A Dutch design firm created a house that's made out of cardboard and built to last for a century

James Grebey
WikkelhouseYvonne Witte

Cardboard is usually thought of as disposable and temporary, but a design firm in Amsterdam uses the humble material to build houses that are supposed to last for 100 years.

It’s called a Wikkelhouse, and it’s the flagship creation of the whimsical firm, Fiction Factory.

Wikkelhouses aren't just made out of regular old cardboard. They're made by wrapping 24 layers of high-quality paperboard around a house-shaped frame. In fact, the Dutch verb 'wikkelen' means 'to wrap.'

Yvonne Witte

The layers are bonded together, and finally the whole thing is covered with a waterproof, breathable foil that provides protection from the elements.

Yvonne Witte

A single segment of a Wikkelhouse is 54-square-feet large, and multiple pieces can be linked together to create a larger space.

Yvonne Witte

They can serve as temporary or permanent housing, as well as retail or office space.

Yvonne Witte

Fiction Factory claims that they are three times more sustainable than traditional construction methods.

Yvonne Witte

Wikkelhouses are only available in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Denmark. It costs $29,000 for three segments.

Wikkelhouse from Wikkelhouse on Vimeo.

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