Sonoran Desert, Arizona​

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In Southern Arizona, where date palms from the Middle East now grow beside native mesquite and saguaro, the Date Hut stands as an experimental sukkah for the annual Jewish harvest festival.

 

Six laminated timber bents stand in sequence, wide at the base and tapering up toward a small hexagonal oculus, recalling ancient shelters of the Sinai Peninsula. Fallen palm fronds, bound with hemp rope, layer the walls to let light, shade, and breeze filter through. Inside, cushions and a low table offer a space to share hot tea and fruit from the trees.

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Conceived as a counterpoint to digital dating, the pavilion offers a reservable space for strangers to meet under a shared roof, drawing a throughline between the desert huts carried by the ancient Israelites and the diasporic landscapes we occupy today.

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"...they sat softly upon the thick rug, a bowl of sweet dates on the table between them, steam rising from their cups. Light sifted through the fronds in gold slats, and the autumn wind curled around their ankles. They spoke softly as the sun slipped below the horizon. A tender warmth hung in the stillness between them, under the taut rope drawn across the canopy."​