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
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Homeless Support Backpacks
The Makeshift Traveler Backpack Has a Solar Panel and More
Adaptable Prefab Tiny Homes
Tree Tents Birdhouse Modular is Highly Customizable
Corrugated Cabin Prefab Models
Zinc Studio Unveiled a Prefabricated Building 'The Cabin'
Triple-Story Prefab Tiny Houses
The DQTower Maximizes Land Usage by Building Upwards
Recycled Tiny Houses
Shadow House by Matti Kuittinen Uses Waste Materials for Full-Scale Living
Floating Canopy Homes
The Holocene House Concept Integrates Water & Architectural Geometry
Climate-Responsive Prefab Homes
The Drop Pod House Adapts to Floods and Unexpected Guests
Office Cardboard Shredders
The Afterlife of Paper is an Office Paper Recycling Machine
Sustainable Collectible Packaging
TOPPAN Replaces Plastic Packs with Paper-Based Alternatives
Sustainable Carton-Style Packaging
This Elopak Paperboard Reduces Packaging's Carbon Footprint
Paper Bubble Wrap
BIOWRAP Scales 100% Paper-Based Bubble Wrap Across Europe
3D-Printable Packaging Pastes
Engineers from University of Washington Developed a Printable Paste
Greenhouse Office Pavilions
Office for Roundtable + JXY Studio Create Multifunctional Office
Shape‑shifting Retreats
This Modular Off‑Grid House Adapts to Natural Sites with Expandable Walls
Solar Timber Residences
The Forest Edge House by Marc Thorpe Uses Off-Grid Systems
Paper-Based Airline Amenity Kits
Icelandair Introduced Sustainable Amenity Kits for Business Class
Accordion-Like Cat Shelter
The FurBallRetreat Cat Shelter Expands from Book-Like Form
Reimagined Minimal Parisian Apartments
The Minimalist Cocoon Apartment Maximizes Function in Paris
Sustainable Cork Installations
Forest for the Trees Showcases Cork Sustainable Furniture
Corn-Made 3D-Printed Buildings
MANUFACTURA CORNCRETL Focuses on Bio-Based Building
Compact Modular Forest Cabins
The Digital House Showcases Plug‑in Construction in the Forest
Eco Living Vertical Towers
The Eden Rise Vertical Eco Living Community Integrates Food Production
Coastal Timber Retreats
The Casa Guaecá Project Reinterprets Beach House Living Through Structure
Experimental Shelter Tents
Grayhus Tent Uses Sculptural Form to Rethink Lightweight Camp Shelters
Sustainable Retailer Packaging Updates
This Co-op Sustainable Packaging Initiative is Expansive
Off-Grid Forest Retreats
The Nest Cabin by Daria Sheina Studio is Made with Stacked Volumes
Sustainable Off-Grid Remote Retreats
Daria Sheina Studio Designs the Nest Home in Canada
Geodesic Bioceramic Dome Homes
Geoship Introduces Geodesic Dome Models for Human Living
Fiber Battery Packaging
Storey Battery Packaging is a Plastic-Free Packaging System
Skateable Cardboard Shoes
Vans and Ernest Packaging Solutions Created Cardboard Chaos
3d-Printed Rubble Furniture
Inorganic Growth by Bentu Design Transforms Demolished Urban Villages
Compact Sustainable Cabins
The EcoNeo Applies Space Habitat Design to a Compact Holiday Home
Modular Living Structures
Modular BV System Redefines Prefabricated Homes Sustainability in Brazil
Utensil Waste Lighting
Fold Oslo Nytt Lys Capsule Shows How Light Can Emerge from Old Materials
Cardboard Plant Pots
Pot+ Combines a Plant Pot, Scoop and Plant Tag in One Cardboard Design
Recycled Material Furniture
Project Materia Presents Furniture Made from Mater's Recycled Matek
Lightweight Packaging Materials
Holmen Expands Fresh-Fibre Solutions for Corrugated Packaging
Black-Timber Overhanging Roof Buildings
i29 Designs the Senior Shelter in the Netherlands
Eco‑tiny Sanctuarys
The TIGÍN Tiny Homes Reimagine Starter Living with a Hemp-Clad Design
Modern Resilient Homes
Atelier Schwimmer Designs the Owl's Shield House in Quebec
3D-Printed Recycled Construction Materials
Vitriform3D Turned Waste Glass into Building Materials
Eco-Focused Family Housing
Rewild Homes Moves Environmental Design into Realistic Living
Compact 3d-Printed Housing
The Tiny House Lux is Helping Address Luxembourg’s Housing Shortage
Modular Retail Systems
Shift Space is a Relocatable Retail Framework Built for Repeat Use
Simple Material Family Homes
Keshaw McArthur and Matheson Whiteley Designs the Openfield House
Carbon-Negative Building Materials
WPI’s Enzymatic Structural Material Turns CO2 Into Strength
Compact Sustainable Homes
