#BeOpenDESIGN
The Imagiro carpet, designed by students at EINA University of Design in Barcelona, reimagines the traditional rug with its innovative, origami-inspired design. Unlike static floor coverings, Imagiro features subtle crease patterns that allow it to be folded into sculptural shapes, inviting playful engagement and transforming the carpet into a dynamic centerpiece or spatial divider. This merging of textile craft with origami principles offers a smart, tactile solution for dynamic spaces, challenging the conventional idea of home textiles as passive elements.
More origami-inspired design on our blog.
The Imagiro carpet, designed by students at EINA University of Design in Barcelona, reimagines the traditional rug with its innovative, origami-inspired design. Unlike static floor coverings, Imagiro features subtle crease patterns that allow it to be folded into sculptural shapes, inviting playful engagement and transforming the carpet into a dynamic centerpiece or spatial divider. This merging of textile craft with origami principles offers a smart, tactile solution for dynamic spaces, challenging the conventional idea of home textiles as passive elements.
More origami-inspired design on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Norwegian ceramicist Lillian Tørlen's Annoyingly Dependent Objects (ADO) series reimagines traditional tableware by introducing deliberate instability into each piece. These irregularly shaped sharing plates are intentionally designed to require external support—such as wooden blocks—to remain upright. This design choice transforms functional objects into interactive sculptures, encouraging users to engage with them in unconventional ways. Tørlen's work challenges perceptions of utility and aesthetics, prompting reflection on the relationships between objects, their environments, and the people who use them. Through this series, she invites a reconsideration of the roles everyday items play in our lives, blurring the lines between function and art.
Norwegian ceramicist Lillian Tørlen's Annoyingly Dependent Objects (ADO) series reimagines traditional tableware by introducing deliberate instability into each piece. These irregularly shaped sharing plates are intentionally designed to require external support—such as wooden blocks—to remain upright. This design choice transforms functional objects into interactive sculptures, encouraging users to engage with them in unconventional ways. Tørlen's work challenges perceptions of utility and aesthetics, prompting reflection on the relationships between objects, their environments, and the people who use them. Through this series, she invites a reconsideration of the roles everyday items play in our lives, blurring the lines between function and art.
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#BeOpenDESIGN
Tenniix by T-Apex redefines the traditional tennis ball machine by merging AI, robotics, and intuitive design into a compact, mobile coach that trains you like a real opponent. Equipped with a 1080p vision-based AI system, Tenniix tracks the user's movements, adapts its shots in real time, and even mimics the playstyle of pro athletes — all while fitting in a car trunk. With features like gesture control, a smart wristband, and personalized training drills, it turns solo practice into an immersive, data-driven experience.
More projects blending design and AI on the blog.
Tenniix by T-Apex redefines the traditional tennis ball machine by merging AI, robotics, and intuitive design into a compact, mobile coach that trains you like a real opponent. Equipped with a 1080p vision-based AI system, Tenniix tracks the user's movements, adapts its shots in real time, and even mimics the playstyle of pro athletes — all while fitting in a car trunk. With features like gesture control, a smart wristband, and personalized training drills, it turns solo practice into an immersive, data-driven experience.
More projects blending design and AI on the blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Kogani is a smart speaker holder designed by Tokyo-based Metal Goat Studio, blending traditional Japanese origami principles with modern technology. Shaped like a crab, Kogani is made to house compact smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo Dot or Google Nest Mini, giving them a defined and aesthetically pleasing presence in any interior. Constructed from lightweight synthetic paper, acrylic, and brass, the holder’s folded geometric design offers both structural stability and visual complexity. Kogani is customizable in color and pattern, with each piece linked to a unique NFT for authenticity.
