From April 8 to 19, 2024, the first workshop of the SustainabITALY project took place. The objective of this first activity was to conceive and design the exhibition setup. Students from the University of Arkansas Rome Program were involved along with three young Italian designers specifically selected for this event by the Ordine degli Architetti di Roma e Provincia (the architects association of Rome). The seventeen students were divided into three groups, each assigned a Roman architect as the team leader. The workshop was held at Spazio100, a space kindly provided by the Ordine degli Architetti, and at Palazzo Taverna, the headquarters of the University of Arkansas Rome Center. For about two weeks, every morning, the three groups met to finalize their proposals. 

The objective was to design an exhibition suitable for both outdoor and indoor spaces, sustainable, affordable, modular, easy to assemble and disassemble multiple times in different places, with packaging as an integral part of the project. The main material was wood, which obviously must be treated for outdoor use. The entire exhibition must also meet predetermined size and weight requirements for air shipping and wood fumigation treatment as required by U.S. customs offices.

In terms of the final result, each group had to produce the following: a brief project description; floor plans, elevations, and sections at an appropriate scales; graphic drawings, sketches, and project images; exploded axonometric views; examples of possible graphic processing of the exhibition panels; photocollages of the exhibition in the spaces provided by the academic partners; a layout scheme of the elements in space; relevant details such as joints, panel fastening elements, and so on; packaging design; assembly, disassembly, and packing instructions with step-by-step illustrations; and cost estimates.

On April 19, 2024, in the Consiliare Hall of the Ordine degli Architetti, the final presentations of the projects and the selection of the winner took place. Present and members of the committee were Roberta Bocca the Vice President of the Ordine degli Architetti, Paolo Anzuini counsellor of the Ordine degli Architetti, Francesco Bedeschi Director of the University of Arkansas Rome Center, Enrico Grillo of the Chapter Lazio GBC Italia, Tagi2000, and Margherita Manfra of orizzontale design firm. Group 1, with project leader Arch. Khadija Kouki Amri, was chosen as the winning proposal.