A contemporary low table blending sand-based bio-composites with crystal glass to reimagine traditional UAE communal gathering spaces.
loodo is a low table inspired by the shifting culture of gathering in the UAE, from traditional floor seating in majlis settings to modern living room furniture. Rooted in childhood memories of sitting cross-legged on the floor playing board games, the piece reimagines the joy and intimacy of communal spaces through a contemporary lens. Its name borrows from the classic board game Ludo, referencing both the form’s geometric layout and its playful use of colour.
As third culture kids growing up in the UAE, we witnessed the city’s rapid transformation from its origin – sand. Desert sand is one of the country’s most abundant resources, yet it is largely dismissed as unsuitable for construction and often treated as a stranded or wasted material, even incurring costs when discarded. loodo reclaims this overlooked resource as both metaphor and medium, with its legs crafted from a custom sand-based bio-composite, naturally dyed with turmeric, charcoal, indigo, and henna—colours that carry cultural significance as much as they do material integrity.
The crystal glass top contrasts the raw tactility of the sand, creating a dialogue between weight and transparency, permanence and fragility. The variation in leg heights introduces depth and rhythm, while allowing for subtle shifts in arrangement beneath the surface. In form and in spirit, loodo is a playful yet grounded piece; an object that invites gathering, connection, and memory.
