Building with eco-friendly materials has become increasingly popular but one surprising development is the creation of cardboard structures. Designers have put the sturdy material to use in building permanent shelters in an effort to use recycled materials. This list is composed of examples of sustainable architecture that incorporate cardboard.
Retailers have taken advantage of cardboard's sustainable image to build eco-friendly stores. Spaces like recyclable bookstores and cardboard retail shops appeal to the eco-conscious consumer in a fun and creative way. By showing how sustainable they are, retailers are able to effortlessly increase sales while saving the environment.
Other designers have leveraged the tough material to help those in need. Structures like homeless cocoon shelters and simple pop-up shelters help those in need of a temporary shelter in a cheap and eco-friendly manner.
25 Sustainable Cardboard Structures
25
Cardboard Box Pop-Up Shops
Naver App Square is a Cool Temporary Store by Urbantainer
24
Odd Recyclable Offices
Alrik Koudenburg & Joost van Bleiswijk Design the Nothing Cardboard Bureau
23
Recyclable Bookstores
The Foldaway Bookshop is Earth and User-Friendly
22
Prefabricated Playgrounds
The Play Modern Cuba and 2cuba Playhouses are Built With Minimal Tools
21
Tubular Retail Spaces
Karis by Suppose Design Creates Wonder From Cardboard
20
Coiled Cardboard Structures
The Living Nature Pavilion Explores How Space and Light Interact
19
Cardboard Retail Shops
The Bombed Mache By Ksubi
18
Luxury Paper Pop-Ups
Hermes + Shigeru Ban Pavilion is an Eco-Friendly Design
17
Miniature Paper Cities
The 'Paper Metropolis' by Kiel Johnson Redefines Building Blocks
16
100% Recycled Home
The CardBoard House
15
Simple Pop-Up Shelters
Atelier OPA Creates Simple Cardboard Havens That Takes Seconds to Make
14
Cardboard Conference Cells
The Cellulose Meeting Pod Encourages Interactivity in Workplaces
13
Cardboard Room
Disposable Design at its Finest
12
Shipping Palette Retailers
The CLAE Pop-Up Shop is Designed With Sustainability in Mind
11
Flatpack Forts
The 'Villa Julia' Cardboard Playhouse Lets Kids Play Designer
10
Life-Sized Paper Houses
Chinese Architect Responds to Sichuan Earthquake
9
Cardboard Castle Constructions
Japanese Artist Upunushu Recreateas the Wondrous Matsumoto Castle
8
Crafted Paper Bridges
Shigeru Ban Built a River-Spanning Bridge Out of 281 Cardboard Tubes
7
Cardboard Churches
The 1864 Cathedral in New Zealand Will Be Rebuilt Out of Cardboard
6
Disaster Housing Designs
The Octagon Post-Earthquake House
5
Medieval Cardboard Chambers
The 'Hidden Lines' Guest Room by Jeroen van Mechelen
4
Cardboard Bridges
Japanese Architect's Eco-Friendly Bridge in France
3
Homeless Cocoon Shelters
This Nifty Hwang Kim Design Offers Discrete, Portable Outdoor Protection
2
Cardboard Cafes
B3 Designers at London Design Festival
1
Cavernous Cardboard Structures
The Cardboard Pavillion is a Great Example of Creative Architecture
Related Ideas
Recycled Plastic Tiny Homes
Gary Bencheghib's Home in Bali is Made with 35,000 Plastic Bags
Eco-Minded Micro Cabins
The Magnolia Eco-Cabin is Simple and Sustainable
Shipping Container Homes
Rakhee Shobhit Design Associates Creates Two Residential Units in India
Multi-Material Home Composters
The Conceptual 'Toggle' Compost Bin Accepts Food Waste and Paper
Sustainable Lightweight Cat Toys
A Team of Designers Create the Pet-Friendly Cat Box
Dark-Green Minimal Cabins
Scalar Architecture Introduces a New Quaint Forest Cabin for a Family
Sustainable Speaker Packaging
Sonos' Packaging Shares a Premium, User-Friendly Experience
Sculptural Refugee Shelters
This Refugee Shelter Design Focuses on Flexibility and Airflow
Experimental Low-Carbon Housing
Velux & EFFEKT Debut Is Low-Carbon Housing Designs in Copenhagen
Pink-Hued Shipping Container Homes
These Pink Shipping Container Homes by Ishita Ganguly are Chic