Kogani is a smart speaker holder designed by Tokyo-based Metal Goat Studio, blending traditional Japanese origami principles with modern technology. Shaped like a crab, Kogani is made to house compact smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo Dot or Google Nest Mini, giving them a defined and aesthetically pleasing presence in any interior. Constructed from lightweight synthetic paper, acrylic, and brass, the holder’s folded geometric design offers both structural stability and visual complexity. Kogani is customizable in color and pattern, with each piece linked to a unique NFT for authenticity.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Schwa is a wearable breathing companion designed by University of Illinois Chicago student Minoo Marasi to gently soothe anxiety through somatic connection. Inspired by the calming effect of a shared, steady breath—like that felt during a therapeutic hug—Schwa rests on the chest and mimics a slow, rhythmic rise and fall, encouraging the wearer’s breath to unconsciously sync in return. Subtle in form and quiet in function, it offers emotional support without demanding focus, tapping into the body’s natural rhythms to foster calm.
Schwa is a wearable breathing companion designed by University of Illinois Chicago student Minoo Marasi to gently soothe anxiety through somatic connection. Inspired by the calming effect of a shared, steady breath—like that felt during a therapeutic hug—Schwa rests on the chest and mimics a slow, rhythmic rise and fall, encouraging the wearer’s breath to unconsciously sync in return. Subtle in form and quiet in function, it offers emotional support without demanding focus, tapping into the body’s natural rhythms to foster calm.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
Tania Calvo, a rising visual artist from Vanuatu, has been selected as BE OPEN Art’s Regional Artist of the Month for May in the Oceania stage of the 2025 competition. Deeply inspired by her multicultural heritage and Vanuatu’s vibrant artistic traditions, Tania’s work is a celebration of identity, self-expression, and cultural continuity.
The BE OPEN Regional Art competition is open to emerging creatives from Oceania—which includes Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Island nations. Each month, one artist is selected from submissions from the region. Tania joins April’s winner, Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho of Aotearoa (New Zealand), and is now in the running to be named Regional Artist for Oceania.
The title comes with a €3,000 prize, and the final selection will be announced in July, as BE OPEN continues its mission to empower the next generation of artists through visibility, opportunity, and cross-cultural dialogue.
Tania Calvo, a rising visual artist from Vanuatu, has been selected as BE OPEN Art’s Regional Artist of the Month for May in the Oceania stage of the 2025 competition. Deeply inspired by her multicultural heritage and Vanuatu’s vibrant artistic traditions, Tania’s work is a celebration of identity, self-expression, and cultural continuity.
The BE OPEN Regional Art competition is open to emerging creatives from Oceania—which includes Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Island nations. Each month, one artist is selected from submissions from the region. Tania joins April’s winner, Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho of Aotearoa (New Zealand), and is now in the running to be named Regional Artist for Oceania.
The title comes with a €3,000 prize, and the final selection will be announced in July, as BE OPEN continues its mission to empower the next generation of artists through visibility, opportunity, and cross-cultural dialogue.
#BeOpenNEWS
We are pleased to announce the First Prize winner of the international competition Designing Future 2050, organised by BE OPEN Foundation to support young visionaries addressing sustainability challenges.
The First Prize and €5,000 grant have been awarded to Ajisafe Damilola Ifeoluwa (Nigeria), a Medicine and Surgery student at the University of Ilorin, actively engaged in youth advocacy, climate action, and health education. Her initiative Redefining Global Healthcare: Adjusting the SDGs for Scalable Practical Impact proposes a new approach to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in ways that are locally relevant and practically scalable.
We congratulate Damilola for her thoughtful and impactful work in reimagining healthcare for a sustainable future!
We are pleased to announce the First Prize winner of the international competition Designing Future 2050, organised by BE OPEN Foundation to support young visionaries addressing sustainability challenges.
The First Prize and €5,000 grant have been awarded to Ajisafe Damilola Ifeoluwa (Nigeria), a Medicine and Surgery student at the University of Ilorin, actively engaged in youth advocacy, climate action, and health education. Her initiative Redefining Global Healthcare: Adjusting the SDGs for Scalable Practical Impact proposes a new approach to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in ways that are locally relevant and practically scalable.
We congratulate Damilola for her thoughtful and impactful work in reimagining healthcare for a sustainable future!
