PROJECT INTRODUCTION

Everyone Deserves a Seat at the Table

A Seat at the Table brings together People of Determination (PoD) artists and design enthusiasts, and university students, in a shared journey of exploration, experimentation, and co-creation.

Through a series of collaborative activities hosted by the School of Architecture and Interior Design at Canadian University Dubai, participants explored the relationship between sensory perception, cultural identity, and creative expression.

The project resulted in five sensory artworks inspired by the UAE's cultural and environmental heritage, brought together within a purpose-designed interactive table installation.

Conceived and developed through collective design efforts and material experimentation at CUD, the table provides a shared platform where individual talents become part of a meaningful collective experience.

The project celebrates inclusion not simply as a design objective, but as a creative process shaped by diverse perspectives and abilities.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Designing the Table

From an idea of inclusion to a shared landscape of interaction.

The installation was conceived as an accessible, interactive landscape that encourages visitors to gather, explore, and engage.

Developed by the CUD School of Architecture and Interior Design, the table combines elongated polygonal geometries with layered gypsum surfaces in three earth-inspired colours: desert sand, red sand, and brown travertine.

Its composition creates a continuous landscape of shapes, textures, and surfaces that accommodates the sensory artworks while allowing visitors to interact from different positions and perspectives.

The design process involved spatial studies, geometric experimentation, material selection, and technical development, with particular attention to accessibility, tactility, and collective participation.

Geometric and colour studies

Material and surface studies

CO-DESIGN WORKSHOP — 22–23 OCTOBER 2026

Co-Creating Through the Senses

Two days of creative exchange, experimentation, and collective making.

Hosted at CUD's HUB campus in CityWalk, the two-day workshop brought together PoD artists, university students, and design enthusiasts to explore the senses as a source of creative expression.

Working collaboratively, participants interpreted five atmospheres inspired by familiar environments and cultural traditions of the UAE.

Through hands-on experimentation with materials, colours, textures, forms, and sensory stimuli, the participants co-designed artifacts that translate personal experiences into shared artistic expressions.

Rather than treating inclusion as a predefined outcome, the workshop encouraged participants to learn from one another, explore different abilities, and discover new possibilities through collective making.

The five sensory atmospheres

The five artworks are presented as an image-led gallery, with each atmosphere receiving its own visual identity, short description, and photographs of the co-design process and completed artifact. 

01. Desert at Dawn — Sight
An exploration of the changing colours, light, and textures of the desert at sunrise, using transparency, reflection, and material compositions to evoke visual experiences.

02. The Majlis — Hearing
Inspired by the sounds of hospitality, conversation, and everyday rituals, this atmosphere explores how familiar materials and objects evoke memories of social encounters.

03. The Souk — Smell
A sensory journey through the fragrances of traditional markets, connecting spices, aromas, and natural materials with cultural memory and the identity of place.

04. Oasis and Date Palm — Touch
An exploration of tactile contrasts inspired by oasis landscapes, bringing together natural fibers, organic materials, and varied surface textures.

05. Evening in Ramadan — Taste
Inspired by the flavours and rituals of Ramadan evenings, this atmosphere celebrates food, hospitality, and the cultural significance of shared experiences.

More updates coming soon. Stay tuned!