3D-Printed House Neighborhoods
EYRC and Mighty Buildings Develop the Suburbs of the Future
Cat-Centric Compact Homes
This Japanese Dwelling Embraces Feline-Friendly Design Choices
Displaced Persons House Designs
The Essential Homes Research Project Has a Bunker-Like Form
Compressed Toilet Paper Boxes
Bambox Changes the Way Tissues are Dispensed by Removing the Roll
Fully Recyclable 3D-Printed Homes
The BioHome3D is Constructed from Sustainable Materials
Flexible Plywood-Made Pet Houses
The TUTO Pet House by Serhii Hotvianskyi is Modern Yet Functional
Paper-Like Coffee Tables
The 'Cocoon' Coffee Table by Deniz Aktay Has a Folded Form
Sustainable Pop-Up Shelters
The Maawa X is Ultra-Compact and Can Fit into a Suitcase
Eco-Minded Modular Cabins
The DUB Modular Cabin Has a Cost-Effective Construction
Envelope-Packaged Couch Designs
The 'Couch in an Envelope' is Modular and 100% Recyclable
Future Building Material Exhibitions
The Farrell Centre Debuts Its Inaugural Exhibition
Furniture Waste-Made Toys
ÉCAL Students Redefine What a Sustainable Toy Is
Workplace-Friendly Doghouses
The 'Barc' Dog Kennel is Stylish Enough for Placement in an Office
Serenely Stilted Houses
This Sustainable Tiny Home is Situated On An Elevated Platform
Temporary Cabin Hotels
Overtreders W Utilized Locally Sourced Materials for This Project
High-Tech Eco-Conscious Furniture
The WoodenWood Project Upcycles and Utilizes Robotic Printing
Vehicular Shipping Container Homes
The Conceptual Jeep Container Home Supports Off-Grid Living
Adaptable Wallet Designs
The 'EcoBound' Modular Wallet Has a Durable, Convenient Design
Reusable Paper-Made Water Bottles
The 'reU' Reusable Water Bottle Concept is Recyclable
Consolidated Camping Shelters
The 'Space Acacia' System is Hyper-Durable and Waterproof
Sustainable German Homes
Atelier Kaiser Shen Design a Sustainable & Clean Home in a German Village
Cardboard-Inspired Breathable Sneakers
adidas Introduces the Samba Cardboard Sneaker Model
Recycled Material Lamp Designs
The 'Cozy Cleo' Lamp from EveryOtherDay is Eco-Friendly
Ocean-Cleaning Island Cities
Estudio Focaccia Prieto Conceptualizes Self-Sustaining Island Cities
Sustainable Floating Cork Homes
Studio RAP Designs the Float Home Made from Cork and Timber
Educational Climate Change Toys
The 'Habitat' Educational Toy Brick Sets Come in Two Options
Recycled Material Pendant Lights
These ZBOZHZHA Pendant Lights are Made with Cardboard and Paper
Flax Fiber Floating Homes
The Conceptual 'Blue Nomad' Floating Home is Sustainable
Wooden Offcut Facades
Kolman Boye Architects Practice Sustainability with This New Project
Cardboard Box Furniture
The 'Karton' Furniture Collection by Illya Goldman Gubin is Sturdy
TV Packaging Seating Solutions
The 'Cuna' Furniture by Valeria Coello is Made Out of Cardboard
Eco-Friendly Bio-Composite Roof Tiles
Studio SKLIM's Lo-Hi Tech Project with Solar Paneling
Bendable Bio-Inspired Materials
The HygroShell is a Self-Constructing Timber Building System
Sustainable Fashion Stores
Cos Unveils Two Stores in Stockholm and Mexico City
Flat-Packed Dog Kennels
Foster + Partner Designs the Barc in a Variety of Sizing Options
Hempcrete-Accented Patchwork Facades
Cathie Curran Designs the Hempcrete Mewshouse
Plant-Covered Concrete Homes
Studio Symbiosis Designs the Villa KD45 in Delhi with a Terraced Roof
Coffee Grounds-Made Home Accessories
Sarah Christensen Uses Coffee Grounds as Material
Striking E-Commerce Packaging
Maksim Arbuzov Designed the 'Build Yourself' Boxes for Barboza
Discarded Wood Construction Materials
Woodoo Uses Wood in Place of Glass, Leather and More
Cardboard-Resembling Illusion Cakes
Wholegreen Bakery Cooks up the Cardboard Cake
Repurposed Pasta Boxes
Barilla & Marie Kondo are Sharing How to Reuse Packaging
Soft Sustainable Coolers
Out of the Woods Makes Reusable Bags Made from Supernatural Paper
Eco-Friendly Consumable Packaging
This Biodegradable Composite Packaging is Transparent and Edible
