Participants will explore how traditional eating and gathering practices can inform accessible, open-source design systems for the future. The session culminates in a community supper club where we activate the concept of the Fourth Place Kitchen—a modular, pop-up food space designed for flexible, inclusive gatherings. Through hands-on making, cultural storytelling, and shared meals, attendees will experience how design and food intersect to create spaces of connection.
Event setup includes Majlis seating and carpets for an authentic Qatari gathering atmosphere.
Event Concept: An outdoor community gathering celebrating Qatari culture and cuisine, where design meets tradition. The supper club will showcase the outcomes of the Routes & Roots workshop, with projections of the design process and prototypes during the event. The evening blends food, furniture, seating, spaces, and cultural traditions, inspired by the Qatari Sufra—the shared ground cloth central to communal dining. This event is designed to foster dialogue, cultural exchange, and shared experiences.
Program Flow:
Welcome & Introduction
Speakers share insights on the residency, design process, and cultural significance.
Confirmed chefs, culinary experts, artists and designers: Chef Nouf Al Marri, Shua'a Ali Muftah, Shay Al Shamoos and more.
Community Dining Experience
Guests enjoy traditional Qatari dishes served in a Majlis-style setting.
Informal conversations and cultural exchange encouraged.
Food Vendors & Menu from:
- Bayt Al Waldah
- Shay Al Shamoos
- MJay
There will be a talk during the supperclub:
The Social Architecture of Eating
How do the spaces where we eat shape how we connect? This talk explores the hidden design intelligence embedded in traditional Gulf dining practices - from the familial markings on servingware to the majlis that arrange conversation in a circle. Speakers discuss how seating arrangements, serving vessels, and eating gestures encode cultural values - and what we lose when standardized furniture replaces embodied tradition. The conversation draws on insights from the Routes & Roots Experimental Lab at Liwan, where participants have been prototyping new tools for communal eating inspired by Qatari heritage.
Together, we'll ask: What can traditional practices teach us about designing more equitable, accessible, and joyful gathering spaces?Adults and families interested in design, food culture, and community engagement.
This workshop is best suited for those passionate about culinary traditions, cultural heritage, and innovative design practices. It welcomes intergenerational participation—parents and children are encouraged to join and experience the joy of sharing food together, making this a true community gathering.