On top of a haystack, five kilometers from Evora, the Ecorkhotel has been built, with the principal external walls clad in expanded cork. It is a four-star hotel, located in Évora an area rich in cork forests, where the ferocious summer heat can make building insulation a very important factor. The hotel as used the concept of Eco Tourism as a main selling point, using solar and geothermal energy as the principal sources of power, building using locally sourced clay and recycling water. And of course the expanded cork used for insulation is 100% natural, using the resin contained within the cork to bond the cork granules together.
Cork and expanded cork in particular has seen rapid growth in sales in the construction sector over the last 10 years in part because of growing knowledge about its green credentials and unique insulation characteristics, but also because the cork sector has seen numerous innovations to make the appearance of cork building products more attractive to bring out the natural beauty of cork (so for example in cork flooring panels and wall coverings). There are three different densities of expanded cork that can be used for cladding, depending on exactly how it is going to be used.
If you would like more information about the range of cork materials for the construction sector we have available, please contact us.
