Colab and Lazza have launched ‘The Sweet Spot’, a bold, immersive pop-up experience unveiled at INDEX 2025, the region’s premier interior design event

UAE-based Colab, in partnership with Lazza, have unveiled ‘The Sweet Spot’ at INDEX 2025, which opened yesterday (May 27, 2025) at the Dubai World Trade Center. Their latest collaboration is a homegrown haven where creativity meets indulgence, and sustainability meets innovation. Taking place at the region’s leading event for the interior design industry until May 29, The Sweet Spot represents the next evolution in Colab’s pop-up series, following appearances at global design events including Milan Design Week, London Design Festival, Construmat Barcelona, and previous editions of INDEX.

As the first purpose-built materials library in the UAE, Colab continues its mission to push the boundaries of sustainable design and help transition the region’s reliance on imported materials. The Sweet Spot builds on Colab’s signature ‘RETHINK’ pop-up concept, inviting the design community to reconsider how and where they source their materials, with a clear focus on circularity, innovation, and local production. Partnering with Dubai’s go-to destination for mini delights has lead to the creation of a space that reflects the UAE’s commitment to innovation and sustainability and is designed to spark bold ideas and sweet connections.

“The Sweet Spot continues our RETHINK journey, bringing the latest homegrown material innovations into an interactive, engaging space,” said Richard Wilson, Founder & Creative Director of Colab. “The aim is still the same – to encourage designers and architects to consider local, circular options that are available right here in the UAE. Every detail has been thoughtfully crafted with locally sourced, upcycled and recyclable materials, ensuring they have a next life – just like the inspiration you’ll find here. We invite the design community to come celebrate the fusion of Colab’s inventive spirit with Lazza’s irresistible flavors.”

Marco Maximus, Senior Interior Designer at Keane and also one of Co-founders of Lazza, has designed the installation using DesertBoard, the world’s first sustainable engineered wooden board upcycled from palm frond raw material. Made in the UAE, Palm Strand Boards (PSB®) have high-strength, fire-resistance, zero-formaldehyde, and are moisture-resistant, highly durable, and acoustically insulated making them the region’s most sustainable building material. In addition, recycled plastic milk crates have also been repurposed to form some of the display elements witin the pop-up. The modular nature of the stand ensures that everything will be repurposed in the future.

Visitors will encounter a host of sustainable, upcycled and innovative materials. These include Dateform – the world’s first date-seed based solid surface material; Alchemy – the first 100% recycled plastic panel locally sourced and produced from construction waste in the UAE; PlyPalm – a ply-board material created from repurposed palm tree branches locally sourced in the UAE; Dunecrete – a concrete composite that partially replaces cement, and uses desert sand instead of riverbed Sand; and Datecrete – the world’s first date-seed based cementitious material without any trace of resin or concrete.

The Sweet Spot builds on Colab’s signature ‘RETHINK’ pop-up concept

“We’re very excited about this collaboration with Colab at INDEX 2025. The Sweet Spot pop-up is all about community – creating a space where designers can pause, recharge, and reconnect during one of the industry’s biggest events. By sponsoring this experience alongside Colab, we wanted to spotlight the incredible materials they champion while adding Lazza’s signature twist of unapologetic, bold, playful energy,” said Marco Maximus, lead designer of the installation. “We designed the space to reflect that spirit – combining vibrant blue crates with sustainable palm-based material (PSB®) to create a bold contrast and a visually memorable moment. This is just the first version of the Sweet Spot, and we’re already dreaming up what’s next. You don’t wanna miss this!”

Other materials on display include Byblos – transforming papyrus plants from the Nile shores into sustainable biomaterials; DesertBoard – the world’s first engineered wooden board made from palm fronds; Leukeather – an innovative natural textile alternative to exotic leather made from discarded dried pods; Sotogrande Studio – premium innovative composites fabricated for the design industry; Aerograph – patented self-assembling graphene nanocomposite; and Rammed Earth by Karim+Elias – multidisciplinary studio exploring desert sand through art and design; the most abundant natural material in the region.

At the heart of The Sweet Spot is an open co-working and connection zone, powered by JUNG, a premium supplier of modern building technology systems, switches, sockets and smart automation. Made in Germany, JUNG designs and develops pioneering and timeless products and solutions and greatly emphasise on sustainable and energy-efficient production. The space is designed to offer both inspiration and interaction, complete with tactile samples, educational conversations, and a unique addition: freshly baked brownies and cookies by Lazza, a homegrown UAE start-up that’s taking the streets by storm with their decadent treats.

Colab & Lazza's The Sweet Spot pop-up is all about community
Colab & Lazza’s The Sweet Spot pop-up is all about community

Supported by DesertBoard and LED World as the build and lighting partners respectively, the result is a dynamic and engaging pop-up that highlights innovative materials, with the aim to inspire and educate. Illuminating the space are iGuzzini’s award-winning Clan Mini lamps, a wireless, rechargeable table lamp that reinterprets Harvey Guzzini’s iconic 1970s design in a compact, contemporary form. In addition, the space also features the playful Bob stool – a characterful stool made from recycled cork – by Modus Furniture. Crafted from the waste produced in wine bottle cork manufacture, Bob has a softly rounded base, a concave seat and two finger holes to allow easy lifting and moving that lend Bob his enigmatic personality.

“Merging material exploration with meaningful engagement, The Sweet Spot offers a new lens on how sustainability, design, and community can come together. Our role is to bridge the gap between materials and their application – to show that these products are not only viable but valuable. There’s growing demand for something different, and these local innovations are proving to be both beautiful and sustainable. By providing access to locally-made sustainable materials, we hope to increase their usage within the regional design community. A massive thanks to everyone involved and we look forward to a fantastic showcase,” concluded Wilson.

As a continuation of Colab’s presence at some of the world’s leading design platforms, this INDEX edition builds further momentum in encouraging regional designers to specify more responsibly and locally. Aiming to further highlight the potential of these materials, Colab will also showcasing a curated selection of unique objects made from sustainable materials. And for those looking to take their discoveries further, specially curated sample boxes featuring selected materials will also be available to take home, offering a tangible extension of the experience. Visitors can find The Sweet Spot by Colab x Lazza in Hall 7 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.