Colab to unveil a zero-waste modular materials pop up at Dubai Design Week 2023
A fully modular, zero-waste, plug and play concept is coming to Dubai Design Week (DXBDW) 2023, and it promises to change the way we think about sustainability. Colab, the first purpose-built material library in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be showcasing their RETHINK pop-up at the region’s most anticipated design festival from 7th-12th November this year.
A pocket-sized edition made its European debut at the London Design Festival, and by the time Dubai Design Week comes around, it would have appeared at Dutch Design Week as well. Each iteration offers a slightly different experience, but the purpose is always to educate people on the creative potential sustainable materials have to offer. It also helps give local, regional and international material innovators access to a wider platform that they might not have access to otherwise. Natasha Carella, Programming Director for Dubai Design Week, commented: “We are delighted to host Colab’s RETHINK, an innovative exhibition that presents a compelling vision of how sustainable materials can transform the way we construct and inhabit our built environments, that work in harmony with our ecosystem. Through this exhibition and others, visitors to Dubai Design Week will have the opportunity to engage with new and experimental materials, several of which have been developed here in the UAE.” Visitors in Dubai will get a unique experience, because, for this local edition, Colab is partnering with Desert Board to create a fully reusable and modular exhibit. Using PSB (Palm Strand Board), the world’s first sustainable engineered wooden board upcycled from palm biomass residue, for this innovative concept, the aim is to create a plug and play exhibition and pop-up that can be reconfgured for different purposes and venues.
Kamal Farah, Director of Desert Board, says “We are proud to present the world’s most sustainable board, manufactured in the UAE from locally available biobased materials, showcasing to the world that the UAE is committed to fulfilling its promises under the Paris Agreement during the Year of Sustainability.” A key focus of the pop-up will be on UAE-made materials including DATEFORM, the world’s first date- seed based solid surface material; RAMEL, a locally sourced desert sand based revolutionary concrete alternative; Terraboard, a sustainable alternative to traditional wood solution made from unrecyclable waste materials; Leukeather, an innovative natural textile alternative to exotic leather made from discarded dried pods; Palmade, a new biodegradable material made from palm tree waste that serves as an effective alternative to single-use plastics; and Datecrete, the world’s first date seed based cementitious material without any trace of resin or concrete; In addition to locally produced materials, a host of innovative materials will make their debut at the ninth edition of Dubai Design Week, including DELEREX®, a unique material made entirely from discarded lenses, without the use of glues or bonding agents; CeraFoam, a porous ceramic based material with the significant qualities of any ceramic material, such as hardness and thermal advantages, but also with a series of advanced properties such as acoustic absorption and compression strength; and SUSTAIGN, a recycled plastic with the look and properties of natural stone and marble. The materials pop-up aims to encourage the architectural and design community to not only rethink the materials that they build with but also rethink their material consumption and how materials are specified. Given that the global building and construction sector accounts for nearly 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, whilst also having a significant impact on our natural habitats, it is imperative that the entire industry take a closer look at materials.
Ahead of Dubai Design Week, Richard Wilson, Founder & Creative Director of Colab, says, “The design of our pop up has been inspired by Russian nesting dolls (Matryoshka) and represents a fresh design direction that promotes new ways of thinking about sustainability and accountability, both in terms of design, materiality and production processes. Creativity and sustainability go hand in hand, you don’t have to sacrifice on one or the other, so we’re looking forward to engaging with the local design community and opening their eyes to new possibilities at Dubai Design Week.”
Visitors will be able to find RETHINK in Building 6 next to the d3 Architecture Exhibition in partnership with RIBA. If visitors wish to connect with any of the suppliers showcased, they will be able to do so via Colabdigital.ae, an online database of both commercially available and cutting-edge innovative materials. It was created to allow users an opportunity to learn about materials, their applications, and have the option to contact suppliers directly. If you are a creative based in the Middle East and have an interesting material you’d like to showcase at RETHINK for Dubai Design Week, you can get in touch with Richard via [email protected] to inquire about spots.