Material Potential with the Date Palm

The date palm, an icon within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its agriculture. Stemming from age-old cultivation and harvesting, the date palm now forms one of the largest farming supply chain systems in the country. In this workshop, we explore the numerous potential uses and applications of this material including packaging, architecture, design, nutrition, and climate resilience. The workshop will be conducted under three working themes: containment, shelter, and nourishment.

The 4-hour sessions over four days highlight the potential of materials from the date palm by first encouraging attendees to put themselves in their environment. Doing this will give them an expanded vision of the various languages, emotions, and processes that the materials can undergo to expand their functionality.

The workshop will be highly interactive, and attendees will have the opportunity to experiment with date palm-derived materials and how to create them.