to floors. The material is, in fact, an excellent acoustic insulator. It also has excellent thermal insulation properties, high thermal inertia (which prevents algae formation on the façade), and excellent breathability. And it is completely safe in terms of harmful emissions: in the case of cork, they are zero.

Where cork is produced

Cork is obtained from decortication of cork oak barkThe main areas of distribution of this plant are Portugal and Spain, and the Mediterranean countries in general. It is no coincidence that the world's leading cork-producing country, widely used in the wine industry for the production of cork stoppers, is Portugal, which accounts for 53 percent of the entire global cork turnover. Other Mediterranean areas where cork is produced include Corsica, southern France, and North Africa.

As far as Italy is concerned, the regions with the highest density of cork oaks are the Sicilia, Sardinia , Grosseto Maremma.

Costs of cork houses

The only real problem with the use of cork in construction concerns the cost of material, still very high. Both due to the limited quantities in circulation compared to its enormous qualities, and the installation costs.

Overall a cork house has costs around 1.000-1.200 euros per square meter. A much cheaper solution is to stick to cork panels to create a thermal coatThe cost of the panel, before installation, is between 40 and 55 euros per square meter.

Cover image source: LCA Architects

Cork Houses: Advantages, Techniques, and Costs