Cork Screw House, designed by Rundzwei Architekten in Berlin, has a facade and roof clad with waste cork from the production process for making wine-bottle corks.
The rectangular-shaped panels of cork provide a thermally efficient skin for the house, while also creating a bold, "monolithic" aesthetic.
Rundzwei Architekten's decision to use the material was result of its search for a material that had a high acoustic performance, which also led it to discover the environmental benefits of using the material.

"Initially it was through the client's interest in achieving good acoustic performance that we came across this unusual choice of material," said the Berlin-based studio, led by Marc Dufour-Feronce and Andreas Reeg. "However natural cork also has very high insulation values and is well suited to use as cladding. The choice of this material contributes significantly to the energy efficiency and sustainability of the building."

Cork Screw House's facade panels were made through a sustainable process of heating and pressurising waste cork granules, which were acquired from a bottle manufacturer.
Heating cork causes it to release a natural resin that binds its granules together, forming lightweight, durable slabs that can be cut to a desired size.

Inside the house, there are a series of bright, open split-level floors made from timber, which are positioned around a spiralling staircase at its centre.
They sit atop a concrete base, which ...