Wilton, O;
Barnett Howland, M;
(2020)
Cork: an historical overview of its use in building construction.
Construction History
, 35
(1)
pp. 1-22.
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Abstract
This paper is an intimate portrait of cork used as a construction material, in a history that stretches back over millennia. Cork is the outer bark of Quercus suber, the cork oak tree, harvested around once a decade in a process of stripping that does not harm the tree. The unusual combination of physical and chemical properties of cork has led to its exploitation in a broad range of construction materials and components. This paper traces the changing status of cork as a construction material through time and reveals how its use in architecture has evolved. The paper is structured according to three identifiable chronological phases: early uses from Nuragic to pre-industrial times, the Industrial Revolution and the emergence of Modern Architecture, and the mid-twentieth century to the present day. These are illustrated through case studies which are critically appraised and provide a context for addressing the current status of cork as a bio-renewable construction material.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Cork: an historical overview of its use in building construction |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Publisher version: | https://www.constructionhistory.co.uk/publications... |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Cork, Quercus suber, architecture, construction, building, history, manufacture, sustainability |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > The Bartlett School of Architecture |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10103914 |
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