Cork House, Eton

Matthew Barnett Howland with Dido Milne and Oliver Wilton (assisted by M&P London Contractors Ltd) for Matthew Barnett Howland + Dido Milne 
GIA: 44m²

 

Cork House (also reviewed by RIBAJ's Eleanor Young) is an ingenious home with solid structural cork walls and roof within the curtilage of a 19th century grade II listed mill house. Prefabricated cork blocks and engineered timber components can be reused or recycled. The expanded cork blocks were made using by-products and waste from forestry and the cork stopper industry, while the whole house is ‘designed for disassembly’ and can be reconstructed by hand. The collaborative team included The Bartlett School of Architecture UCL and other academic and research bodies. The materials give a sense of tranquillity and warmth. This is a truly well thought through, carefully researched project: a noble, momentous model to aspire to.