#BeOpenDESIGN
Belgian design firm Studio PART develops demountable metal moulds that, combined with young planted willow trees, let them grow into a self-supporting seat. It takes three to four years to grow a bench-shaped tree, that is sturdy enough to sit on it without any additional man-made elements. Then, the mould and the screw foundations can be removed, leaving the roots unharmed. Over the course of 90 years, each mould could produce 30 willow benches using a total of 1,170 individual young willows
More bespoke benches to feel connected with Nature in our blog.
Belgian design firm Studio PART develops demountable metal moulds that, combined with young planted willow trees, let them grow into a self-supporting seat. It takes three to four years to grow a bench-shaped tree, that is sturdy enough to sit on it without any additional man-made elements. Then, the mould and the screw foundations can be removed, leaving the roots unharmed. Over the course of 90 years, each mould could produce 30 willow benches using a total of 1,170 individual young willows
More bespoke benches to feel connected with Nature in our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
International award-winning multidisciplinary practice Joe Daucet x Partners (JDXP) has introduced Airiva, a modular, scalable and smart wind energy system consisting of an array of vertical wind turbines within a contemporary frame. Airiva’s modular design is capable of being easily transported and scaled to reflect site-specific needs. Multiple units can be networked together to create a flexible, clean energy system suited to a broad diversity of use cases including municipal and public facilities, commercial buildings and transportation networks. The system is not only efficient but also quiet and safe, while the electricity generated can be used directly on site, stored or fed into the grid.
International award-winning multidisciplinary practice Joe Daucet x Partners (JDXP) has introduced Airiva, a modular, scalable and smart wind energy system consisting of an array of vertical wind turbines within a contemporary frame. Airiva’s modular design is capable of being easily transported and scaled to reflect site-specific needs. Multiple units can be networked together to create a flexible, clean energy system suited to a broad diversity of use cases including municipal and public facilities, commercial buildings and transportation networks. The system is not only efficient but also quiet and safe, while the electricity generated can be used directly on site, stored or fed into the grid.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Considered an invasive weed species in Australia, Camphor Laurel intertwines with tales of myth and medicine in many East Asian countries. Intending to celebrate Camphor's buttery softness and dense grain, Australian designer Marlo Lyda has collaborated with artisans Simon Beggs and Jack Stannard to create Turning (Camphor), a collection comprised of bed frames, side tables, lamps and candle holders handcrafted of Camphor Laurel Timber. The very name Turning' symbolises a decisive point of change, a theme reflected in the craft of woodturning itself, which serves as both metaphor and primary production technique in the creation of the series.
Considered an invasive weed species in Australia, Camphor Laurel intertwines with tales of myth and medicine in many East Asian countries. Intending to celebrate Camphor's buttery softness and dense grain, Australian designer Marlo Lyda has collaborated with artisans Simon Beggs and Jack Stannard to create Turning (Camphor), a collection comprised of bed frames, side tables, lamps and candle holders handcrafted of Camphor Laurel Timber. The very name Turning' symbolises a decisive point of change, a theme reflected in the craft of woodturning itself, which serves as both metaphor and primary production technique in the creation of the series.
#BeOpenART
In Roumare forest near Rouen in France, French Atelier YokYok has installed Les Chaumes, a series of huts made of wooden structures and recycled thatch, which is readily available in the region. The 30-year-old is covered with a mixture of flour, linseed oil, black soap, iron sulfate, and natural pigments to protect the huts from moisture, insects, and fungi. The totemic sculptures are semi-open inviting people to step inside them and stick their heads out, as if they were wearing the installations like garments. For the design studio, Les Chaumes isn’t just a series of artworks, but a reminder of the idea of clothing, the skin, the protective coat for winter, and ceremonial costumes that are always remembered.
In Roumare forest near Rouen in France, French Atelier YokYok has installed Les Chaumes, a series of huts made of wooden structures and recycled thatch, which is readily available in the region. The 30-year-old is covered with a mixture of flour, linseed oil, black soap, iron sulfate, and natural pigments to protect the huts from moisture, insects, and fungi. The totemic sculptures are semi-open inviting people to step inside them and stick their heads out, as if they were wearing the installations like garments. For the design studio, Les Chaumes isn’t just a series of artworks, but a reminder of the idea of clothing, the skin, the protective coat for winter, and ceremonial costumes that are always remembered.