Quadrapol Introduces the Cabana as a Tiny Dwelling That Rethinks Space
In-Store DIY Packaging Stations
Taco Bell UK is Uniquely Supporting Circular Fashion Sellers
Tubular Paper-Made Snack Packaging
The Sonoco Paper Can is Made with 100% Recycled Fiber
Organically Printed Homes
The Lib Earth House Showcases Soil-Based 3d Printing Custom Living
3D-Printed Canopy Shelters
3D-Printed Roof at Archaeological Complex of Carmona Protects Old Tombs
Elevated Flood Refuge Homes
The Lift House Reimagines a Red Cottage That Rises with Flood Waters
Vernacular Cocoon Cabins
Cucu Cabin by Studio Bucky Draws on Irish Tower Houses and Thatch Design
Chinese Tradition-Honoring Structures
MAD Architects Forms the Chinese Paper Umbrella Structure
Sustainable Canopy Pavilions
The Casa Solai Frames Ocean and Jungle Through a Dual-Pavilion Design
Recyclable Bottle Containers
The 'Recyklobox' Allows For Sustainable In‑Store Returns
Compact Paper Cushioning Systems
Sealed Air Introduced a Space-Saving Recyclable Packaging Tool
Sustainable Educational Architecture Projects
CURA Architekten Presents a Project in Switzerland
Soft Structural Packaging
The Project Ara Explores Air‑filled Biomimicry as a Design Material
Bamboo Forest Structures
This Amazon Rainforest Pavilion Explores Biomimicry in Architectural Form
Tropical Timber Schools
Oceana Innovation Hub School Introduces a Mass Timber Structure
Humanitarian Sleep Pod Designs
NapBox Highlights an Enclosed Sleep Pod Designed by Three Students
Paper Food Packaging Campaigns
This Koehler Paper Campaign Showcases the Market Shift
Nature-Shared A-Frame Homes
Kumiki Architects Designs a New Triangular Holiday Homes
Recycled Seating Installations
This Show of Atlanta Airport Chairs Made from Campus Waste
Timber Alpine Shelters
Carlo Ratti Associati’s Self-Sufficient Bivouac for 2026 Winter Olympics
Adaptive Workspace Designs
Twobo’s SALT HQ Highlights Material Reuse in a Community-Ready Office
Reconfigurable Modular Systems
Gioco Modular Furniture Kit Enables Adaptable Spaces for All Ages
Solar Powered Compact Homes
The E55000 Modular Off Grid Home Brings Expandable Living Upfront
Sustainable Retail Interiors
Sheep Inc London Store Uses Sculptural Displays & Graphic Art
Recycled Guitar Prototypes
This Cardboard Guitar Challenges Traditional Instrument Design
Cave-Inspired 3D-Printed Homes
Kizuki and Onocom Launch O House with the COBOD Printer
Cardboard Airplane Builds
A Youtuber Creates a Life-Size Cardboard Airplane with Detachable Gear
3d-Printed Retail Suitcases
The 3d Printed Suitcase Reframes Retail as Human-Centred Experience
Sustainable Semi-Detached Homes
V8 Architects Presents the Villa Residu Design in the Netherlands
Floating Duck Shelters
The Adorable Nesting Plan Vi Call Duck Sheds Offer Refuge and Character
Bookcase-Led Residences
The Green Box Transforms an Office into a Library-Centered Home
Bioplastic Retail Displays
Enduring Forms Explores Algae-Based Alternatives to Retail Signage
Living Structure-Based Pavilions
The Picoplanktonics is This Year's Canada Pavilion
Foldable Urban Canopies
Seoul Shade Provides Portable Shelter for Parks and Public Spaces
Forest-Treetop Retreats
The MORE Cabin Floats 60 Feet Above the Forest on a Single Post
Sustainable Dome Villas
The Belalu Dome Villa Offers Sustainable Charm Wrapped in Organic Form
Japanese-Inspired Recycled Pavilions
Second Edition's Love Shack is Made of Recycled Materials
Origami Lighting Installations
Fung+Bedford’s Resonance Explores Folded Paper Lighting as Systems
Resilient Modular Bamboo Housing
Housing NOW by Blue Temple is Resilient in the Face of Disaster
Repurposed Election Materials
South Korea Transforms Election Banners into Sustainable Materials
Reduced-Plastic Packaging Moves
Squire Shifts to Box and Card Packaging
Circular Pavilion Design
UNFOLD Transforms Temporary Structures into Reusable Material Systems
Paper Rod Shelving
Pattern as Structure Uses Rolled Paper Components to Create Modular Furniture
Adaptive Reuse Luxury Hotels
1 Hotel Copenhagen Transforms a 1930s Landmark into a Hygge Retreat
Sustainable Growth Systems
TreeSoil 3d-Printed Bricks Support Young Trees in Changing Climates
Homelessness-Focused Architecture Studies
Architecture Without Borders Quebec Identifies Issues
Mushroom-Inspired Dining Designs
Grybova Hata Evokes Mycelial Growth Via Bio-Based Materials
