Spatio, a piece that makes the maker’s life a bit easier, an idea making table for a maker.
Focused on the first moment a maker initiates a project. The piece is a low table inspired by the culture of grounding the self. One sits on the ground, grounded and zen with their thoughts to start the first draft of creative work. The piece is designed by taking into consideration the dynamic & organic nature of making, hence the form emphasizes asymmetry. The piece is meant to have a dual functionality, a working surface and a coffee table for makers with small spaces.
Made of single laminated sheets of Reconstituted Silver Oak & Black Ebony veneer, vacuum pressed to create a curved form appearing to bend and free flow in space. The bent form is highlighted sectionally by the black laminated sheets. Veneer sheets are seamlessly molded to create a table surface to work on. The Overlapping cantilevered pieces act as support and guide the user while using the table and are separated by black dyed Ashwood spacers that connect the cantilevered surfaces together which creates compact storage spaces.
Year: 2022
Dayih is a lamp that draws inspiration from the Ghaf Tree, a symbol of tolerance and the evergreen tree of the Arabian Gulf. The contemporary light sculpture explores and captures the beauty of the Ghaf at a macro and micro level. Macro being the three elements that make up the Ghaf - sand, stem and leaves. While the micro level explores the Nyctinasty process, which is a process that causes the Ghaf leaves to close in response to changes in light intensity.
The lamp is composed of three components, made using conventional tools and digital fabrication techniques. Its minimal form and organic details reflect the poetic beauty of a Ghaf and the culture it comes from. The base follows the topography of the desert’s sand formations. The vertical brass rod, which appears to pierce and grow from the topographic form, delicately contrasts the base. The frilled oval element diffuses the light and its form is derived from the closed Ghaf leaves. This element is designed to capture the beauty of the Nyctinasty process and can be layered to achieve various lighting effects. The delicate vein-like surface textures and marbled effect create a unique radiating ambiance when illuminated, bringing its cultural and traditional significance into the space.
Year: 2020
Award: Best of Year Award - 2020
Upcycled is a project initiated and conducted during my last semester at the American University of Sharjah. It is a directed study influenced by the growing number of designers that have developed new systems and types of sustainable materials while maintaining a strong aesthetic agenda in the overall design.
The Upcycled chair prototype was a response to three research outcomes:
- Creating furniture pieces that have a strong visual & physical impact through up-cycling waste materials
- Developing a fabrication process and methodology that ties directly to form making.
- Highlighting the essence of researching and understanding material forms created by unconventional up-cycling methods and raising public awareness of the importance of embracing such research.
Year: 2019
Directed by Assistant Professor Ammar Kalo.
Material Studies for Upcycled is the first phase of the Upcycled research.
Upcycled is a project initiated and conducted during my last semester at the American University of Sharjah. It is a directed study influenced by the growing number of designers that have developed new systems and types of sustainable materials while maintaining a strong aesthetic agenda in the overall design.
The starting point of Upcycled was the collection of recyclable and none-recyclable waste materials from local factories. A series of material experimentations were then made to test durability, the nature of certain materials and how materials behaved when mixed with other types. Material studies are made to create / result in a strong visual and conceptual sustainable material system to create furniture prototypes, which eventually resulted in the system used for making the Upcycled chair prototype.
Year: 2019
Directed by Assistant Professor Ammar Kalo.
Images courtesy of Noora Saffarini & Rand Drei
A series of multi-purpose pots that study various “crumpled” forms made using melting acetate paper, plastic sheets and natural dyes for color. The project started as being an experimental project that focused on forms created by melting, burning plastic and casting it in plaster.
Those pots are used for plants, candles and tools holder.
Year: 2019
In collaboration with Nura Saffarini for CAAD Concept pop-up shop
A small experimental project that attempts to explore the potential of organic materials such as corn husk to create functional everyday objects.
Here, corn husk and soil are trapped in resin and cast in various mediums. Each medium reacted differently to the heat produced from the curing of resin. The result is a series dynamic and textured surfaces that allow for moments of discovery.
Year: 2020
Trio - a piece that studies forms that can be created by hand carving wax. It reflects visual poetry of “the art of subtraction” and emphasizes on contrasting gestures and emotions.
Trio is a silver ring designed and produced using traditional jewelry wax molding and goldsmith techniques commonly used in the region.
Year: 2020
Produced at Tashkeel studios
Part of my interest in Casting and the UAE culture, this project combines both aspects.
A sand casted silver pendant made by carving cuttlefish bone, a technique used in the past by fishermen. The carved bone is then used it as a mold for casting. Lastly, the casted piece is polished.
Shape is an abstracted form of a palm leave and a starfish, inspired by the culture of the UAE.
Year: 2019
Workshop by Azza Al Qubaisi
The project is a design build project by graduating IDE students. It explores the idea of moving through a forest of materials. Being assigned the task of designing a materials library for CAAD students, this project strayed away form the typical shelving systems of libraries and focused on exploring new ways of displaying material samples.
This materials library’s method of cataloging is intuitive as it is based on the visuals rather than the typical cataloging methods.The hard materials like stone are hung through laser cut metal pieces called “leverage hooks” as they hook the materials onto the steel rods. The bases are made out of ash wood that is laminated, sanded and finished to become fully polished and rich in color.
Year: 2018
Location: CAAD - American University of Sharjah
Instructed by Daniel Chavez
Images Courtesy of Juan Roldan & Reem Elwazeer
DePaso is a tactile and immersive installation that pays homage to the qualities and visual poetry of dekton by Cosentino. Minimalistic and playful, DePaso is an architectural structure of contrasting textures and emotions. The journey through DePaso is a censorial experience where one comes in contact with the simplicity, versatility and truth of man-made material.
DePaso was displayed during Dubai Design Week
Year: 2018
In collaboration with Cosentino, Professor Juan Roldan and graduating IDE students.
Study models inspired by the forms of Coralline Algae adaptations specifically non articulated coralline forms. Hand Sculpted using plaster.
Corallines are branching, tree-like organisms that play an important role in the ecology of coral reefs. They come in various colors, generally shades of pink.
Year: 2019
This project is about developing architectural ideas from linguistic concepts and translating them into a physical construction. Following the linguistic concept "to rotate", a series of spatial investigations went form 2D drawings to 3D models.
Year: 2018
Instructed by Associate Professor Jason Carlow
This project explores the concept of object/field developed from a series of abstract spatial studies building up from an exercise that used abstract compositions to sculpt three-dimensional interior conditions. This pasta factory results in distinct spatial qualities that were developed from investigating abstract compositions to define spaces along with introducing functional details. Contrasting elements of colors and textures are highlighted throughout the project to create hierarchy between spaces.
Year: 2018
A lamp inspired by Mashrabiya patterns . Made of recycled corrugated cardboard, the material is hand-cut and assembled into the desired shape. A secondary material is added to diffuse light to create a warm ambiance.
Year: 2017
