living in cardboard: the adaptable wikkelhouse dwelling can be built in just one day

fiction factory, once a theater scenery company, has expanded its design and construction initiative to include a small-scale home, the wikkelhouse. the design utilizes high strength cardboard as a main element of the structure. during the production process, the house-shaped mold is wrapped with 24 layers of cardboard — leading to the origin of the structure’ name, which in english loosely translates to ‘wrap house.’ using the same main components in each structure, the design of each home can differ greatly in terms of overall size and individualized features. 

fiction factory expands design initiative to include small-scale home, the wikkelhouse
all images by yvonne witte

fiction factory’s amsterdam-based factory is able to fabricate and transport the necessary components on request to areas throughout the netherlands, belgium, france, germany, the united kingdom, and denmark. once the pieces arrive on site, a team can construct the entire structure in a single day. each of the house’s segments weighs only 500 kilos — allowing the structure to rest directly on the ground without a foundation. after the cardboard is wrapped around the 54-square-foot segments, they are transported and set in place. the wikkelhouse’s exterior is finished with a waterproof foil and wood paneling to protect the internal structure and inhabitants from varying weather conditions.

the structure used heavy duty cardboard for the main structure

since fiction factory’s initial introduction of wikkelhouse, the company has successfully installed the structure in various different environments — both urban and natural. one of wikkelhouse’s natural application remains in london’s amber lakes, a nature reserve close to the bustling city. urban applications include the house’s installation in rotterdam red apple marina floating alongside the boats and as an office for OVG real estate services in amsterdam. the company has also experimented with placing the lightweight structure on a rooftop of a former coal storage facility in the hoxton docks area of london. 

the house-shaped mold is wrapped with 24 layers of the cardboard

wikkelhouse loosely translates to ‘wrap house’ in reference to the cardboard wrapping process

the structure is composed of individual segments fitted together on site

the construction for a tradition size wikkelhouse can be completed in just one day

the structure can be used in both urban and natural environments

the overall weight of the structure does not require a foundation

‘wikkelhouse’ can be built in netherlands, belgium, france, germany, the united kingdom, and denmark.

each of the house’s segments weighs only 500 kilos

after the cardboard is wrapped around the 54-square-foot segments, they are transported and set in place

the exterior is finished with a waterproof foil and wood paneling to protect the internal structure

the company has also experimented with placing the wikkelhouse on a hoxton docks rooftop

the wikkelhouse floats in rotterdam red apple marina

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