Sarah Al-Sarai

Lamat Chai is more than a table; it is a space for gathering where tea, stories, and play come together. Inspired by Arab traditions of hospitality, it reimagines the tea ritual as an interactive coffee table that connects immigrant families across generations. Each tile and pattern turns the surface into a living landscape of connection. At its heart is tea, a familiar rhythm that invites people to slow down, share, and rediscover one another through the simple act of gathering.

A portable, sensory-friendly travel planner empowering people with hidden disabilities to navigate new environments safely, confidently, and independently.

Guideline is a multi-sensory wayfinding system that reimagines how people navigate train stations. Developed collaboratively with Travellers Aid, it responds sensitively to the experiences of blind and low-vision commuters while improving accessibility for everyone. Through colour-coded wall and floor indicators and LED-enhanced platform tactiles, Guideline creates a more intuitive, inclusive, and visually dynamic environment that allows passengers to move more safely, confidently, and independently through busy public transport spaces.

This collaborative project, based in Singapore and Malaysia, focused on designing a sustainable healthcare building by addressing the environmental impact of polypropylene (PP) waste from sterile wraps. Involving a wide range of stakeholders, the project introduced a chemical recycling solution to create a circular system that breaks down plastic into its original components.
This approach aimed to reduce waste and promote continuous reuse, tackling the significant PP waste burden in healthcare facilities.

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Transit Trees reimagines public transport as a catalyst for urban regeneration. Developed through the Monash Innovation Guarantee in collaboration with Co-Labs and team Urban Regeneration, the project integrates green infrastructure into transit networks to create cooler, healthier, and more connected cities. By merging nature with mobility, Transit Trees transforms bus stops and transport hubs into living, community-centred spaces. The concept was even envisioned for the Monash Clayton bus loop, showcasing how design can reshape everyday commutes into moments of rest, connection, and environmental care.

Lamat Chai is a modular tea table crafted at a 1:3 scale from birch plywood and acrylic, exploring how materiality can support play, language, and cultural connection. The tabletop is composed of Arabesque-patterned tiles, 48 of which hold laser-engraved Kufic letters, allowing them to be lifted, traced, and rearranged. The foldable legs enable floor seating, creating intimate, communal settings, while the tabletop itself can detach to function as a serving platter. Through making, the project balances warmth and precision, tradition and modernity, inviting hands-on interaction.

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