Adaptively Reused Office Buildings
Park Associati and Snøhetta Collaborate on Pirelli 35
Paper Cord Woven Furniture
Henry Julier Designs the Woven Structures Capsule for USM
Contemporary Weatherized Homes
OOF! Architecture Designs the Acute House for a Family
Oyster-Shell Pavilions
Besley & Spresser Uses Recycled Oyster Shells in the Pier Pavilion Façade
Collapsible Commercial Storage Boxes
These Kite Packaging Collapsible Storage Boxes are Durable
Toronto Healing Shelters
Anduhyaun Emergency Shelter Nods to Indigenous Traditions to Aid Recovery
Climate-Responsive Housing
The Cielo Residential Building Uses Screens by Indian Architecture
Recycled Plastic Home Cladding
Atelier Backlar Renovates the Blue House Using Ocean Plastic Panels
Storage Box-Transformed Furniture
Postalco Design Studio Presents the Chunks and Blocks Exhibition
Biomaterial Interior Design
Spring Studio Forms Sustainable Interiors for World Heritage Centre
Mycelium-Clad Pavilion Housing
Studio Weave Creates the Intelligent Garden and Building with Cox
Reusable Cardboard Buckets
Royal Flora Holland Launches a Reusable Bucket for Logistics
Vertical Feline Residences
The Cat Tree House Structures a Home Around Animal Movement
Sustainable Side Furniture
The Re Up Side Tables Crafted with Recycled Plastic and Wood
Biodegradable Paper Ashtrays
Ekoroll Introduced the Paper Ashtray for Biodegradable Smoking
Modular Art Storage Solutions
Panel Built Offers Its Modular Construction Expertise to the Arts
Adaptive Bunker Housing
The SAR Residence by OAD Converts Military Bunkers into a Coastal Home
Climate-Responsive Skyscrapers
Wasl Tower used a ceramic facade to improve cooling efficiency
Circular High-Rise Architecture
TRÆ Combines Timber Construction With Reclaimed Materials
Surfboard Waste Blocks
Surf Block Maui Turns Surfboard Foam Waste into Insulated Building Blocks
Foldable Greenhouse Kitchens
Your Greenhouse is Your Kitchen Transforms into a Community Space
Forest Bamboo Cabins
The Bamboo Cabin Plan Reinterprets the Act of Wrapping Sticky Rice Dumplings
Sustainable Hand-Crafted Keyboards
This Working Synth is Crafted from Cardboard and Walnut Keys
Eco Cork Organizers
The Stackable Cork Boxes Offer Eco-Friendly and Tactile Storage
Renewable Energy Shelters
Solar Wind Gazebos Combine Photovoltaics and Wind Turbines
Plastic-Free Packaging Films
Finnish Researchers Develop Cellulose-Based Plastic Alternatives
Adaptive Backyard Studios
Love Shack Adapts Reclaimed Materials into a Multifunctional Pavilion
Humanized Waiting Pavilions
The De Wachtkamer Pavilion Reimagines Temporary Housing
Wooden Resilience Stadiums
Fukushima United Stadium Embraces Timber as a Symbol of Recovery
Wooden Compact Thoughtful Residences
Madeiguincho Designs the Compact Barca Home
Green Roof-Topped Circular Villas
Sou Fujimoto Designed the EARTH Villa in Okinawa Prefecture
Recycled-Steel Bus Stations
The Amazon Bus Station in Belém Cuts Carbon Emissions by 70%
Thatched Roof Wildlife Retreats
Ma+rs Serenity Retreat Anchors Hillside Residence in New Zealand
Curving Concrete Chapels
Nest Chapel Has Sculptural Concrete Walls with a Glass-Lined Timber
Salvaged Materials House
Iris Residence by Tres Birds Uses Reclaimed Materials & Low-Energy Design
Plant-Based Guesthouse Designs
Sara Martinsen Designs the Rooted Potential Pavilion Using Plants
Domed Shelter-Like Holiday Homes
Anastasiya Dudik Designs the HATA Building in California
Biodegradable Burial Caskets
The Living Cocoon by Loop Biotech Offers a Fungus-Based Coffin
Mud Clad Restaurants
Petti Restaurant by Wallmakers Uses Earth and Marine Waste Construction
Clay Ridge Residences
The Birdwood House Reimagines Subtropical Living Through Sustainable Design
Community-Made Eco Campuses
The Wolves Lane Centre Reno Draws Sustainability and Participation
Goan Heritage Homes
A 160-year-old Goan residence is reimagined as Toybox through adaptive design
Slender Alley Dwelling Revivals
The Brown House Uses Ecological Materials to Redefine Urban Infill
Low-Impact Garden Dwellings
The Senior Shelter Offers a Connected Space for Aging Family Members
Compact Urban Cafes
The Chapel by Vinklu Transforms a Bucharest Lot into a Narrow Coffee Shop
Birdhouse Design Projects
Birdhouse by Kids Translates Children’s Sketches into Built Structures
Carbon-Negative Housing
The Marknesse Homes Use Bio-Based Materials and Prefab Timber