Workshop on Innovation through Biomaterials in the Royal Docks

Join us for an interactive workshop at the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability at the University of East London (UEL), in collaboration with Kenyatta University and The American University in Cairo (AUC). This session will explore how bio-based materials, such as agricultural by-products, can help reimagine construction practices through regenerative and low-carbon approaches. Responding directly to this year’s London Festival of Architecture theme of Belonging, the workshop examines how material choices can reconnect architecture to place, ecosystems and communities through emerging bio-based material research.

Building on British Council-backed collaborations between UEL, Kenyatta University and AUC, the session draws on research into locally sourced materials such as compressed earth blocks, sugarcane by-product bagasse and banana leaf fibres, alongside other bio-based systems developed across diverse climatic contexts. This work highlights how construction can foster belonging by aligning building practices with local knowledge, climates and resource flows.

Through hands-on experimentation, participants will engage with bio-based materials, crafting innovative solutions that optimise material use through structural forms. Led by UEL academics and collaborators from Kenya and Cairo, the workshop will include a discussion on carbon footprint reduction in construction, encouraging a deeper understanding of how bio-based design strategies can support more resilient and ecologically grounded construction futures rooted in place and a shared sense of belonging.

All tools and materials required for the workshop will be provided. We look forward to welcoming you.

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Host or Publisher University of East London