Stykka designs cardboard desk to help people work from home during self-isolation

Anyone in need of a temporary desk during the coronavirus crisis can build one themselves, using this design by Danish startup Stykka.

Stykka has developed a simple flat-pack workstation that can be easily assembled out of three pieces of folded cardboard.

The designers call it the #StayTheFuckHome Desk, in reference to a social media hashtag that has been used to promote self-isolation.

You can order one online, to be delivered to your door. Or, if you have access to cardboard and a laser cutter, you can download the template and print it out yourself, as the design is open source.

"We want the design to benefit as many people as possible, which is why we have made the production files open-source and freely available for download under the creative commons license," explained studio founder Jarl Vidnæs.

"We want to encourage people to work from home instead going to the office and risking spreading the virus."

Vidnæs and his colleagues came up with the idea for the cardboard desk after Denmark announced a national lock-down, similar to those experienced in China, Italy, Spain and the UK.

Some of the team didn't have sufficient desk space to work from home. They imagined many others were suffering the same problem, so developed a solution they could share.

It took them less than 24 hours to turn the idea into a real product they could sell online.

“Since March 12th, when Denmark almost closed down, we have all been working from home," said Vidnæs.

"Some had to share a workstation with their partner, while others had to use the dining table. We figured that others might experience the same problem and we decided to turn this idea into reality."

Because the design is made from cardboard, it should be completely recyclable once the pandemic is over. Stykka is sourcing its cardboard from a Danish facility that uses over 80 per cent recycled fibres, to further reduce the carbon footprint.

The completed desk measures 1,200 centimetres wide, 620 centimetres deep and 820 centimetres high. It can be assembled in minutes and is held together using cable ties.

Vidnæs hopes that people will be inspired to hack the design and customise it to their own needs.

"So if you didn't manage to set-up your home office before IKEA closed down, there’s still hope," he told Dezeen.

Stykka is selling the cardboard desk for £75 plus shipping fees, for delivery to the UK, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, France, Italy, Austria, Finland, Spain and the Netherlands.

Alternatively, the production files are available to download from the Stykka website.

Many designers are coming up with solutions to problems posed by the coronavirus emergency.

Architects Carlo Ratti and Italo Rota have design an intensive care unit pod that can be built in a shipping container for hospitals that need beds. Architectural designers Ivo Tedbury and Freddie Hong have created a 3D-printed handle that lets people open a door without touching it with their hands, reducing the risk of passing on the virus.

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