I'm a designed-minded writer who has recently been inspired by the Ikea hacking communities that I've discovered; there are a growing group of Ikea enthusiasts who make slight modifications to their out of the box furniture.

I want to take this idea further and create a large piece from various Ikea components (chairs, tables, etc...). The project would focus on the notion of housing/shared space for the homeless.

The completed project could take one of two routes, depending on the interest it receives. One, it could be installed in a public location; Nathan Phillips Square for example. The project might build from that initial location and others could be created and set up across the city (much like the spray-painted bikes).

The second route would be to partner with Ikea and have them put the installation in of their Toronto stores. This idea fits in with Ikea's brand of finding interesting ways to inject itself into the public dialogue; for example, Ikea has just recently announced that it has plans to build an entire micro-city in East London. A piece, made from the company's furniture, that deals with space for the homeless would bolster the brand's social agenda and spark the imagination of customer's coming into the store.

The building aspect of this project is something that I've wanted to do for some time but haven't had the opportunity to purchase furniture that wasn't going to be used for a functional purpose. For the PR component: I'm a Contributing Editor for TrendHunter and I have contacts at an array of design publications, both in the city and abroad; amongst which: PSFK, Springwise, CoolHunting, Vertical Review, Toronto Standard, The National Post, DesignBoom. I also have a strong grasp on effective social media practices and would generate interest in the project through various channels.