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Northumbria University graduate Amelia Cook has created a food container that allows hikers to preserve and eat home-cooked meals in the wild. The Savour kit transforms outdoor dining from a basic necessity to a gourmet experience enabling food to be cooked, dehydrated, transported and served. Users can prepare a meal at home using the metal tray prior to being sealed with a lid and placed onto the accompanying dehydrator to preserve the food for up to three months. On the trail, the food can be transported in the same pan and reheated on a camping stove with some of water to regain its original texture and flavour. The kit also includes portable tableware inspired by restaurant plates.
Northumbria University graduate Amelia Cook has created a food container that allows hikers to preserve and eat home-cooked meals in the wild. The Savour kit transforms outdoor dining from a basic necessity to a gourmet experience enabling food to be cooked, dehydrated, transported and served. Users can prepare a meal at home using the metal tray prior to being sealed with a lid and placed onto the accompanying dehydrator to preserve the food for up to three months. On the trail, the food can be transported in the same pan and reheated on a camping stove with some of water to regain its original texture and flavour. The kit also includes portable tableware inspired by restaurant plates.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Vegan designer Erez Nevi Pana uses banana stems and leaves that he has grown himself to create a series of pieces, including furniture and human "cocoons," – shelters for people living in an imaginary tropical version of Milan, which has an unfamiliar climate due to global warming. The furniture collection included the Vegana Banana Bag Chair made of banana fibre, the Tropical Banana Rocking Chair made of banana fibre and net, and the Steamy Banana Hammock made of banana fibre and luffa – a tropical vine vegetable from the cucumber family. The cocoons were featured in a film made by the designer, which together with the items made up an installation called Tropical Milan back in 2020.
Vegan designer Erez Nevi Pana uses banana stems and leaves that he has grown himself to create a series of pieces, including furniture and human "cocoons," – shelters for people living in an imaginary tropical version of Milan, which has an unfamiliar climate due to global warming. The furniture collection included the Vegana Banana Bag Chair made of banana fibre, the Tropical Banana Rocking Chair made of banana fibre and net, and the Steamy Banana Hammock made of banana fibre and luffa – a tropical vine vegetable from the cucumber family. The cocoons were featured in a film made by the designer, which together with the items made up an installation called Tropical Milan back in 2020.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Developed as part of her graduate degree in biodesign by recent Central Saint Martins graduate Maca Barrera, Melwear is a speculative project imagining a future where humans wear bioprinted garments embedded with bacteria-derived melanin as an alternative form of sun protection. With this project the researcher addresses the issue of using conventional chemical sunscreens, which typically contain ingredients that can be harmful to the environment.
Developed as part of her graduate degree in biodesign by recent Central Saint Martins graduate Maca Barrera, Melwear is a speculative project imagining a future where humans wear bioprinted garments embedded with bacteria-derived melanin as an alternative form of sun protection. With this project the researcher addresses the issue of using conventional chemical sunscreens, which typically contain ingredients that can be harmful to the environment.
#BeOpenARCH
The whirlpool-like shape of the Denmark’s new National Aquarium, developed by Danish studio 3XN and titled Den Blå Planet (Danish for The Blue Planet, has been inspired by the whirl streams of the sea, shoals of fish, and the water in endless motion. The building is characterized by a shimmering, ever-changing facade covered in more than 33,000 small diamond-shaped aluminium plates, which adapt to the building’s organic form and mirrors the colours and light of the sky, not unlike fish scales.
More impressive aquariums in our blog.
The whirlpool-like shape of the Denmark’s new National Aquarium, developed by Danish studio 3XN and titled Den Blå Planet (Danish for The Blue Planet, has been inspired by the whirl streams of the sea, shoals of fish, and the water in endless motion. The building is characterized by a shimmering, ever-changing facade covered in more than 33,000 small diamond-shaped aluminium plates, which adapt to the building’s organic form and mirrors the colours and light of the sky, not unlike fish scales.
More impressive aquariums in our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
With an integrated a hydroponic planter for growing fresh vegetables, Eva by studio François Hurtaud is an extraordinary fish tank that mimics a virtuous cycle found in nature. The fish waste, in the form of ammonia, which is necessary for photosynthesis, is pumped up to the garden above where plant roots convert it into nitrates and nitrites. This nutrient-rich water then returns to the fish as a food source, while also fertilizing the plants.
More bespoke fishtank designs in our blog.