#BeOpenNEWS
We are excited to reveal one of the Second Prize winners of the international competition Designing Future 2050, organised by BE OPEN Foundation to support young visionaries addressing sustainability challenges.
The Second Prize and €2,500 grant have been awarded to Foday David Kamara (Rwanda), a student of Global Challenges at the African Leadership University, specialising in Sustainability, Enterprise, and Environment. His initiative Ecovironment: Transforming Plastic Waste into Sustainable Construction Materials offers an innovative solution to the global plastic waste crisis by turning waste into affordable, durable building materials.
We commend Foday for his strong contribution to sustainable construction and circular economy thinking.
We are excited to reveal one of the Second Prize winners of the international competition Designing Future 2050, organised by BE OPEN Foundation to support young visionaries addressing sustainability challenges.
The Second Prize and €2,500 grant have been awarded to Foday David Kamara (Rwanda), a student of Global Challenges at the African Leadership University, specialising in Sustainability, Enterprise, and Environment. His initiative Ecovironment: Transforming Plastic Waste into Sustainable Construction Materials offers an innovative solution to the global plastic waste crisis by turning waste into affordable, durable building materials.
We commend Foday for his strong contribution to sustainable construction and circular economy thinking.
#BeOpenNEWS
It is our honor to introduce another Second Prize winner of the international competition Designing Future 2050, organised by BE OPEN Foundation to support young visionaries addressing sustainability challenges.
The Second Prize and €2,500 grant have been awarded to Adnan Hasyim Wibowo (Indonesia), a student at Universitas Indonesia’s SDGs Hub. His initiative AGASA – Algae for Sustainable Action: Blooming Sustainability Through Algae Installation explores the use of algae-based systems to improve environmental quality while engaging communities in sustainability education.
We congratulate Adnan for his creative and ecological approach to sustainable development.
It is our honor to introduce another Second Prize winner of the international competition Designing Future 2050, organised by BE OPEN Foundation to support young visionaries addressing sustainability challenges.
The Second Prize and €2,500 grant have been awarded to Adnan Hasyim Wibowo (Indonesia), a student at Universitas Indonesia’s SDGs Hub. His initiative AGASA – Algae for Sustainable Action: Blooming Sustainability Through Algae Installation explores the use of algae-based systems to improve environmental quality while engaging communities in sustainability education.
We congratulate Adnan for his creative and ecological approach to sustainable development.
#BeOpenNEWS
We are proud to share the name of the Public Vote winner of the international competition Designing Future 2050, organised by BE OPEN Foundation to support young visionaries addressing sustainability challenges.
The Public Vote Prize and €2,000 grant have been awarded to Komborero Victor Kangai and Tinotenda Chrispen Makoni (Zimbabwe), students of Physics, Maths, and Computer Science at the High Achievers Coach International Academy. Their initiative CALMs – Computer Aided Learning Management Suite aims to enhance access to education through a digital learning platform tailored to local needs.
We congratulate Komborero and Tinotenda for their commitment to improving education through technology and innovation.
We are proud to share the name of the Public Vote winner of the international competition Designing Future 2050, organised by BE OPEN Foundation to support young visionaries addressing sustainability challenges.
The Public Vote Prize and €2,000 grant have been awarded to Komborero Victor Kangai and Tinotenda Chrispen Makoni (Zimbabwe), students of Physics, Maths, and Computer Science at the High Achievers Coach International Academy. Their initiative CALMs – Computer Aided Learning Management Suite aims to enhance access to education through a digital learning platform tailored to local needs.
We congratulate Komborero and Tinotenda for their commitment to improving education through technology and innovation.
Happy World Environment Day!
This year, the World Environment Day is dedicated to battling plastic pollution. Plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet—even in our bodies in the form of microplastics. World Environment Day 2025 calls for collective action to tackle plastic pollution. By drawing inspiration from nature and showcasing real-world solutions, the campaign will encourage individuals, organizations, industries, and governments to adopt sustainable practices that drive systemic change.
