Lina Ghalib, a product and furniture designer, has pioneered a unique sustainable material called PlyPalm, developed from the midribs of palm leaves. As a fellow in the 2024 Material Lab Fellowship Programme, her aim is to continue the material experiments and create a biodegradable alternative to traditional construction materials. Currently, her journey with PlyPalm is focusing on achieving various colour-staining techniques while maintaining the material’s structural integrity.
Lina Ghalib
May - July 2024:
Lina’s initial experiments involved staining the PlyPalm using different methods, including natural dyes and acrylic paints. Early attempts using black tea and turmeric showed varying degrees of success in colour absorption but compromised the material's structural stability. With each trial, Lina refined her process. She found that a universal dye mixed with thinner offered the most promising results.
Next Steps:
Lina’s next steps will involve more colour testing to finalise the hues for the final product, producing PlyPalm sheets or blocks, and further experimenting with the secondary material in various moulds to reach the consistency she has in mind.
Lina Ghalib is a product and furniture Designer with a bachelor's and master's degree in Interior Architecture, aspiring to transition into Interior Design. As a Tanween alumni, she developed PlyPalm during the programme, creating the Yereed bench. Her goal is to continue developing products, furniture, and interior applications with this material, and is working with palm tree mid ribs for the duration of the 2024 Material Lab Fellowship Programme.
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