With an integrated a hydroponic planter for growing fresh vegetables, Eva by studio François Hurtaud is an extraordinary fish tank that mimics a virtuous cycle found in nature. The fish waste, in the form of ammonia, which is necessary for photosynthesis, is pumped up to the garden above where plant roots convert it into nitrates and nitrites. This nutrient-rich water then returns to the fish as a food source, while also fertilizing the plants.
More bespoke fishtank designs in our blog.
#BeOpenARCH
Light is an indispensable element of Sino-french Science Park Church by Shanghai Dachuan Architects that redefines the conventional typology of Catholic churches. Made of thousands of white thin beams, with the load-bearing structure concealed, the church, covering only 65-square-metre area, looks suspended in the air in a purple lavender field in China. The church is made entirely of aluminum square, without any welds, which makes the structure light seismic, corrosion resistant, and environmentally friendly. With the rhythm of poles and beautiful changes of light, the design embodies the pure ethereal spirit of the religious building.
Light is an indispensable element of Sino-french Science Park Church by Shanghai Dachuan Architects that redefines the conventional typology of Catholic churches. Made of thousands of white thin beams, with the load-bearing structure concealed, the church, covering only 65-square-metre area, looks suspended in the air in a purple lavender field in China. The church is made entirely of aluminum square, without any welds, which makes the structure light seismic, corrosion resistant, and environmentally friendly. With the rhythm of poles and beautiful changes of light, the design embodies the pure ethereal spirit of the religious building.
#BeOpenART
Conceived by Christophe Guinet, better known as Monsieur Plant, Sneakerium presents a fun and unusual way to recycle a pair of sneakers. To breathe in a new life into the discarded shoes, the artist places them in an aquarium filled with water, plants and soil. The collection consists of five different Nike sneaker models, each carefully set in a fish tank with different settings, the background color and choice of plants matching the laces of the sneakers.
Conceived by Christophe Guinet, better known as Monsieur Plant, Sneakerium presents a fun and unusual way to recycle a pair of sneakers. To breathe in a new life into the discarded shoes, the artist places them in an aquarium filled with water, plants and soil. The collection consists of five different Nike sneaker models, each carefully set in a fish tank with different settings, the background color and choice of plants matching the laces of the sneakers.
#BeOpenART
For her Afterlife series, artist Luna Ikuta has stripped away the color and chlorophyll of California poppies to immortalize them in an aquatic garden in a ghostly manner. To make the flowers transparent, the artist developed a method of isolating the extracellular matrix of a tissue from its inhabiting cells.
For her Afterlife series, artist Luna Ikuta has stripped away the color and chlorophyll of California poppies to immortalize them in an aquatic garden in a ghostly manner. To make the flowers transparent, the artist developed a method of isolating the extracellular matrix of a tissue from its inhabiting cells.
#BeOpenART
Aiming to bring attention to the concept of ‘hometown’ not as a rural area but as a common spiritual deficiency, Chinese practice IM Design has created Paper Space, an installation that uses 'paper’ as a medium, and it transforms from a two-dimensional plane into a three-dimensional space through cutting and folding. The space created by inward folding is a microcosm of an urban dwelling—doors, windows, tables, chairs, and beds constitute perhaps the most confined living spaces in the city. When folded outward, the secluded area becomes a collective portrait of countless urban dwellings.
via gooood.cn
Aiming to bring attention to the concept of ‘hometown’ not as a rural area but as a common spiritual deficiency, Chinese practice IM Design has created Paper Space, an installation that uses 'paper’ as a medium, and it transforms from a two-dimensional plane into a three-dimensional space through cutting and folding. The space created by inward folding is a microcosm of an urban dwelling—doors, windows, tables, chairs, and beds constitute perhaps the most confined living spaces in the city. When folded outward, the secluded area becomes a collective portrait of countless urban dwellings.
via gooood.cn
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Seoul-based designer Dasol Jeong has drawn inspiration from the famous Danish building blocks to create Planterior, an indoor garden system that uses the LEGO principle to attach modular planters to a wall-mountable base platform. The modular structure allows users to create endless configurations for their indoor garden.
More smart home gardening systems in our blog.
Seoul-based designer Dasol Jeong has drawn inspiration from the famous Danish building blocks to create Planterior, an indoor garden system that uses the LEGO principle to attach modular planters to a wall-mountable base platform. The modular structure allows users to create endless configurations for their indoor garden.
More smart home gardening systems in our blog.