#BeOpenDESIGN
The mix of metal particles is contained in the sphere on top of the ring, which is a part of Future Metals, an ongoing project by materials researcher and designer Karoline Healy. The project focuses on an investigation into the technological potential of bio-mining as a new source of precious metals for jewellery. Bio-mining can utilise a range of bio-technologies and organisms such as bacteria, mycelium, volcanoes, algae, e-waste, mine tailings, lake brines and plants to extract metals. Healy, however, is especially interested in special plant species that have the ability to suck up metal through their roots from contaminated and polluted soils.
The mix of metal particles is contained in the sphere on top of the ring, which is a part of Future Metals, an ongoing project by materials researcher and designer Karoline Healy. The project focuses on an investigation into the technological potential of bio-mining as a new source of precious metals for jewellery. Bio-mining can utilise a range of bio-technologies and organisms such as bacteria, mycelium, volcanoes, algae, e-waste, mine tailings, lake brines and plants to extract metals. Healy, however, is especially interested in special plant species that have the ability to suck up metal through their roots from contaminated and polluted soils.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Swedish designer Jonatan Nilsson creates amorphous vases using a flexible mold for glassblowing. The new method employs a special machine constructed in sheet metal in which you can fasten different shapes of wood. The machine’s doors turns on hinges, and you are able to slide the wooden shapes back and forth, allowing you to get in and out with the glass when blowing. This enables the designer to achieve unpredicted shapes in the finished glass.
More designers that shape the new face of Scandinavian design in our blog.
Swedish designer Jonatan Nilsson creates amorphous vases using a flexible mold for glassblowing. The new method employs a special machine constructed in sheet metal in which you can fasten different shapes of wood. The machine’s doors turns on hinges, and you are able to slide the wooden shapes back and forth, allowing you to get in and out with the glass when blowing. This enables the designer to achieve unpredicted shapes in the finished glass.
More designers that shape the new face of Scandinavian design in our blog.
#BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Amy Lewis from Tacoma, USA, has been voted the Artist of the Month by the visitors of art.beopenfuture.com in August 2024.
Every month we invite art enthusiasts from all over the world to choose the best artist among those featured in our online gallery. In August, paintings by Amy Lewis inspired by fashion editorials and historic paintings of aristocracy have gained the self-taught artist a majority of votes.
We also take the opportunity to applaud all the featured artists and thank everyone who voted.
BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Amy Lewis from Tacoma, USA, has been voted the Artist of the Month by the visitors of art.beopenfuture.com in August 2024.
Every month we invite art enthusiasts from all over the world to choose the best artist among those featured in our online gallery. In August, paintings by Amy Lewis inspired by fashion editorials and historic paintings of aristocracy have gained the self-taught artist a majority of votes.
We also take the opportunity to applaud all the featured artists and thank everyone who voted.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Developed by Italian researcher Laura Bordini, By Osmosis project explores a circular process in which biomass derived from the death of microorganisms recovered from industrial waste centers serves to generate a biomaterial that stimulates plant growth. From the biomass, Bordini has created a series of products, such as packaging materials, that can be planted and act as agricultural biostimulants.
Developed by Italian researcher Laura Bordini, By Osmosis project explores a circular process in which biomass derived from the death of microorganisms recovered from industrial waste centers serves to generate a biomaterial that stimulates plant growth. From the biomass, Bordini has created a series of products, such as packaging materials, that can be planted and act as agricultural biostimulants.
#BeOpenARCH
Designed by a+r Architects and NL Architects, an interim structure for the Württembergische Staatstheater Stuttgart will accommodate the Stuttgart State Opera and the Stuttgart Ballet during the renovation of their current venue. The new complex, which includes the production areas such as rehearsal rooms, workshops for stage designs, offices, storage spaces and even a village on the rooftop, has been developed to be repurposed as a Makers City once the opera and ballet have returned to their original venue. The project has been developed with a focus on considering the future reuse of the interim opera building to avoid future demolition. The team aims tto preserve a maximum of the interim opera as a permanent structure and achieve as much re-use as possible.
More examples of demountable architecture in our blog.
