Architects and designers are finding more and more ways to create products and designs that protect the environment, as shown by these creative cardboard spaces. Cardboard is a versatile material that can be used to build a wide range of structures, from cat homes to prefabricated playgrounds.
Some of the reasons why this material has become more popular is because it's recyclable, easy to build, portable and adaptable. It can be used to build offices, houses, shelters, playhomes and other examples of eco-friendly constructions. In addition to all these fantastic qualities, cardboard feels warm and somehow cozy, making living areas more enjoyable and friendly, even during times of environmental crisis.
Check out these creative cardboard spaces to find unique designs and ideas that help the environment and work toward a better future for humanity.
31 Creative Cardboard Spaces
31
Odd Recyclable Offices
Alrik Koudenburg & Joost van Bleiswijk Design the Nothing Cardboard Bureau
30
Prefabricated Playgrounds
The Play Modern Cuba and 2cuba Playhouses are Built With Minimal Tools
29
Portable Personal Bubbles
MMASA Architects & Cipriano Chas Let You Be a Bubble Boy (or Girl)
28
Corrugated Workspaces
It Aint No Disco In A Cardboard Office, But it Certainly is Creative
27
Luxury Paper Pop-Ups
Hermes + Shigeru Ban Pavilion is an Eco-Friendly Design
26
Cardboard Telescope Installations
Chris Saunter Cuts Through Walls to See the Stars
25
Simple Pop-Up Shelters
Atelier OPA Creates Simple Cardboard Havens That Takes Seconds to Make
24
Cardboard Architecture
Play Houses and Furniture Made of Corrugated Boxes
23
Designer Kiddie Playhomes
The SmartPlayhouse Offers Personal and Stylish Spaces for Children
22
Boxed-Like Abodes
The False Bay Writer's Cabin Boasts Wooden Walls That Rise and Fall
21
Cardboard Creations
Paperpod Housing
20
Creative Construction Sets
Habitadule Provides Endless Building Block Fun for Kids
19
Expandable Shelters
Foldable Shippable Emergency Shelter by Can Koseoglu Design
18
Flatpack Forts
The 'Villa Julia' Cardboard Playhouse Lets Kids Play Designer
17
Personalized Emergency Shelters
Disaster Preparedness Gets Chic With Kelvin Yong's Metaplate
16
Mountainous Dollhouses
The StudioXAG 'Hands On: Design Brought to Life' Exhibit
15
Cardboard Constructed Interiors
The Bloomberg Meeting Space by Lazerian is Paper-Made
14
Minimalist Pet Houses
Cat Home by Leo Kempf
13
Life-Sized Paper Houses
Chinese Architect Responds to Sichuan Earthquake
12
Feline Wigwams
The Cat Tepee Gets Your Cat off of the Couch and into a Place of Its Own
11
Dollhouses Made of Dust
Sculptures From Vacuum Cleaner Dirt
10
Cardboard Castles
Four Guys Create a Fort Fit for Do-It-Yourself Kings
9
Eco-Chic Exhibitions
American Museum of Natural History's Green Dance
8
Recyclable Workspaces
The Cardboard Office
7
Cardboard Cat Houses
The Kitty Dome is a Sustainable Space for Your Furry Feline
6
Disaster Housing Designs
The Octagon Post-Earthquake House
5
Medieval Cardboard Chambers
The 'Hidden Lines' Guest Room by Jeroen van Mechelen
4
Cardboard Pet Homes
The Cutting-Edge ‘SnoozePal' Hammock Is Purrfect For Lazy Felines
3
Homeless Cocoon Shelters
This Nifty Hwang Kim Design Offers Discrete, Portable Outdoor Protection
2
Temporary Reflective Shelters
The Hexayurt Geodesic Dome is the Perfect Nomad Desert Refuge
1
Insect-Inspired Office Additions
The Pupa Pavilion is a Creative and Green Meeting Space
Related Ideas
52 Pop-Up Establishments
Temporary Biz, from Pop-Up Fashion Restaurants to Pop-Up Nightclubs