#BeOpenARCH
The Nam (Mushroom coffee shop) by Vietnamese practice G+Architects was built in a garden within a new and fast-growing residential area. Aiming to leave the existing trees and plants intact, the team opted for cylinder volumes, each holding a separate function: housing, kitchen, toilet, as well as smaller flexible blocks that can be used for meetings, co-working or workshops. A meandering stream connects all the volumes, serving as a path for the visitors.
The Nam (Mushroom coffee shop) by Vietnamese practice G+Architects was built in a garden within a new and fast-growing residential area. Aiming to leave the existing trees and plants intact, the team opted for cylinder volumes, each holding a separate function: housing, kitchen, toilet, as well as smaller flexible blocks that can be used for meetings, co-working or workshops. A meandering stream connects all the volumes, serving as a path for the visitors.
#BeOpenDESIGN
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has collaborated with the furniture manufacturer Steelcase to launch the Frank Lloyd Wright Rockford and Galesburg Collections, which reintroduce the architect's iconic pieces and reinterpret his midcentury, Usonian style designs into fine modern furniture for the home and workplace. The furnishings in the Rockford and Galesburg collections reflect Wright's "organic architecture" philosophy of working with readily available materials like wood, glass, concrete and plywood to make his designs more easily available to the public.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has collaborated with the furniture manufacturer Steelcase to launch the Frank Lloyd Wright Rockford and Galesburg Collections, which reintroduce the architect's iconic pieces and reinterpret his midcentury, Usonian style designs into fine modern furniture for the home and workplace. The furnishings in the Rockford and Galesburg collections reflect Wright's "organic architecture" philosophy of working with readily available materials like wood, glass, concrete and plywood to make his designs more easily available to the public.
#BeOpenARCH
When commissioned to reimagine Seoul's famous shopping centre Hanwha Galleria and create a design that will challenge conventional notions of a luxury department store, London-based Heatherwick Studio proposed two symmetrical crystalline buildings with illuminated atria and plant-filled rooftops. Unlike a traditional, inward-facing shopping centre, the proposal uses the facade and the areas around it as public spaces, which are accessible to all whether they are shopping at the mall or simply enjoying the area.
When commissioned to reimagine Seoul's famous shopping centre Hanwha Galleria and create a design that will challenge conventional notions of a luxury department store, London-based Heatherwick Studio proposed two symmetrical crystalline buildings with illuminated atria and plant-filled rooftops. Unlike a traditional, inward-facing shopping centre, the proposal uses the facade and the areas around it as public spaces, which are accessible to all whether they are shopping at the mall or simply enjoying the area.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Japanese company Mizuiro Inc. has collaborated with designer Naoko Kimura to create a sustainable alternative to the traditional crayons made of paraffin wax, which contains toxic and harmful petroleum. Named Oyasai Crayons, the all-natural crayons are manufactured using rice bran oil and rice wax from rice bran, which are both byproducts of the rice polishing process. The pigments are also safe and organic coming from vegetable waste from harvesting.
More organic crayons in our blog.
Japanese company Mizuiro Inc. has collaborated with designer Naoko Kimura to create a sustainable alternative to the traditional crayons made of paraffin wax, which contains toxic and harmful petroleum. Named Oyasai Crayons, the all-natural crayons are manufactured using rice bran oil and rice wax from rice bran, which are both byproducts of the rice polishing process. The pigments are also safe and organic coming from vegetable waste from harvesting.
More organic crayons in our blog.
#BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN contributed to the 2024 UNECE Forum programme by organising a lecture on the future of education by a world-renown futurist Gerd Leonhard, which was attended by 300 participants from all over the world: young sustainability leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and activists, as well as policymakers, and representatives from NGOs and businesses interested in fostering youth engagement in sustainability solutions.
BE OPEN contributed to the 2024 UNECE Forum programme by organising a lecture on the future of education by a world-renown futurist Gerd Leonhard, which was attended by 300 participants from all over the world: young sustainability leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and activists, as well as policymakers, and representatives from NGOs and businesses interested in fostering youth engagement in sustainability solutions.
#BeOpenARCH
As part of a competition to design a residence for the growing ‘Jorejick’ family in rural Tanzania, architects Pranav Thole and Rutu Kelekar have proposed a beehive-shaped house made from mud that is an evolution of the traditional Tanzanian house typology. All habitable spaces are organized around this courtyard on a large contiguous plinth and are surrounded by space for livestock. The project is defined by a rainwater collecting vortex roof, channeling water into the heart of the home, developed to address the regional issue of water shortage.
