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.

The simple, but sophisticated design of STUA is inspired by IKEA's flatpack furniture. Every component of the construction is easy to handle, making the assembly effortless, and is precisely designed to fit the structure as a whole.

For a complete overview of the construction details, see the downloadable PDF and also the animation explaining the building system.

The design process was shared on IKEA's own website. Snøhetta and IKEA went to IKEA's headquarter in Sweden to research materials and assembling techniques, and collaborated in workshops to share knowledge about about architecture, design and furnishing.

The campaign about the co-lab, the competition to win the STUA and the final result, was communicated in Social Media, TV, newsletters and digital for over 6 months. Making it one of IKEA Norways biggest campaigns yet.