30 Disaster-Proof Homes
From Post-Quake Container Houses to Inflatable Micro Homes
Naughty Dollies
What Goes On Behind Closed Doors in Dollhouses
Sustainable Shipping Shelters
The Container Guest House is a Cozy and Eco-Friendly Home
Spacious Lake Homes
The Chicken Point Cabin by Olson Kundig Architects is Astounding
Sturdy Refugee Residences
The NIDO Portable Shelter is an Efficient, Effective Homeless Refuge
25 Cardboard Home Accessories
From Blankets to Fake Taxidermy
53 Colossal Castles and Mansions
From Hillside Party Mansions to Cardboard Castles
Puppy Teepees
The Pup Tent by Slade Architecture Lets Your Dog Sleep in Comfort
Pre-Fab Flatpack Shelters
The Pre-Fab AbleNook Offers Economical Disaster Relief Housing
Alarmingly Angled Abodes
House Folded by ALPHAville Architects is a Supremely Slanted Structure
Recycle Awareness Shops
The Coca-Cola Israel Pop-Up Store Educates Visitors on Upcycled Products
Recycled Yard Structures
Backyard House's Beauty Belies in its Building Material of Discarded Wood
Cuddly Collapsable Igloos
The Georgi Djongarski I-Gloobox for Vagabonds is a Luxury Street Home
Vacation Teepees
The Pre-Fabricated Peak Series by Visiondivision
Domed Camping Enclosures
The Spherical BubbleTree Tent is a Futuristic, Pneumatic Abode
Ingenious Eco Displays
Coca-Cola Green Initiative Set to Spark Green Arms Race
On-Demand Housing
Portable Shelter for Environmentally Conscientious Disaster Relief
Sleek Slender Homes
The House Contrast by Key Operation is Narrowly Designed
Panoramic Transparent Pavilions
The Pavillon360 by Glas Marte Offers Users an Unblemished Vista
Playful Lighthearted Lodgings
The Playhouse by Aboday Features Built-In Fun
Animate Urban Installations
Epiphyte Pavilion Will Enhance the Environment of its City Surrounds
Habitable Glass Greenhouses
Garden Shed by Ville Hara Furnishes Around-the-Clock Nature Lovers
Livable Sculptural Installations
The Eco-Desert Retreat is Part Art and Part Sustainable Abode
Egg Shaped Eco Abodes
Daihai Fei Builds a Sustainable Mobile Home in Beijing
Fairytale Garden Castles
Dreaming Spires Willow Playhouses are Designed for Imaginative Play
Bulbous Honeycomb Sculptures
HEXigloo is an Intricate Exploration of Parametric Design
22 Tents and Shelters
From Fireproof House Tents to Hybrid Kayak Shelters
Multifunctional Cat Cocoons
Purrfect Cardboard Cat Shelter Doubles as a Scratching Station
Thunderstorm Interiors
This Sculpture by The Glue Society is Dripping With Meaning
Flat-Packed Playspaces
'My Space' Pop-Up Playhouse Designed by Liya Mairson
Stunning Corrugated Sculptures
Vally Nomidou Makes Perfect Paper People
Advantageous Transit Shelters
The Solar Stop Will Entertain You Until Your Bus Arrives
Wiry Accessory Installations
Jewelry City by WeAreCreative Featured at Designblok 2011
Geometric Cardboard Seats
Lazerian Studio Reveals Recycled Cardboard Furniture in Milan
Pop-Up Cardboard Furniture
Liddy Scheffknecht and Armin B. Wagner Channel Childhood Imagination
Cutting-Edge Corrugated Lumber
Corelam Wood Offers Improved Material Strength
Bicycle Rack Homes
Joseph Bellomo's 'House Arc' Redefines Prefab Housing
Simple Pop-Up Shelters
Atelier OPA Creates Simple Cardboard Havens That Takes Seconds to Make
Domed Sea Creature Structures
This University of Stuttgart Pavilion was Inspired by Biology
Feline Friendly Tents
The Native American Cat Teepee is a New World of Fun
Sophisticated Surreal Sculptures
The Os Gemeos Exhibit Blurs Reality and Fantasy
3D Pork Packaging
D-Torso's Cardboard Box Houses a Ham Within a Pig
