Using soy wax masonry, this approach explores eco-friendly, load-bearing assemblies made from reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable building units.

EN-SI-AB is a spatial installation that explores sustainable material alternatives for masonry using soy wax, a vegetable wax derived from soybean oil, making it a natural, renewable, and biodegradable alternative to conventional materials.

The installation investigates the use of soy wax masonry in new unit forms and in a load-bearing capacity. EN-SI-AB is the formal outcome of a structural study that experiments with rotations in the assembly. A building method conventionally associated with heaviness and opacity appears tectonic, fluid, and varied in transparency.

Constructed with over 1000 wax masonry units, the installation is 100% reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable. After Dubai Design Week 2024, the wax units will be reused for new assemblies or melted down and recycled, inspiring designers and the public to consider playful sustainable alternatives.

EN-SI-AB is the result of a collaboration among Tania Ursomarzo, an Assistant Professor of Architecture and Interior Design at the American University of Sharjah and the founder of the design studio ETCETERAcreative, along with Emirati architects Sara AlMahmoud and Maryam AlQassim, both alumni of the American University of Sharjah. This installation has been kindly supported by Golden Wax, AAK INDIA PVT LTD, resinarthub.ae, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, and Proto21

About the designers:

Tania Ursomarzo is an Assistant Professor of Architecture and Interior Design at the American University of Sharjah. Founder, Designer, and Creative Director of multidisciplinary design research studio, ETCETERAcreative, and fashion product brand, TRIPTYCH.

Sara AlMahmoud is an Emirati architect based in Sharjah, with a degree in architecture from the American University of Sharjah.

Maryam AlQassim is an Emirati architect who recently graduated with a degree in Architecture from the American University of Sharjah.