We encourage everyone to check the variety of events on the WED global map, join those near you, and add your own amazing initiatives to it! Just like Muizat Akinbani from the University of the People in Nigeria, one of the honorary mentions in the Designing Futures 2050 competition! Muizat enriched the WED map of Nigeria by placing their greatly designed sustainable waste management and recycling app SustainFlow on it!
This year, the World Environment Day is dedicated to battling plastic pollution. Plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet—even in our bodies in the form of microplastics. World Environment Day 2025 calls for collective action to tackle plastic pollution. By drawing inspiration from nature and showcasing real-world solutions, the campaign will encourage individuals, organizations, industries, and governments to adopt sustainable practices that drive systemic change.
We encourage everyone to check the variety of events on the WED global map, join those near you, and add your own amazing initiatives to it! Just like Muizat Akinbani from the University of the People in Nigeria, one of the honorary mentions in the Designing Futures 2050 competition! Muizat enriched the WED map of Nigeria by placing their greatly designed sustainable waste management and recycling app SustainFlow on it!
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is proud to introduce Art Limitless, a dynamic new section of its online gallery dedicated to promoting sustainability and inclusion in the arts. This curated space features a wide range of content—including competitions, lectures, and masterclasses—designed to engage marginalized and underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities, as equal participants. Art Limitless aims to foster collaboration, empower diverse voices, and support the development of sustainable, high-quality artistic work that drives social change and broadens access to the arts for all.
BE OPEN Art is proud to introduce Art Limitless, a dynamic new section of its online gallery dedicated to promoting sustainability and inclusion in the arts. This curated space features a wide range of content—including competitions, lectures, and masterclasses—designed to engage marginalized and underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities, as equal participants. Art Limitless aims to foster collaboration, empower diverse voices, and support the development of sustainable, high-quality artistic work that drives social change and broadens access to the arts for all.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Wen Tong as its Artist of the Month for May 2025, as chosen by art lovers around the world from among those featured in our online gallery.
Born in Jinan, China in 1998, Wen Tong immigrated to Canada at the age of two and now works from her studio in Oakville, Ontario. A graduate of the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and Computer Science, she also studied studio art—focusing on painting and printmaking—at Sheridan College.Wen's work aspires to counteract suffering through beauty and sensory engagement, offering viewers transcendent experiences. By creating pieces that serve as sacred relics, she shares profound stories of both joy and tribulation.
At the end of 2025, the BE OPEN Art Community will select the Artist of the Year from the monthly winners. The recipient will be awarded a €1,000 prize and a dedicated promotional campaign to help elevate their artistic career.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
Born in Jinan, China in 1998, Wen Tong immigrated to Canada at the age of two and now works from her studio in Oakville, Ontario. A graduate of the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and Computer Science, she also studied studio art—focusing on painting and printmaking—at Sheridan College.Wen's work aspires to counteract suffering through beauty and sensory engagement, offering viewers transcendent experiences. By creating pieces that serve as sacred relics, she shares profound stories of both joy and tribulation.
At the end of 2025, the BE OPEN Art Community will select the Artist of the Year from the monthly winners. The recipient will be awarded a €1,000 prize and a dedicated promotional campaign to help elevate their artistic career.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
#BeOpenDESIGN
The Noova Calendar, designed by Berk Yıldız and Sineray Serin, transforms the abstract passage of time into a sculptural experience through two interlocking marble torus forms. Inspired by natural cycles and ancient sundials, Noova invites users to engage with time not as a rigid schedule but as a continuous, meditative flow. Handcrafted from natural stone, each piece is unique—merging permanence, elegance, and sustainability in a design that is both timeless and tactile. Housed in recycled packaging, it also reflects a commitment to environmental responsibility, making it as mindful as it is beautiful.
Explore striking time-related designs in our blog.
The Noova Calendar, designed by Berk Yıldız and Sineray Serin, transforms the abstract passage of time into a sculptural experience through two interlocking marble torus forms. Inspired by natural cycles and ancient sundials, Noova invites users to engage with time not as a rigid schedule but as a continuous, meditative flow. Handcrafted from natural stone, each piece is unique—merging permanence, elegance, and sustainability in a design that is both timeless and tactile. Housed in recycled packaging, it also reflects a commitment to environmental responsibility, making it as mindful as it is beautiful.
