WHAT WE ARE DOING

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

Ready us for building our medieval cardboard city model

Learning about cardboard fabrication in prototypes: cutting, shaping, and joining cardboard elements

ACTIVITY PROMPT

We will take our previous sketches of the different areas, redraw them at 1:50 scale, and start placing the buildings. Then, we will cut out the shapes from cardboard

SCALE

If the characters are 1:50, the entire city must be planned in the same scale.

At 1:50 scale:

1. 1 cm =0.5m
2. 10 cm = 5 m
3. 30 cm = 15 m

1st

Planning the city map

Take your previous sketches of the town areas (center, streets, suburbs, etc.). Redraw your area at 1:50 scale. Use a ruler to convert real-life measurements to model size (1 cm = 0.5 m).

Step 1:

1. The group working on the gate area starts. You will, on a 200 by 200 cm ,draw the periphery of the city. Set where the gates are and if you have a river think of bridges.

2nd

Gradually each group draws their city layout with buildings.

Building dimensions in next slides

1st

Streets between blocks: ~2–4 cm

Walls: ~10 cm tall

1st

Streets between blocks: ~2–4 cm

Walls: ~10 cm tall

1st

Streets width ~2–4 cm

Walls: ~10 cm tall

3rd

؜Cardboard Models

1. Follow the steps steps on how to build with cardboard. Carefully cut the building shapes from cardboard.
2. For taller structures (church tower, merchant houses), you can layer pieces to get the correct height.

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

ACTIVITY RESSOURCES

ACTIVITY LESSON

CARDBOARD

• Readily available
• Easy to manipulate
• Strong

Corrugation

CARDBOARD



Structural in one direction and bendable in the other

Bendable one direction

CUTTING TECHNIQUES

Cutting

Straight

Cutting

Curves

SHAPING TECHNIQUES

Shaping:

Bending

Shaping:

Faceting

Shaping:

Score + Bend

Straight

Shaping:

Score + Bend

Curve

Shaping:

Score + Bend

Shaping:

Layering

JOINERY

Joining:

Hinge

Joining:

Hinge

Joining:

Braces

Joining:

Tabs

Joining:

Tabs

Joining:

Slotting

Joining:

Slotting

Joining:

Tabs/

Notching

Joining:

Tabs/

Notching

Joining:

Butt Joint

Joining:

Brads

Joining:

Skewer

Joining:

Skewer

Joining:

Flange

Joining:

Strap

Joining:

Strap

Use Printable Template Pieces

You’ll print and cut out shapes to build your environment.

1. Fold along dotted lines
2. Use glue/tape for assembly
3. Add designs or patterns that match your main structure

Print templates and place them on cardboard and cut them out!

Cardboard Forms

Advanced 3D Geometry Resources

؜Template Maker

Those sites allows you to customize and print advanced 3D shapes.

Advanced 3D Geometry Resources

؜

؜Template Maker

Those sites allows you to customize and print advanced 3D shapes.

COOL CARDBOARD PROTOTYPES

Responsive Architecture Studio

INSPIRATION: Manual Movement