Dangerous Retro Playhouses
Playgrounds from the 70s are Modern Bad Ideas
Wearable Portable Shelter
The Lullatic Portable Home is a Haute Life-Saving Apparel
14 Playful Playhouses
From Multi-Purpose Kids Centers to Flatpack Forts
Impromptu Nomad Tents
The Archinoma is Ready to Go at the Drop of a Hat
Designer Kiddie Playhomes
The SmartPlayhouse Offers Personal and Stylish Spaces for Children
Prefab Playhouses
Modern Cabana Takes Its Prefabrication Skill to the Kiddo Cabana
Vibrant Tubular Installations
SOFTLab's Xtra Moenia Sculpture Welcomes Festival Goers Colorfully
Earthquake-Resistant Abodes
The 'Vistas del Angel' Home Could be a Dream House for Many
Forest-Embracing Abodes
Dutchess Country Residence is Made of Wood and Passable Glass
Projected Typographic Installations
Tsang Kin-Wah Presents Font Videos Concerning Serious Issues
Refined Reflecting Ranches
The Glass Farmhouse Enjoys Its Picturesque Setting to the Fullest
LEGO Mud Bricks
The Meco'Press Turns Regular Mud Into Actual Building Blocks
Inflatable Pole-Less Tents
The Cave Tent by Heimplant is Super Easy and Convenient
Crooked Playhouses
Whimsical Play Homes You Can Customize With Paint & Porches
Vibrant Pop-Up Cafes
The ING Express Mobile Coffee Bar is an Eye-Catching Modular Establishment
Psychedelic Children's Bedrooms
Karim Rashid Designs Colorful Furniture for Neoset
Life-Sized Dollhouses
Abandoned Farmhouse Transformed Into Giant Playhouse
Human Bubbles
Defy Gravity and Play Like a Hamster with Waterwalkerz
Ominous Spiked Installations
Ma Yansong Designs an Interesting Piece of Globetrotting Art
Dream Playhouses
This Robert Potokar Treehouse is Every Kid's Dream
Modernized Dollhouses
The Emerson House by Brinca Dada is an Updated Take on the Original
Living Medieval Carpets
Gigantic Carpet of 700,000 Begonias in the Grand-Place, Brussels
Scenic Panoramic Pavilions
The Norwegian Wild Reindeer Center is a Fun-Filled Site
Alluring Digital Designs
These Ryan Rachmanto Works Feature Seductive Iridescent Women
Rope-Knit Canopies
The Netscape Pavilion Takes on a Nautical and Futuristic Form
Playground-Inspired Installations
Carsten Höller Places a Three-Story Slide in the NYC New Mu
Scarf Styling Sessions
Hermes' 'Paris Mon Ami' Campaign Offers Shoppers a Fab Fashion Experience
Boardwalk-Inspired Shops
Dri Dri Pop-Up Creates a Unique Beach Experience
Lopsided Layered Lofts
The Contemporary Black House by BBVH Architecten is a Scenic Beauty
Medieval Retail Developments
The Weilburg Rathaus Terraces Will Replace Parking Spaces
Clustered Cardboard Soundscapes
The Zimoun + Hannes Zweifel Installation Sounds Like Raindrops
Disposable Disaster Photography
Aichi Hirano Gives Japan's Tsunami Victims Disposable Cameras
Personalized Emergency Shelters
Disaster Preparedness Gets Chic With Kelvin Yong's Metaplate
Artificial Catchment Architecture
This Subnature New York Proposal Accrues Clean Water
Flowing Facade Structures
The Wavescape Pavilion Mimics the Waves and Tides of the Ocean
Illusionary Dog Houses
The MySpots Line by Mural Direct Creates Deceiving Doggie Decals
Furniture Accessory Holders
The Dollhouse Chair Jewelery Stand is Adorable yet Useful
Formal Dog Fashion
The Bow Tie Dog Collar Gives Your Pooch Panache
Cardboard Paddle Boats
Eco-Friendly, Water-Worthy DIY Kayaks
Pixelated Box Heavens
Cardboard Cloud Installation by Fantastic Norway Reaches for the Stars
In-House Galleries
Olson Kundig Architects Design an Artist's Dream Studio
Petite Plant Installations
