The Swedish automobile brand for electric performance cars, Polestar, is redefining sustainable travel activities with KOJA, a micro-home located on top of a tree. This beautiful residence was designed by Finnish architect Kristian Talvitie and won top honors in Polestar's design competition in 2021. Polestar decided in early 2022 to bring their groundbreaking KOJA micro-home prototype to fruition.
Developed in the village of Fiskars in southwestern Finland, KOJA is the first contribution from the Polestar Design Contest to be implemented on a full scale. From May through September of 2022, visitors to the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale in Finland can see KOJA as part of the exhibition "House by an Architect."
"We found the idea fascinating, as did how the initiative translates our brand values into an unfamiliar context. We were so impressed that we decided to build it, and it has been quite helpful," Statement made by Maximilian Missoni, Polestar's Head of Design.
In continuation of the design competition's concept from 2021 progress, the KOJA micro-home redefines sustainable travel activities by initially lowering the need to travel while bringing people closer to nature. The design is affixed to a tree trunk right below the treetop and offers a panoramic view People who would typically embark on a much longer journey to experience the woods are the intended audience for KOJA. This wooden house is part of the growing trend of small living.
"Most designers look at the design from a user standpoint," explains KOJA designer Kristian Talvitie. "I also look at things from the perspective of the environment. There must be a symbiosis between the design and the site where it is encountered."
Kristian Talvitie collaborated extensively with the Polestars Design team in Gothenburg, Sweden, and his Finnish colleagues at the design studio Ultra to bring the design to life. Like Polestar's automobiles, the KOJA home is built to last out of natural, renewable resources like the wood and wool that were sourced from within the area.
