IKEA's vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people – for example by giving everyone access to great design at a low price. So when IKEA Norway contacted world famous Norwegian architect firm Snøhetta, to do a co-lab – it was a given that the end product would be attainable for the many. Together, the brands have come up with a new way of building – inspired by IKEA's own flatpack solutions and materials. It can be used to build rooms/annex' in different shapes and sizes, adjustable for any need.

In 2018, IKEA wanted to inspire Norwegians to think new when they decorate their living room. By inspiring them to use their lives and interests as a starting point, IKEA aimed to challenge the traditional living room that has a TV and sofa in center. But, we found it hard to think new in a room that's already full of our old furniture. So what if we could give Norwegians a blanc canvas, a room with nothing in it? That inspired us to contact Snøhetta architects to do a co-lab and create a brand new room, that you could adjust to fit your life, needs and interests.

This campaign aimed to reach an older target group than usual, 35+, that feel done with flatpack furniture and the "IKEA style" – and get them to consider IKEA when they are to refurbish their living rooms. Snøhetta is famous worldwide, but especially in it's native Norway. Their buildings are the dream for many Norwegians, but unattainable for almost everyone. The challenge was to combine the IKEA way of thinking about accessibility and material use, with Snøhetta's visionary, high end architecture. The drawings for the building concept needed to be free for anyone to use, thus making it for the many not for the few. And the price tag scalable just like the size of the building. Also, the ability to choose different materials to bring the price up or down. Also, we needed to make enough material to have a campaign with high pressure for a full 6 months.

In May 2018 we started to tease the co-lab, explaining why the two brands have started something together – without explaining exactly what. In June/July we revealed the model of STUA on nation TV an in social channels. We also launched the competition site, where people needed to go through a survey of 6 steps to be able to send in their application, and simultaneously creating a personal moodboard for their dream living room (handy should they actually win). In early September STUA was built for the very first time at IKEAs yearly inspirational event in Oslo, open to the public. Here you could walk inside it, and also apply to win it. It was the main attraction of the event, drawing lots of press. The winner was announced in October with a TV commercial. After this, the drawings was made open source at ikea.no.

STUA has been something IKEA has been able to talk about in their communication for over 6 months; announcing the co-lab, having people sign up to win, sharing the process online, showing the building as the main attraction at IKEA's yearly event in Oslo, giving it away to one lucky winner and sharing the drawings with the many. For IKEA and Snøhetta, it has also been a way of branching out and getting contact with other fields of design than their own. Creating bonds that might result in other projects. The process of entering the competition to win STUA, was basically a visual online survey trying to find out what Norwegians want and need from their living room. Almost 30.000 applicants answered all questions and applied to win, giving IKEA loads of new insight. Last but not least, proving that also great architecture can be achievable for the many.