Cork vacuum, RVs point to design renaissance

In Vancouver, online publication Yanko Design has done a deep dive on cork, the spongey bark material most often associated with wine. The extensive list of innovative uses demonstrate the design community’s interest in cork’s unique properties and point to growing use of cork in everyday life. 

Designers Ivo Erichsen and Tobbias Bihlmeyer present probably the most outside-of-the-box use for cork present on the list. Erichsen and Bihlmeyer propose a vacuum cleaner with a cork body that the non-cork elements can be folded neatly inside of—essentially hiding the unsightly appliance in plain sight as an end table or ottoman. 

Another designer, Element 0, recently designed a sneaker that incorporates recycled cork into its outsole. Other renewable materials in the unisex kicks include wool, corn-fiber, and latex. Grovemade has created an apple watch dock incorporating cork, while Fanoos has used cork in a planter that features both lighting element and an emergency medical response button for the elderly. Barcelona’s ERA Architects hopes to encourage sustainable tourism with its Pinea Mobile Ecological RV, which incorporates cork into the furniture and roof. 

Other cork products in Yanko’s roundup include credit card holders, furniture, and headphones