Designed by a+r Architects and NL Architects, an interim structure for the Württembergische Staatstheater Stuttgart will accommodate the Stuttgart State Opera and the Stuttgart Ballet during the renovation of their current venue. The new complex, which includes the production areas such as rehearsal rooms, workshops for stage designs, offices, storage spaces and even a village on the rooftop, has been developed to be repurposed as a Makers City once the opera and ballet have returned to their original venue. The project has been developed with a focus on considering the future reuse of the interim opera building to avoid future demolition. The team aims tto preserve a maximum of the interim opera as a permanent structure and achieve as much re-use as possible.
More examples of demountable architecture in our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Conceived by two Danish designers Signe Fensholt and Anne Brandhøj, "Rooting for everyone" is a series of objects in porcelain and wood that includes table legs, balusters, dishes and stands. Created to hold something or typically act as load-bearing or supporting elements, these everyday things are simplified to abstract forms that refer to their function in our daily lives.
Conceived by two Danish designers Signe Fensholt and Anne Brandhøj, "Rooting for everyone" is a series of objects in porcelain and wood that includes table legs, balusters, dishes and stands. Created to hold something or typically act as load-bearing or supporting elements, these everyday things are simplified to abstract forms that refer to their function in our daily lives.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Timber battens and foraged waste wood make up the structure a demountable forest pavilion called Field Station built in Hooke Park forest by students from London's Architectural Association as part of the school's Design + Make Programme. Located within the school's satellite campus, the structure is intended as an "open-air laboratory for long-term ecological studies" that is easy to dismantle and relocate when necessary. The roof of the pavilion is finished with corrugated metal sheets and a central corrugated plastic skylight, while an area of spruce decking was created for the floor, which stands on a foundation of steel piles.
Timber battens and foraged waste wood make up the structure a demountable forest pavilion called Field Station built in Hooke Park forest by students from London's Architectural Association as part of the school's Design + Make Programme. Located within the school's satellite campus, the structure is intended as an "open-air laboratory for long-term ecological studies" that is easy to dismantle and relocate when necessary. The roof of the pavilion is finished with corrugated metal sheets and a central corrugated plastic skylight, while an area of spruce decking was created for the floor, which stands on a foundation of steel piles.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Symbiotic Objects by Shanghai-based designer and Central Saint Martins alumni Xiang Guan is a project that aims to demonstrate a potential symbiosis between objects and their users. The series features a table, chair and lamp, each requiring a human to complete them. The chair and table when isolated will fall unless a human is present to “prop them up”, while the lamp will only turn on when worn as a hat.
Symbiotic Objects by Shanghai-based designer and Central Saint Martins alumni Xiang Guan is a project that aims to demonstrate a potential symbiosis between objects and their users. The series features a table, chair and lamp, each requiring a human to complete them. The chair and table when isolated will fall unless a human is present to “prop them up”, while the lamp will only turn on when worn as a hat.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Shaped like a colossal keycap, Gboard Caps is an innovative keyboard that enables the user to input characters on smartphones or computers by tilting their head in different directions. The hat houses a gyroscope that deciphers the head’s movements into characters, which are then sent to the smartphone via Bluetooth. The device's six-axis inertial sensor detects the angle at which it is positioned, so the user can cycle through characters by swaying their head left or right. The selection is confirmed with a tap on the head with a satisfying click sound.
Shaped like a colossal keycap, Gboard Caps is an innovative keyboard that enables the user to input characters on smartphones or computers by tilting their head in different directions. The hat houses a gyroscope that deciphers the head’s movements into characters, which are then sent to the smartphone via Bluetooth. The device's six-axis inertial sensor detects the angle at which it is positioned, so the user can cycle through characters by swaying their head left or right. The selection is confirmed with a tap on the head with a satisfying click sound.
#BeOpenDESIGN
As her graduate project at the London College of Fashion, designer Mijoda Dajomi has crafted a collection of hats that are designed to harvest up to 5 liters of rainwater. Named Daughters of Rain, the striking project serves as a speculative response to a future where freshwater becomes an increasingly scarce resource. The headwear gets its leather-like appearance from waxed cotton it is crafted from. The choice of materials ensures that the hat not only repels water but also effectively retains it without leaks.
More bespoke headwear in our blog.
As her graduate project at the London College of Fashion, designer Mijoda Dajomi has crafted a collection of hats that are designed to harvest up to 5 liters of rainwater. Named Daughters of Rain, the striking project serves as a speculative response to a future where freshwater becomes an increasingly scarce resource. The headwear gets its leather-like appearance from waxed cotton it is crafted from. The choice of materials ensures that the hat not only repels water but also effectively retains it without leaks.
