Abwab has for five consecutive years acted as a united platform for design talent from the UAE and the wider region, inviting visitors into the creative landscapes of neighbouring communities. This year, Abwab will once again present an innovative concept demonstrating contemporary regional design and architectural talent.

Dubai Design Week opens the door for creatives (individuals or collectives) from the region (MENA, GCC), to submit proposals for an architectural or design pavilion to be constructed at the center of Dubai Design District, d3.

The proposal needs to address themes related to city dwellers’ constantly evolving relationship with public space and the ever lasting need for public interventions that serve the purposes of shelter from weather conditions, spaces for gathering under current physical distancing requirements or simply serving the function of spaces of respite, to pause, relax and recuperate.

In the context of design week, this architectural pavilion will serve as a multi-purpose space, hosting different activities throughout the week, from talks and workshops to exhibitions.

Joining this call is Bee’ah, the leading environmental agency which will be providing designers with a selection of recycled and up-cycled materials produced in the UAE to be incorporated in their design proposals. Please click on this link to check material’s catalogue.

Criteria:

The conceptual proposal has to:

  • Explore contemporary design and architecture while maintaining contextual cultural and geographical relevance.
  • Follow a responsible design approach, taking into account sustainable use of materials and production processes, construction, installation and operation processes.
  • Be designed as a semi-permanent space in d3 that could be repurposed for future purposes and accessible by public visitors.
  • Include the possibility of it being deconstructed in separate modules to be placed in different locations while still serving a specific purpose each (ex. Shading module, public seats, enclosure etc..)


The design proposal must be:

  • Suitable for outdoor installation in d3 based on the below map location
  • The proposal cannot exceed 250 sqm
  • The weight must be less than 350 kg per square meter
  • The design proposal must be easily maintained considering the climate of Dubai; the heat, dust and sand and occasional heavy showers and should be easily cleaned
  • Preferable entirely produced in the UAE, using materials from Bee’ah.


Power Requirements:

  • If the proposal is solar-power required for the proposal must be fully integrated in the body of the design


Submissions must include:

  • Submissions must include a minimum of one and maximum of five digital files showing the proposed concept – (physical models, renderings, architectural drawings and/or sketches are encouraged).
  • A clear budget breakdown for the production of the design.
  • A description text of 300 hundred words describing the concept of the design

*All images must be high quality and a maximum of 1MB. Please follow the submission form guidelines.
**Large architectural entities are not included in this call, which targets middle-sized studios and SMEs

Budget:

The winning proposal will be awarded 40,000USD in production fees and 10,000USD in design fees, including all project development technical plans, renders and production management and supervision.


Submissions are now closed. For any inquiry please contact [email protected]