Cortiça e Construção

Abstract

After years of being used as stoppers, cork lately arose as a viable choice in architecture and construction. Starting of as an hidden solution, i.e. being used in thermal and acoustic insulation, it is today a material of choice used in several applications, like wall, floor or ceiling coverings, allowing a dual function of Coating/Insulation using only one material. With the increasing environmental awareness and concern to move towards a sustainable development in construction, cork, due to its ecologically value and unique properties emerges as an interesting choice, thanks to its versatility and recyclability. In Portugal, considering its social and economic importance, and with more and more examples being built using cork, the choice of this material has valued the best that the country has, and also contributed to the sustainability of construction. Furthermore, its applications are increasingly diverse, making cork an innovative material to be used in architecture, functioning as a bridge between tradition and modernity. Following this new solutions using cork and trying to get the best of its advantages, one new cork block is proposed, using expanded cork agglomerated in modular construction, and therefore taking new steps towards a more sustainable construction, economically and ecologically.