Ikea’s Space10 creates the ‘Couch in an Envelope’ with 100% recyclable aluminium

Ikea's experimental design arm, Space10, has devised a solution to the challenges of moving furniture. They have created the "Couch in an Envelope," which weighs only 22 pounds and can be folded into an envelope. The couch maintains sustainability standards and is circular due to the use of aluminium in the make.

This innovative couch was designed to challenge the conventional norms of couch design and make it more adaptable to modern living. Space10 used AI to create a modular couch that is easy to recycle or give away and can be handled by people who work from home.

The company collaborated with design studio Panter&Tourron to create a "couch for nomadic living" using artificial intelligence (AI). The furniture is sustainable, lightweight, and 100% recyclable due to the use of aluminium.

The video describing the project's concept pointed out: "The couch has barely changed in centuries. Today the archetype of the couch has become heavy, unsustainable, and rigid."

After generating multiple ideas, the two studios developed a concept, and Panter&Tourron produced a physical prototype. The couch features an aluminium frame, making it easy to move and recycle. The body and pillows are made from cellulose and mycelium foam, which are biodegradable materials.

A Space10 official exclaimed: "This is a speculative design project and therefore not something that IKEA will be selling."

The couch can be assembled with ease without the use of any external tools. The blueprint of the couch is shown in the concept video, which consists of three main parts - a base as the core of the frame, two "wings" as the arms of the couch, and four smaller legs. The "wings" are foldable and can be attached to the base in different ways, allowing for at least 30 different configurations, as illustrated in the project's outline.

A person working in creative and partnerships at Space10, Georgina McDonald, illustrated the statement of the project: "The project is an agenda for change. To inspire designers to challenge other outdated archetypes and move towards designs that are lighter and more sustainable. Better for people and the planet."

Space10's latest exhibition will display the couch's prototype for onlookers to feast upon. The product is a sustainable answer to the growing concern about the environmental impact of "fast furniture" - affordable pieces that can be assembled at home.