“Cork as a building material has much to recommend it,” [the client] said via email. “It is itself a sustainable material, as trees are not destroyed in its harvesting. It has great insulating properties, both for heat retention — we rarely have to turn on the under-floor heating — and for sound — I use it as a recording studio. It is also aesthetically very pleasing. It has practically a zero carbon footprint.”

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In Portugal, cork is cheaper than other materials because of its abundance. Elsewhere in Europe, cork can be slightly more expensive, depending on use. “The cost was approximately 30 percent more in comparison to a normal render facade,” .... “But that was due to the detailing of the seamless joints and sharp corners. We suspect that a timber facade cladding with those minimalist details would have cost the same.”