POLESTAR
KOJA
KOJA was my answer to the Polestar Design Contest 2021 brief of "Progressive". I aimed to challenge the term by creating something conceptually striking with the least possible materials. The 2021 Polestar Design Contest jury panel was impressed enough to award KOJA an honorable mention and later Polestar Finland wanted to bring it to life.
“We were fascinated by the idea and how it translates our brand values into a different environment,” Polestar’s head of design Maximilian Missoni
Launched during the summer of 2022, KOJA proved to be a highly successful campaign, garnering millions of views and generating significant brand visibility and awareness for Polestar not just in Finland, but across the globe.
CONCEPT
The KOJA concept was designed to promote local travel, manufacturing, and resource conservation. To achieve this goal, KOJA was built in the woods of Fiskars, using locally sourced spruce for the various components. My emphasis on using local resources was a deliberate attempt to rethink our relationship with the environment and to reduce our ecological footprint.
The dark wooden exterior had been a deliberate choice, meant to blend seamlessly into the surrounding trees and become one with the natural landscape. The structure seems almost otherworldly, like a glowing beacon that has landed in the midst of nature. And yet, it's a testament to the perfect harmony that can be achieved between natural materials and modern design.
One of the key elements of the design was the window sill, which served as a multifunctional surface. Not only did it provide a place to sit and work, but it also functioned as a table and an extension of the bed, making the most of the limited space.
The challenge of creating a minimalistic 9.5 square meter space was one that required ingenuity and careful planning. It was essential to maximize the functionality of every surface, ensuring that each element served multiple purposes without compromising the overall aesthetic.
