Portuguese Cork at Guggenheim NY

Yesterday Guggenheim NY announced winner of Design It: Shelter Competition Portuguese Architect David Mares, 26 years old.  The Shelter Project Brief required considering human needs for safety and comfort, as well as the relationship between architecture and place.  The Architect designed a cork shelter as a ecological living block adapted for micro-climate such as Portugal, that ranges from the dry heat to damp cold. The use of Cork in this project reflected the importance of Portugal being largest producer in the world, supplying 50% of cork harvested annually worldwide. Cork is a natural product and cork oak stands tend to support several wildlife communities. Although many synthetic products have been competing with cork still is very appreciated by its natural properties. In Portugal there are now 20,642 hectares of FSC’s certified cork forests, says WWF.