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
Sustainable Play Clothes
Peace House Studio Designs Are Made to Be Recycled
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
Sustainable Speaker Packaging
Sonos' Packaging Shares a Premium, User-Friendly Experience
Nest-Inspired Urban Houses
This Vietnamese Dwelling Offers Respite From the Concrete Jungle
Pink-Hued Shipping Container Homes
These Pink Shipping Container Homes by Ishita Ganguly are Chic
Experimental Low-Carbon Housing
Velux & EFFEKT Debut Is Low-Carbon Housing Designs in Copenhagen
Cat-Centric Compact Homes
This Japanese Dwelling Embraces Feline-Friendly Design Choices
Eco-Friendly Retail Pop-Ups
Stella McCartney's Ibiza Pop-Up Uses Recycled Wood; Efficient Lighting
Displaced Persons House Designs
The Essential Homes Research Project Has a Bunker-Like Form
Plant-Based Cabin Constructions
Moontower Design Build Creates the Cross Cabin in Austin
Compressed Toilet Paper Boxes
Bambox Changes the Way Tissues are Dispensed by Removing the Roll
Flexible Plywood-Made Pet Houses
The TUTO Pet House by Serhii Hotvianskyi is Modern Yet Functional
Educational Climate Change Toys
The 'Habitat' Educational Toy Brick Sets Come in Two Options
TV Packaging Seating Solutions
The 'Cuna' Furniture by Valeria Coello is Made Out of Cardboard
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
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
Plant-Based Timber Cabins
Moontower Design Build Has Created the Cross Cabin in Austin
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
Eco-Friendly Offices
Office@27 by Sanjay Puri Architects is Enhanced by Ancient Indian Principles
Treehouse-Inspired Norwegian Residences
This House Aesthetically Connects With its Surroundings
Extreme Space-Saving Architecture
A 74-Square-Foot Apartment is Redefining Urban 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
Sophisticated Upcycled Home Sculptures
Origin Made Boasts the Exquisite Barco Basket Sculptures
Flexible Pre-Fabricated Homes
Rabih Hage Introduces His Latest Design — Muudo
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
Eco Strategy Games
Catan - New Energies Puts a Modern, Sustainable Twist on the Strategy Game
Sustainable Carton-Based Packaging
Tetra Pak Debuts Its First Trial Facility for Recart
Eco-Friendly Luxury Villas
Kengo Kuma Designs the Land Villas for Red Sea Global
Squid-Inspired Packaging
Squid-Inspired Packaging Revolutionizes Temperature Control
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
Two-Person Wooden Dwellings
IAAC Designs the Moca Home Using Collected Wood in Barcelona
Cardboard-Resembling Illusion Cakes
Wholegreen Bakery Cooks up the Cardboard Cake
Repurposed Pasta Boxes
Barilla & Marie Kondo are Sharing How to Reuse Packaging
Eco-Friendly Consumable Packaging
This Biodegradable Composite Packaging is Transparent and Edible
Recyclable eCommerce Packaging
This New Amazon Packaging is Paper-Made and Arriving in the UK
Box-Like Innovative Apartment Designs
Photon Studio's Designs the Box in the Box Apartment
Transparent Climate Classrooms
Forma Transforms a Century-old Glasshouse in Copenhagen
Sustainability-Oriented Kids Toys
Learning Resources Unveils a New Sustainable Toy Capsule
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
Sustainable Portable Cat Shelters
The Batsy Cat Shelter by Burcu Nehir Tüm Offers Comfort
Contemporary Sustainable Mobile Homes
IAAC Designs the MO.CA (MOBILE CATALYST) Mobile Home
Sustainable Cafe Delivery Cases
This Paper Pulp Coffee Carrier Keeps Drinks Hot or Cold
Compostable Food Packaging Brands
Shanghai Timeco Industrial Uses Sugarcane Bagasse for Packaging
Modular Camping Furniture
'Owomo' Created a Line of Build-Your-Own Camping Panels
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
Transparent Plant-Based Membranes
YutoEco Unveils the Sustainable Cellulose Substrate Packaging
Sustainable Pet Food Pouches
American Packaging Corporation Unveils a New Sustainable Solution
Bio-Based Compact Housing
Woonpioniers Designs the Sustainable Sprout Ruben & Marjolein House
Bioplastic-Made Home Interiors
Natural Material Studio Presents the White Utopia Installation
Modernism Birdhouse Exhibitions
Andu Masebo and Rio Kobayashi Create the Dwellings Project
Reusable Material Office Buildings
The MVRDV 'Matrix ONE' is Capable of Being Easily Demounted
Sustainable Frozen Treat Packaging
Metsä Board Re-Designed its Ice Cream Packaging
Sustainable Felt Furniture Collections
LAYER Designs the Vale Collection for KFI Studios
Educational Linoleum Birdhouses
The 'ELVI' Birdhouse Educates About Sustainability
Sustainable Furniture Capsule Shops
Light and Dwell Open up a Store of Furniture Designs
Sustainable Cork-Based Sofa Designs
