You might not expect an electric carmaker to design and build a treehouse, but Polestar is determined to expand its brand into new territory, translating its values and aesthetics to projects other than vehicles. “KOJA” by Kristian Talvitie is one of three winners of the 2021 Polestar Design Contest, which challenged designers to “design a Polestar that would advance society progression [and] display new ways of thinking that would encourage positive change in society, including responses to the ongoing climate crisis.” Talvitie’s submission, which won Honorable Mention, has now been brought to life in southwestern Finland.

Set on the grounds of Fiskars, an art and design hub, the KOJA treehouse has been realized in 1:1 scale for the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale. Made of sustainable materials like wood and wool, the treehouse captures Polestar’s design language and planet-protecting values, “symbolizing a shift in both the way we use materials and the way we define a space,” as the brand explains.
Designer Kristian Talvitie was inspired to create a structure that allowed people to immerse themselves in nature without traveling far. The idea is that while it’s important to make the technologies we use to travel more sustainable, it’s also important for everyone to travel less in order to respond to the climate crisis. The treehouse nestles up into a tree canopy, which can be located virtually anywhere...