Azoia House Nominated for Archello’s House of the Year

SAMF Arquitectos’ residential project in Azóia, Portugal, combines architectural integration with the thermal, acoustic and durability benefits of expanded cork insulation in an EIFS façade system. Insulation

Azóia House, designed by SAMF Arquitectos, has been nominated for the Archello Awards in the category of House of the Year (Rural) – Medium, bringing international recognition to a project that explores the relationship between architecture, materiality and the surrounding landscape.

Located on the rugged coastline of Azóia, Portugal, the house responds to a challenging natural environment shaped by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Although the sea is not directly visible from ground level, its presence can be felt through the salty air, the humidity of the northwesterly winds and the intense reflected sunlight.

The project reinterprets an existing building composed of a windmill and interconnected volumes, seeking to integrate the house into its surroundings while preserving the landscape as a central element of the architectural experience.

Expanded cork for high-performance façades

Energy efficiency was a key consideration throughout the design process, with the architects aiming to minimize the home's energy consumption through an integrated passive design strategy.

The building envelope plays an essential role in achieving this objective. Thick layers of Expanded Insulation Corkboard (ICB) by Amorim Cork Solutions wrap the exterior walls, helping to limit heat transfer and maintain comfortable indoor conditions throughout the year.

With a thermal conductivity of 0.039 W/m·K, expanded cork provides effective thermal insulation. Its high specific heat capacity and enhanced thermal lag also contribute to the thermal inertia of the building, helping to moderate indoor temperature fluctuations.

This approach complements other carefully considered architectural features, including deeply recessed south-facing windows and insulated wooden shutters on the remaining façades, which help control solar exposure.

The same attention to climate-responsive design extends to the roof. White, ventilated roof tiles help reduce summer heat gain, while interior cross-ventilation supports natural cooling. Combined with the thermal performance of the insulated walls, these measures allow the house to dispense with air conditioning.

Beyond thermal insulation, expanded cork offers water vapor permeability, acoustic insulation, mechanical stability and high durability. These properties make it particularly suitable for exterior insulation systems, contributing to the long-term performance of the building envelope, even in demanding coastal environments.

For SAMF Arquitectos, the choice also reflects a long-standing preference for expanded cork as an exterior insulation solution, informed by experience working with different construction materials:

“In our firm, for several years now, the preferred solution for exterior walls has been thermal ceramic brick masonry, clad with an ETICS system made of expanded cork. Cork not only promotes better ventilation of the interior but also offers all the advantages as sound insulation and durability, which, in our view, more than make up for the higher cost.”
SAMF Arquitectos

The architects also highlight the material's distinctive contribution to the construction experience, describing a noticeable sense of hygrothermal comfort once the cork boards have been installed on site.

Portuguese cork, local resources and sustainable construction

The choice of expanded cork also brings a Portuguese dimension to the project. Manufactured at Amorim Cork Solutions' industrial facilities in Vendas Novas, ICB is made entirely from cork, a natural and renewable raw material sourced in Portugal.

Its production process relies on the natural expansion and agglomeration of cork granules through the action of their own natural resin, suberin, without requiring additional synthetic adhesives.

This combination of Portuguese resources, industrial expertise and material performance offers an alternative to conventional synthetic insulation materials, reinforcing the role of natural materials in contemporary construction.

Recognition for a considered architectural approach

The nomination for the Archello Awards provides an opportunity to highlight a project in which material selection is closely connected to architectural intent and environmental conditions.

At Azóia House, expanded cork insulation is an integral part of a broader passive design strategy, demonstrating how natural materials can contribute to energy efficiency, indoor comfort and the durability of contemporary residential architecture.

For Amorim Cork Solutions, the project illustrates the versatility of expanded cork insulation in high-performance building envelopes and the value of working closely with architects to meet the technical and design requirements of each project.