Paul Crofts and Isomi Design the Tejo System
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
Discarded Toys-Created Homes
Wallmakers Designs the Toy Storey Home with Repurposed Toys
Sustainable Bamboo-Crafted Drones
Deepak Dadheech Designs the Eco-Friendly Bamboo Drone
Nestled Courtyard Homes
Mamout Designs the Dailly House Between Buildings in Belgium
Pulp Foam Packaging
Stora Enso Launches the Eco-Friendly 'Papira' Pulp Foam Packaging
Sustainable Recycled Material Hoodies
The Victo Eco-Friendly Hoodie is Made with 99% Less Water
Green Thermoformed Cardboard Trays
Cascades Launches Innovative Packaging for Fresh Produce
Recyclable Paper Packaging Initiatives
Walmart is Swapping to Recyclable Packaging on All Channels
Cocoa Bean-Based Display Units
Mars Wrigley is Trialing a Second 'Cocoa Cardboard' Bean Display
Bamboo-Based Sustainable Toiletries
'Caboo' Offers Wipes and Papers Made with Soft Bamboo
3D-Printed Sustainable Home Designs
HONOKA LAB Presents the TATAMI ReFAB PROJECT
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
Sustainable Dish Sponge Alternatives
This 3-Pack of Pop Up Dish Sponges is Plastic-Free
Recycled Cardboard Toilet Papers
These Tesco Paper Products are for the Kitchen and Bathroom
Sustainable Modular Desk Trays
A Team of Designers Join on a Minimal Tray Collection
Upcycled Plastic Construction Companies
'Kubik' Uses Plastic Waste as a Sustainable Material
Sustainable Outdoor Kitchen Designs
Ecoscape Has Introduced a New Range of Outdoor Kitchens
Electronic Packaging-Made Stools
Razeen Mohammed Designs the Portable EDGAR Stool
Festival-Based Mycelium Pavlions
Simon Carroll Creates the Hayes Pavilion at Glastonbury
Recycling-Centric Waterfront Homes
Measured Architecture Designs the Shor House Project
House-Layered Structural Designs
DCA Architects of Transformation Designs the Chodge
Sawdust-Created Biodegradable Casts
DART Lab's BioMatters Project Creates a Concrete Cast
Low-Carbon Biomaterial Bricks
Tavs Jorgensen Created Sustainable Extruding Cob Bricks
Minimalist Bird-Watching Pavilions
Jesús Vassall & Graduate Students Designed a Slick Pavilion
Hempcrete-Crafted Sustainable Workspaces
Commonbond Architects Designs the Gardenhide Studio
Sustainable Seasonal Chocolate Treats
PLAYin CHOC Christmas ToyChoc Boxes are Eco-Friendly
Artful Climate-Themed Installations
Michael Pinsky & Studio Bark Unveil the Making a Stand Design
Tree-Free Sustainable Packaging
Craste Uses Crop Residue to Create Eco-Friendly Packaging
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
Digital Business Card Platforms
Digital Business Card Claims to Offer an Eco-Friendly Approach
Eco-Friendly Refurbished Studios
Workers of Art Presents the WOA Second Home in Kochi
Sustainably Crafted Pavilions
Shigeru Ban Introduces the Paper Log House in the Glass House
Ruin-Adaptive Shipping Container Homes
Patrick Bradley Architects Forms the Barneys Ruins Project
Minimalist Circular Churches
ARQBR Completes a Circular Church in Braslia, Brazil
Expansive School Bamboo Canopies
CollectiveProject Creates a Canopy at Talaricheruvu Rural School
Cardboard-Inspired Ceramic Household Art
Jacques Monneraud Designs the Cardboard Collection
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
Traditional Sustainable School Designs
Heatherwick Studio Showcases Plans for Universidad Ean
Sustainable Recycled Aircraft Skateboard
François Jaubert Designs the Eco-Friendly TRASHBOARD
Secure Card Recycling Systems
Mastercard and HSBC are Making the Card Industry More Sustainable
Eco-Friendly Plastic Shell Chairs
Foersom & Hiort-Lorenzen Designs the Sustainable Mat Chair
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
Shaded Modern Outdoor Furniture
mmcité street furniture Designs the UFO Shelter for Outdoors
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
Tranquil Sustainable Home Designs
Kolman Boye Architects Designs the Saltviga House in Norway
Recycled Ship Sail Pavilions
The Breeze Installation is Installed at Chart Art Fair
Climate-Friendly Waterfront Homes
From 4 to 1 Creates Three Pavilions in Copenhagen
Paper-Like Art Museum Roofs
BIG Expands the Museum for Paper Art in Denmark with a Folded Roof
Mass-Timber Expansive Buildings
Anttinen Oiva Architects Designs the Katajanokan Laituri
Vacant Wood-Clad Offices
Kurosawa Kawara-ten Designs the Ichihara Life and Work Commission Office
Expansive Roofs Concrete Homes
Studio MOB Creates a House in the Farm in Coimbatore
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
Dynamic Concrete Modern Buildings
Atelier Matias Mosquera Designs the Shire Building
Sawdust Scrap Recyclable Stools
Renaud Defrancesco Designs the Briket Stool for Firewood
Distinctive Airlifted Structures
Arête Architects and Makers Fabrication Design the Karka Tower