As part of a competition to design a residence for the growing ‘Jorejick’ family in rural Tanzania, architects Pranav Thole and Rutu Kelekar have proposed a beehive-shaped house made from mud that is an evolution of the traditional Tanzanian house typology. All habitable spaces are organized around this courtyard on a large contiguous plinth and are surrounded by space for livestock. The project is defined by a rainwater collecting vortex roof, channeling water into the heart of the home, developed to address the regional issue of water shortage.
Developed by Paris-based artist of Colombian origin Iván Argote, Dinosaur is a hyper-realistic aluminum sculpture of a giant 4.8-metre-tall pigeon posed on a concrete plinth above the High Line in New York City. The meticulously hand-painted, humorous sculpture challenges the grandeur of traditional monuments celebrating significant historical figures, instead choosing to canonize the familiar New York City street bird, thus celebrating its anonimity among the urban landscape.
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Located on an island in the middle of Lake Washington, USA, Mercer Island Modern residence by local practice Garret Cord Werner Architects features a reflective pond, a lap pool, and a jacuzzi that serve to organize the spaces of the dwelling. The Japanese-inspired architecture of the 390-square-metre home articulates the flow of water and provides a Zen-like resort destination, in the middle of the metropolis. The experience of walking up to and over water, both inside and outside of the home, creates a dramatic and tranquil feeling that one rarely experiences inside a residential building.
More houses with water features in our blog.
Located on an island in the middle of Lake Washington, USA, Mercer Island Modern residence by local practice Garret Cord Werner Architects features a reflective pond, a lap pool, and a jacuzzi that serve to organize the spaces of the dwelling. The Japanese-inspired architecture of the 390-square-metre home articulates the flow of water and provides a Zen-like resort destination, in the middle of the metropolis. The experience of walking up to and over water, both inside and outside of the home, creates a dramatic and tranquil feeling that one rarely experiences inside a residential building.
More houses with water features in our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Developed by Sean Sykes and James Whitfield, the Briiv eco-friendly air purifier works exactly how a forest does to purify the atmosphere. Unlike conventional purifiers that use HEPA filters, it relies on moss, coconut fiber, and a silk nanofiber matrix with activated carbon to tackle pollutants ranging from pet dander and pollen to dirt, dust, smoke, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) caused during cooking.
More ingenuous air purifier designs in our blog.
Developed by Sean Sykes and James Whitfield, the Briiv eco-friendly air purifier works exactly how a forest does to purify the atmosphere. Unlike conventional purifiers that use HEPA filters, it relies on moss, coconut fiber, and a silk nanofiber matrix with activated carbon to tackle pollutants ranging from pet dander and pollen to dirt, dust, smoke, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) caused during cooking.
More ingenuous air purifier designs in our blog.
#BeOpenARCH
Local architect David Closes has added a jagged form clad in perforated aluminium to the building of the Baroque Museum of Catalonia in Manresa, Spain, which occupies a former 17th-century Jesuit college whose baroque church was demolished. The pavilion marking the entrance is one of several interventions improving access to the exhibition floors of the museum. The new volumes, placed in front of the old partitioning wall of the church, are arranged in a way that allows the conformation of the new façade of the building but at the same time grant the sights to the most important footprints of the old church that remains on the partitioning wall.
Local architect David Closes has added a jagged form clad in perforated aluminium to the building of the Baroque Museum of Catalonia in Manresa, Spain, which occupies a former 17th-century Jesuit college whose baroque church was demolished. The pavilion marking the entrance is one of several interventions improving access to the exhibition floors of the museum. The new volumes, placed in front of the old partitioning wall of the church, are arranged in a way that allows the conformation of the new façade of the building but at the same time grant the sights to the most important footprints of the old church that remains on the partitioning wall.
#BeOpenART
Set up in Busan, South Korea, Paired Cubes is a temporary 2.5m tall pavilion designed by the local interdisciplinary design and research studio A+U LAB. The installation is made up of 3,500 recycled polycarbonate panels put together without any fittings or glue, which enables it to be disassembled and transferred to any other location. It has eight outer facades and two inner walls and the overall effect, especially when illuminated, is that they look like floating panels.
Set up in Busan, South Korea, Paired Cubes is a temporary 2.5m tall pavilion designed by the local interdisciplinary design and research studio A+U LAB. The installation is made up of 3,500 recycled polycarbonate panels put together without any fittings or glue, which enables it to be disassembled and transferred to any other location. It has eight outer facades and two inner walls and the overall effect, especially when illuminated, is that they look like floating panels.