Our thinking

IKEA’s downloadable garden

31 January, 2025

Could IKEA’s downloadable garden structure reshape how we grow food in cities and bring communities together in the process? 

Originally designed by architects Sine Lindholm and Mads-Ulrik Husum, The Growroom is a spherical urban farm built from plywood, designed to reduce reliance on industrial-scale farming by helping people grow fresh produce close to home—whether in private gardens, office spaces, or public areas. With its intentionally simple design and a layered structure that maximises growing space even in compact areas, The Growroom is a resource that any community can make use of. 

Rather than relying on mass production and global shipping, anyone (or at least, anyone who isn’t flummoxed by the instructions for a Billy bookcase) can download the design and build it locally using just 16 sheets of locally sourced plywood, a visit to a local makerspace with a CNC milling machine, and two rubber hammers. This not only reduces emissions and allows for quick assembly but also creates a sense of shared ambition and responsibility within communities who can work together to prepare it. 

The Growroom demonstrates how shifting from centralised manufacturing to digital fabrication and local production can help create greener, more resilient cities. At a time when global headlines often feel bleak, community projects like shared gardens can play a key role in keeping people engaged in sustainability and the impact they can have. 

By Nia Vines