r/CardboardArchitecture

I'm challenging myself to create a little something every day. I plan on going back in & cleaning up some of the messiness.

Would love pointers & constructive critique!

Aspiring to do hyper realistic dioramas eventually.

It took just one evening to create this miniature. This is my first piece of this kind. The base is made of cardboard bonded with PVA glue. In the final stage, I applied acrylic paints—natural yet expressive colors.

I hope you like it!

Started a new dioramas project. The house with the solarium upstairs is almost ready. A row behind the garage and tropical plants - palm trees, trees and bushes. There will be something similar to a villa on the shore of the ocean... The photo shows the stages of work.

Key Differences & Material Characteristics

1. Composition and Production Logic

• Corrugated Cardboard: It is produced by laminating lightweight paper layers (liner and fluting). The main goal is to create maximum volume with minimum material to protect products during shipping.
• Greyboard: It is made from recycled paper pulp pressed under tons of weight by heavy industrial cylinders. It contains no air gaps inside.

2. Structural Strength and Stability

• Corrugated Cardboard: While it resists horizontal crushing due to its internal waves, it collapses easily under vertical weight along its fluted lines.
• Greyboard: Thanks to its high molecular density, it does not warp, bend, or sag over time. In massive structures like the ELIZI Hagia Sophia model, this solid rigidity allows the core skeleton to carry heavy loads without collapsing.

3. Practical Vulnerabilities and Workability

• Corrugated Cardboard Vulnerability: When water-based glues (like white PVA glue) are applied, the thin paper layers absorb moisture instantly, leading to warping and loss of shape. Moreover, utility knives slip easily into the air gaps, ruining clean cuts.
• Greyboard Vulnerability: Because of its immense durability, cutting it by hand requires significant physical strength. It cannot be cut in a single pass; you must patiently slice through the same line multiple times. However, it handles sanding, heavy gluing, and multi-layering perfectly without any deformation.