Dutch Design Week 2026
From Field to Refuge: Cork at Dutch Design Week 2026
Amorim Cork Solutions contributed decorative cork-at-sight panels from its MD Facade® Waves Series to an experimental installation exploring how natural materials can shape more comfortable and inclusive spaces. BlogHow can natural materials contribute to spaces that support human wellbeing?
This question lies at the heart of From Field to Refuge – Designing Calm Through Sustainable Materials, an experimental project developed by the Creative Interdisciplinary New European Bauhaus (NEB) Research Centre at Vilnius Academy of Arts and presented at Dutch Design Week 2026, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
The project explores how natural, renewable and secondary raw materials can be transformed into innovative materials, surfaces, acoustic elements, furniture and spatial solutions. Cork, hemp, flax, bacterial cellulose, eggshells and wood and textile by-products were among the materials investigated.
At the centre of the exhibition was REFUGE, an experimental acoustic space designed to explore how materiality, acoustics, light and textures can contribute to calmer, more comfortable and inclusive environments. By considering different sensory needs and the importance of spaces for retreat, the project highlights how inclusive design can begin with the environment itself.
Amorim MD Facade® Waves Series: cork as part of the experience
Designed to respond to the creative demands of contemporary architecture, the MD Facade® Waves collection combines the natural character of cork with decorative patterns that offer new possibilities for interior and exterior applications.
For From Field to Refuge, decorative cork-at-sight panels from the Waves Series were directly integrated into the construction of REFUGE. Their distinctive relief and natural texture became part of the installation itself, allowing visitors to experience cork as an architectural surface rather than simply as a material sample.
The installation demonstrates how cork can contribute to architectural environments, bringing material expression into a wider exploration of comfort, sensory experience and human wellbeing.
Dutch Design Week provided an international platform for the project, bringing together designers, architects, researchers and industry professionals. The exhibition also generated interest in the technological potential and future applications of the materials and prototypes on display.
For Amorim Cork Solutions, this participation represents another opportunity to explore new applications for cork through collaboration between industry, research and design, building on the previous CORK CROSS project presented at the Lithuanian Pavilion of the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2025.