Circus Tent-Inspired Holiday Homes
Cubo Design Architect Designs the Circus Home in Japan
Box-Like Innovative Apartment Designs
Photon Studio's Designs the Box in the Box Apartment
Sustainably Minded Seating Solutions
The Conscious Chair by Mater Design Has Recycled Materials
Contemporary Sustainable Mobile Homes
IAAC Designs the MO.CA (MOBILE CATALYST) Mobile Home
Transparent Climate Classrooms
Forma Transforms a Century-old Glasshouse in Copenhagen
Wondrous Wooden Cities
The 'Stockholm Wood City' Will Include 2,000 Homes, Retail Spaces & Offices
Upcycled Circular Design Products
Cyrc Designs Expansive Products with Sustainable Themes
Compostable Food Packaging Brands
Shanghai Timeco Industrial Uses Sugarcane Bagasse for Packaging
Multifunctional Cardboard QSR Packaging
McDonald's and Leo Burnett Unveil the Tablebag
Modular Camping Furniture
'Owomo' Created a Line of Build-Your-Own Camping Panels
Paper-Wrapped Mattresses
Earthfoam's Mattresses are Packaged in Paper Instead of Plastic
Upcycled Tower Designs
3XN Shows How Sustainable and Cost-Cffective Reuse Can Be
Energy-Efficient Office Buildings
This Czech Office Complex is Outfitted With Eco-Friendly Designs
Recyclable Hardware Packaging
Nokia is Adopting Lighter Recyclable Packaging for Circularity
Bird Feeder Cereal Packaging
'Co-Grain' Gives New Life to Disposable Packaging
Sustainable Produce Packaging
These Cascades Eco-Friendly Produce Baskets are Recycled
Intricate Food Waste Teahouses
Mitsubishi Jisho Design Uses Food Waste Materials for Its Pavilion
Sustainable Biomaterial Gift Wraps
Natural Material Studio Designed Calvin Klein’s Gift Wrap
Housing Crisis Presentation Campaigns
IKEA Woks with Shelter to Create Four Real Life Roomsets
Reusable Material Office Buildings
The MVRDV 'Matrix ONE' is Capable of Being Easily Demounted
Bio-Based Compact Housing
Woonpioniers Designs the Sustainable Sprout Ruben & Marjolein House
Sustainable Packaging Brands
Flourish® Utilizes Recycled Content and Safe Forestry Practices
Sustainable Frozen Treat Packaging
Metsä Board Re-Designed its Ice Cream Packaging
Sustainable Furniture Capsule Shops
Light and Dwell Open up a Store of Furniture Designs
Educational Linoleum Birdhouses
The 'ELVI' Birdhouse Educates About Sustainability
3D-Printed Sturdy Homes
Progreso and COBOD Creates a Printed Durable Home Within Hours
Festive Bamboo Tissues Papers
The Stack-A-Tree is an Eco-friendly Twist on Holiday Decorations
Fungi-Based Building Materials
Mycocrete is an Eco Material Developed by Newcastle University
Eco Cardboard Can-Carriers
Wild Rose Craft Brewery Debuts Cardboard Can-Carrier to Reduce Waste
Rejuvenated Former Bank Buildings
This Dutch Building Now Boasts Solar Panels & Insect Hotels
Pulp Foam Packaging
Stora Enso Launches the Eco-Friendly 'Papira' Pulp Foam Packaging
Green Thermoformed Cardboard Trays
Cascades Launches Innovative Packaging for Fresh Produce
Sustainable Recycled Material Hoodies
The Victo Eco-Friendly Hoodie is Made with 99% Less Water
Nestled Courtyard Homes
Mamout Designs the Dailly House Between Buildings in Belgium
Recyclable Paper Packaging Initiatives
Walmart is Swapping to Recyclable Packaging on All Channels
Accelerated Modular Housing Construction
David Baker Architects Pushes for Housing in San Fran
Caterpillar-Shaped Apartment Buildings
Undecorated Developed an Eye-Catching Metal Building
Off-Grid Self-Sufficient Island Homes
Vollebak and Bjarke Ingels Design the Earth House in Canada
Waste Tarp-Made Public Seating
The Membran Collective Joins the Urban Networks Project
Economical Modular Wooden Homes
The Cake House Reinvents Housing in the Czech Republic
Recycled Cardboard Toilet Papers
These Tesco Paper Products are for the Kitchen and Bathroom
Discarded Toys-Created Homes
Wallmakers Designs the Toy Storey Home with Repurposed Toys
Upcycled Plastic Construction Companies
'Kubik' Uses Plastic Waste as a Sustainable Material
