Cork plays a crucial role in the overall energy performance and energy classification of this building. Well-insulated walls heat up faster and maintain heat longer, reducing energy consumption and improving the health and comfort of the rooms.
Situated in Northern Italy at Besozzo a few minutes from Lake Maggiore, the building was completely refurbished two years ago with cork insulation materials as well as an external cork coating provided by builders and insulation experts Coverd srl.
The company was founded in 1984 with the aim of promoting the use of natural insulating materials in what was then an unexplored green building market. This vision has enabled Coverd srl to establish itself as experts in the field of thermal and acoustic insulation.
As the company says a house needs to ‘breathe’ just like a human organism, with its walls acting as a skin. Cork is nature’s insulator protecting trees from heat, cold and moisture. Similarly, cork can provide well-being and safety when used as a thermo-acoustic insulation of homes.
In nature, cork plays exactly the role that the walls of a well-built house should have: to thermally insulate and create an effective sound barrier, while maintaining the breathability of the building and a healthy protected environment for those who live in them.
In this picture, taken when the villa was being refurbished, some of the cork insulation materials can be clearly seen. The BioVerd system for thermal insulation uses natural blond cork and is certified to European standard ETAG 004, CE marking and compliant with CAM requirements. It consists of the application of SoKoVerd.XL panels 18 cm thick, fixed with quick-setting PraKoV adhesive.
To prevent heat dispersion through the unheated attic, cork is also used to block heat dispersion in winter and prevent outside heat from entering in summer.
The solution adopted is to spread natural blond cork granules SugherLite Media of granule size 4/8mm, for a thickness of 20 cm. Coverd specified the highest quality windows made of wood and aluminium with double glazing. Prior to the installation of the coat and windows and doors, wooden frames with a thermal break in cork were placed to support the shutters.
To finish the project external colours were selected to recall those of nature, integrating perfectly with the external shades.
Further information on this project can be found here.
#sustainableconstruction #sustainablematerials #thermalinsulation #acousticprotection #energyefficiency #energyrating