Luzinterruptus 'Implanted Nature' Nurtures the Environment
Eco-Friendly Toy Homes
Solar Powered Bamboo Dollhouse Pleases Children and Saves Planet
Cult-Classic Cookies
Kandy Cakes Celebrates the Jim Henson Classic With Labyrinth Cookies
Teepee Towers
The Swedish Ski Resort is a Little Boy's Fantasy Playground
Clever Coffee Cup Connectors
Smart Holder is a Modular Sleeve for Multiple Styrofoam Cups
Sunset-Simulating Installations
Situational Construction is a Warm Room Bursting With Balloons
Wooden Toy Homes
The 'Wedge House' and the 'Circle House' by Modern Playhouse
Recession-Friendly Rooming
The Unit3 Housing Concept Changes Based on Needs
Cardboard Cat Houses
The Kitty Dome is a Sustainable Space for Your Furry Feline
Tech Teepees
The Abilmo Solar Wifi Teepee Lets You Camp (and Surf the Internet) in Style
Sketch-and-Text Branding
Greenpharma Packaging Incoporates Simplicity and Intricacy
Triangular Teepee Art
Steven Harrington Signed Prints Released on Arkitip
Oversized Cut-Out Artwork
John Cerney Creates Massive Installations
Cardboard Churches
The 1864 Cathedral in New Zealand Will Be Rebuilt Out of Cardboard
Portable Personal Spaces
The Spacebuster is a Pop-Up Inflatable Bubble for Privacy
Lavish Pet Lairs
The Operetta Pet Lounge by Kenneth Cobonpue is Dedicated to Canine Comfort
Bookworm Bus Shelters
Read While You Wait for Transit at the Magazine Kiosk Bus Stop
Temporary Herd-like Shelters
Winnipeg Skating Shelters Mimics Buffalo's Back to the Wind Strategy
Organic Outdoor Shelters
Bleu Nature Fuses Object, Nature and Time In Your Garden
Contemporary Design Dollhouses
Brinca Dada Creates Stylish, Minimalist Miniature Homes
Clandestine Retail Shops
Topshop Pop-Up is Hidden Within Flagship Store as a Florist Shop
Grown-Up Dollhouses
Janine Rewell Wants Your Inner Child to Come Out and Play
Sustainable Clothing Pop-Ups
Nike, Hurley & Otis College 'Considered' Exhibit Centers on Salvation
30 Adorable Pet Innovations
From Animal Employees to Heartwarming Virals
Time-Based Bartering
The Time/Bank Pop-Up Shop Trades Minutes Instead of Money
Bamboo Biofilter Teepees
West Coast Green's Pollution-Protecting Wooden Structures
Homeless Cocoon Shelters
This Nifty Hwang Kim Design Offers Discrete, Portable Outdoor Protection
Animalistic Memo Holders
Yaacov Kaufman Creates a Cute Way to Stay on Task
Polka-Dot Stoves
The AGA Rangemaster ‘Great British Cooker' Line for Retro Glam Kitche
Homeless Public Transit
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Gives Homeless Free Rides
Oversized Hat Exhibits
Erwin Wurm Creates a Giant Police Hat for Vienna's Law Enforcement
UFO-Inspired Pet Sleepers
The Hepper Pod Pet Bed is a Unique Retreat for Your Tired Pets
Abstract Spaghetti Branding
iPates Pasta Packaging Appeals to the Young and Hungry
Multi-Purpose Kids' Centers
The Deskhouse is a Children's Playhouse and Art Desk
Repackaging Communities
'A Box Life' Tracks the Lives of Reused Cardboard Shipping Boxes
Dapper Dog Fashion
Wall Street Dog Trench Coats are Cute, Cuddly Couture
Pampered Pet Accessories
The $900 Dog High Chair by Rockstar Puppy is for Discerning Dog Owners
Tranquil Desert Eco Enclaves
The Banyan Tree Al Wadi Luxe Resort Cohabitates on a Nature Reserve
Garden Gnome Merchandizing
Norsk Ol Packaging Includes Fetching Folklore Refrences
Lab-Approved Candelabras
The Minerals Collection by Lazerian Looks Like a Set of Beakers
Toothy Beverage Branding
Kido Milk Packaging Smiles About Calcium for Your Pearly Whites
Perfectly Staged Lamps
Confused Direction Sets the Scene for the Melle Lamp