The ambition, when designing IFI, was to create a flexible university building with a clearly defined identity, to establish a new Informatics block with functional connections between IFI1 and IFI2, to reinforce the connection to the main University campus and to actively integrate the Gaustadbekkdalen terrain into the project. The result is a 170 meters long 4/5 storey high building with a 10 floor tower at the north-end.

The character of the new building picks up colours from Blindern (main University campus), as well as adapting to the existing neighbouring buildings in Gaustadbekkdalen. Red bricks have been used both internally and externally around the two auditoriums. The ground floors are polished concrete to correspond with the concrete surfaces in the outdoor campus areas and in the amphitheatres towards the ponds and Gaustadbekken. Both the walls and stairs in the main stairwells are in exposed concrete. All steel has simple details and is in a matt black finish. Inside the auditoriums, blackened oak is used extensively on floors, walls, ceiling and doors. The same blackened oak has been used for internal doors. All general ceilings are open and of one colour throughout the floors; black, silver or white, depending on the function of the floor in question. The floors above ground level have white, speckled rubber flooring.