Self-Sustaining Houses
Archiopteryx Designs the People Tree House in Noida, India
Electronic Packaging-Made Stools
Razeen Mohammed Designs the Portable EDGAR Stool
Festival-Based Mycelium Pavlions
Simon Carroll Creates the Hayes Pavilion at Glastonbury
Tomato Stem-Based Boxes
The ICP Created Corrugated Cardboard out of Tomato Stems
Origami-Inspired Seating Capsule
Ames Living's New Seating Line Relies on Origami-Inspired Design
Sawdust-Created Biodegradable Casts
DART Lab's BioMatters Project Creates a Concrete Cast
Marine Waste Display Fixtures
Schemata Architects Creates an Interesting Aesthetic for Kolon Sport
Eco-Friendly Styrofoam Furniture
we+ Designs the New Range of Recyclable Sleek Furniture
Minimalist Bird-Watching Pavilions
Jesús Vassall & Graduate Students Designed a Slick Pavilion
Sustainable Wooden Natural Materials
Studio Yumakano Develops the ForestBank Eco-Friendly Material
Sustainable Modular Desk Trays
A Team of Designers Join on a Minimal Tray Collection
Carbon-Negative Concretes
This Eco-Friendly Concrete is Infused With Organic Materials
Paper-Made Mushroom Packaging
Sainsbury's Mushroom Punnets are Now Made with Cardboard
Community Hub Timber Pavilions
The Craft Not Carbon Pavilion Raises in London's Park
Light-Maximizing Animal Shelters
Garrison Architects Builds the Staten Island Animal Rescue Center
Carbon Concrete Cubic Buildings
Henn and the Technical University of Dresden Design the Cube
Eco-Friendly Refurbished Studios
Workers of Art Presents the WOA Second Home in Kochi
Minimalist Circular Churches
ARQBR Completes a Circular Church in Braslia, Brazil
Expansive School Bamboo Canopies
CollectiveProject Creates a Canopy at Talaricheruvu Rural School
Cutout Roof Cement-Clad Homes
Edition Office Designs a Home with a Focus on Tree Views
Biodegradable Mycelium Living Structures
Côme Di Meglio Designs the MycoTemple Structure
Sustainably Crafted Pavilions
Shigeru Ban Introduces the Paper Log House in the Glass House
Sustainable Cubic Homes
Appels Architekten Designs a New Wooden Home in Germany
Secure Card Recycling Systems
Mastercard and HSBC are Making the Card Industry More Sustainable
Sustainable Cardboard Cartons
Yazoo Kids Switches from Plastic to Cardboard Packaging
Sustainable Red Utilitarian Homes
David Kohn Architects Designs the Red House in Southwest England
3D-Printed Public Pavilion Prototypes
Hassell Works with Nagami on a New Public Pavilion
Cardboard Box-Transformed Furniture
Max Lamb Presents the Box Exhibition at Gallery Fumi
Energy-Efficient Headquarter Buildings
The New 'Bench' Building Prioritizes Sustainable Design
Paper Packaging Recycle Stations
Co-cre8 Debuts the New Paper Cup Collection and Recycling Service
Modular Tent Classroom Designs
Zaha Hadid Architects Designs a Series of Classrooms for Refugees
Eco-Friendly Miniature Homes
Berghaus' Dufour House is a Tiny Sustainable Home
Billboard-Transformed Tent Shelters
Wunderman Thompson Morocco Creates the Life-Saving Outdoors
Wooden Multi-Building Brazilian Convents
Mixtura Unveils a New Convent in Salvador de Bahia
Climate-Friendly Waterfront Homes
From 4 to 1 Creates Three Pavilions in Copenhagen
Illuminating Water-Based Pavillions
Daniel Ryabakken Installs the Shelter Pavilion in Stockholm
Eco-Friendly Antarctic Research Buildings
The 'Discovery Building' Aims to Cut Carbon Emissions
Vacant Wood-Clad Offices
Kurosawa Kawara-ten Designs the Ichihara Life and Work Commission Office
Communal Cancer Care Centers
Archekta and Ark-Shelter Design the Warm Nest Cancer Shelter
Optimized Eco Postal Packaging
Kite Packaging Large Letter Postal Boxes Now Come in Eight Sizes
Disaster-Ready Housing Prototypes
Holcim & Norman Foster Join on the Essential Homes Project
Climate-Sensitive Pavilion Structures
Querkraft Designs the Pavilion Inspired by Wind Towers
Distinctive Airlifted Structures
Arête Architects and Makers Fabrication Design the Karka Tower