Aqura Homes and IKEA Japan’s design project inspires action on SDGs

Custom wooden house builder Aqura Homes, in collaboration with IKEA Japan and Yokohama SDGs Design Center, has started the SDGs Life Design Project. This project was started to propose a new style of architecture and living, as well as aiming to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. From August 2 to September 30, Aqura Homes opened the SDGs House in Aqura Homes Kohoku Display village, where rooms were built with sustainable materials and equipped with eco-friendly furniture and homeware from IKEA Japan.

Aqura Homes has been leading sustainable solutions for the environment. For example, they use logged wood sourced from forest thinning, a forest management method for tree growth and protection from natural disasters. Since 2010, Aqura Homes has been building study writing desks using this logged wood, and donating them to primary schools, while organizing workshops to raise children’s awareness about the importance of forests. More recently, Aqura Homes released a kind of drinking straw made from logged wood as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic straws.

Aqura Homes’ eco-friendly efforts caught the eye of the Yokohama SDGs Design Center, who in turn helped Aqura Homes partner with IKEA Japan to bring the SDGs Life Design Project to fruition. The SDGs House is built with cross-laminated timber (CLT), a kind of plywood joining multiple layers at perpendicular angles. CLT was first introduced in Austria as a way to reuse low-value timber. However, it is now gaining attention from other countries around the world, including Japan, owing to its structural strength and its positive environmental impact.

CLT contains carbon naturally stored in wood during tree growth, which helps lead to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. CLT is also a versatile material, usable in walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs. Using the material simplifies the construction process and economizes on materials and electricity. Aqura Homes believes that CLT can help them contribute to the achievement of some of the SDGs, including climate change, innovation, and forest conservation.

IKEA Japan’s contribution to this project inspires visitors to make more nature-friendly choices when furnishing their own homes. This is very evident in the SDGs House, where the kitchen cabinets are made from recycled materials and plastic bottles. They have also used LED ceiling lights that consume 85% less electricity than filament lamps and have 20 years of battery life. Visitors can get a clear image of the SDGs, as each item of furniture and homeware comes with a short description of its sustainable development goal, including those for promoting conscious consumption, marine conservation, and ones to tackle climate change.

Since the launch of the SDGs in 2015, various changemakers around the world are contributing to the 17 goals to make the world a better place for all living things. However, as individuals, it can be quite challenging to think of what exactly we can do to help achieve these goals. This SDGs House serves as a facilitator for the general public, showing that individuals can start by making conscious decisions in their daily lives. Over time, active participation as part of a worldwide commitment will become more approachable and achievable.