Cardborgami visits the Green Tent July 1

Bring your kids and help decorate

a cool, origami shelter made of recyclable cardboard. See how it folds up and expands. Learn about Cardborgami's program for helping the homeless using these innovative temporary shelters. It's all happening this Sunday at the Green Tent.



Origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, inspired the structure and form of the shelter. It's primary material - standard cardboard - provides natural insulation and structural qualities. The folds provide structural stability.

The shelters are waterproof and flame-retardant, and can fold open and closed in less than a minute with no assembly required. When not in use, the shelter folds into a size a single person can easily carry. Come try one out and see how it's done!


Intended to provide a temporary, portable and recyclable shelter to the homeless and to disaster victims while helping to get them placed into permanent housing, a Cardborgami structure would make a great playhouse as well!

Cardborgami's goal involves more than simply handing out the Cardborigami units to those in need. The plan is to partner with other homeless aid organizations that have facilities where people could safely use the shelters overnight and also learn how to construct their own Cardborigami unit. Cardborgami hopes to integrate a recycling program into their distribution system, encouraging the homeless to collect cardboard and turn it in at the same centers where they can construct and pick up their own portable unit.