More bespoke headwear in our blog.
#BeOpenARCH
Designed by Buenos Aires based Atelier Matias Mosquera, the Shire is a one-of-a-kind self-sufficient home that beautifully merges into its surrounding landscape. As its name suggests, the structure was inspired Tolkien’s iconic books. The greenery on top of the home provides insulation from the heat and cold, while wooden slats offer shade from the sun as well. Besides, the house generates its own electricity, heating, water and, above all, food, which enables the client to create a new lifestyle.
Designed by Buenos Aires based Atelier Matias Mosquera, the Shire is a one-of-a-kind self-sufficient home that beautifully merges into its surrounding landscape. As its name suggests, the structure was inspired Tolkien’s iconic books. The greenery on top of the home provides insulation from the heat and cold, while wooden slats offer shade from the sun as well. Besides, the house generates its own electricity, heating, water and, above all, food, which enables the client to create a new lifestyle.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Local architecture practice Earthscape Studio has placed The Infinite Rise holiday home on a rocky site near the village of Anaikatti in southern India. Looking to disrupt the site as little as possible, the architects dug into the land to create a partially sunken, semicircular home, wrapped by a gabion wall to help it blend in with the surrounding mountain ranges. Learn what other features were used in the project to help maintain cool temperature inside in the country's hot climate in our blog.
Local architecture practice Earthscape Studio has placed The Infinite Rise holiday home on a rocky site near the village of Anaikatti in southern India. Looking to disrupt the site as little as possible, the architects dug into the land to create a partially sunken, semicircular home, wrapped by a gabion wall to help it blend in with the surrounding mountain ranges. Learn what other features were used in the project to help maintain cool temperature inside in the country's hot climate in our blog.
#BeOpenARCH
Architecture studio Archiopteryx has built a home with a rooftop splash pool and a curved ramp, which along with balconies containing pools and planters, was developed to collect rainwater. The water is collected in a tank at an upper level, which is connected to a rainwater manhole below ground with a bright red irrigation pipe that runs through the house, at points functioning as a staircase handrail. When required, stored water is diverted to the home's upper levels, creating a cycle of collect-irrigate-store-reuse.
Architecture studio Archiopteryx has built a home with a rooftop splash pool and a curved ramp, which along with balconies containing pools and planters, was developed to collect rainwater. The water is collected in a tank at an upper level, which is connected to a rainwater manhole below ground with a bright red irrigation pipe that runs through the house, at points functioning as a staircase handrail. When required, stored water is diverted to the home's upper levels, creating a cycle of collect-irrigate-store-reuse.
#BeOpenARCH
Commissioned to make use of an overlooked site, studio Wallmakers created a snake-like house whose design and dimensions were derived entirely from the position of the three large Tamarind trees and the rock formation on the site. The subterranean home is comprised of spiraling elements that were partly constructed from 4,000 concrete-filled plastic bottles, which were collected by the studio within a two-kilometre radius of the site, placed around the trees on the site and covered with earth.
Commissioned to make use of an overlooked site, studio Wallmakers created a snake-like house whose design and dimensions were derived entirely from the position of the three large Tamarind trees and the rock formation on the site. The subterranean home is comprised of spiraling elements that were partly constructed from 4,000 concrete-filled plastic bottles, which were collected by the studio within a two-kilometre radius of the site, placed around the trees on the site and covered with earth.
#BeOpenNEWS
The UNECE ESD Forum and the MED9 Forum issued the Youth Statement, which captures the key contributions and perspectives of the young delegates, whose presence and active engagement were crucial during the special sessions. Their insights and energy provided a unique and vital perspective to the discussions, highlighting the importance of youth involvement in shaping a sustainable future. The outcomes of these forums will play a significant role in shaping the discussions at the Summit of the Future, ensuring that the voices and ideas shared will have a lasting impact.
The UNECE ESD Forum and the MED9 Forum issued the Youth Statement, which captures the key contributions and perspectives of the young delegates, whose presence and active engagement were crucial during the special sessions. Their insights and energy provided a unique and vital perspective to the discussions, highlighting the importance of youth involvement in shaping a sustainable future. The outcomes of these forums will play a significant role in shaping the discussions at the Summit of the Future, ensuring that the voices and ideas shared will have a lasting impact.