Explore striking time-related designs in our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Winner of the Golden Lion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, Canal Café by US studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro is a bold fusion of architecture, innovation, and environmental design that invites visitors to literally drink Venice. Part espresso bar, part functioning laboratory, the installation draws brackish water from the Arsenale lagoon and transforms it—via a hybrid system of bio-filtration, reverse osmosis, and UV disinfection—into some of Italy’s finest espresso, infused with the distinct character of the city itself. Canal Café reimagines Venice not just as a cultural icon, but as a living, experimental model for sustainable urban life on water.
Winner of the Golden Lion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, Canal Café by US studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro is a bold fusion of architecture, innovation, and environmental design that invites visitors to literally drink Venice. Part espresso bar, part functioning laboratory, the installation draws brackish water from the Arsenale lagoon and transforms it—via a hybrid system of bio-filtration, reverse osmosis, and UV disinfection—into some of Italy’s finest espresso, infused with the distinct character of the city itself. Canal Café reimagines Venice not just as a cultural icon, but as a living, experimental model for sustainable urban life on water.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Dust Order by London-based designer Roc H Biel transforms industrial wood waste—specifically compacted beech wood dust—into striking, sculptural furniture inspired by the elegance of classical Corinthian columns. At first glance, the granular textures mimic stone or sand-casting, but the materials are surprisingly light and agile. Using a blend of upcycled materials typically discarded as waste alongside 3D-printed composites, this innovative approach not only redefines waste as a resource but also challenges how we perceive material and form in sustainable design.
For more sustainable wooden furniture, explore our blog.
Dust Order by London-based designer Roc H Biel transforms industrial wood waste—specifically compacted beech wood dust—into striking, sculptural furniture inspired by the elegance of classical Corinthian columns. At first glance, the granular textures mimic stone or sand-casting, but the materials are surprisingly light and agile. Using a blend of upcycled materials typically discarded as waste alongside 3D-printed composites, this innovative approach not only redefines waste as a resource but also challenges how we perceive material and form in sustainable design.
For more sustainable wooden furniture, explore our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Developed by a multidisciplinary team at Florida International University led by Sara Pezeshk and Shahin Vassigh, the Ecoblox Seawall Project introduces a modular, AI-driven system that reimagines coastal infrastructure. At its core are 3D-printed BIOCAP tiles, designed to mimic natural forms and create textured microhabitats for oysters, barnacles, and other marine life—turning static seawalls into dynamic ecosystems. By enhancing surface complexity, Ecoblox supports marine biodiversity while buffering against erosion and storm surges. Embedded with SMARTE, a real-time water quality monitoring system, the project equips coastal managers with actionable environmental insights. As it takes shape along Miami’s shoreline, Ecoblox stands out as a scalable, forward-thinking blueprint for climate-resilient, ecologically integrated design.
Developed by a multidisciplinary team at Florida International University led by Sara Pezeshk and Shahin Vassigh, the Ecoblox Seawall Project introduces a modular, AI-driven system that reimagines coastal infrastructure. At its core are 3D-printed BIOCAP tiles, designed to mimic natural forms and create textured microhabitats for oysters, barnacles, and other marine life—turning static seawalls into dynamic ecosystems. By enhancing surface complexity, Ecoblox supports marine biodiversity while buffering against erosion and storm surges. Embedded with SMARTE, a real-time water quality monitoring system, the project equips coastal managers with actionable environmental insights. As it takes shape along Miami’s shoreline, Ecoblox stands out as a scalable, forward-thinking blueprint for climate-resilient, ecologically integrated design.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Jaekeun Lee’s Spiral Timepiece reimagines the calendar as a dynamic, cyclical form, replacing the rigid grid of traditional timekeeping with a flowing spiral of earth-like globes. As the first part of his ongoing Provisional Tempo project, the work visualizes time as continuous yet varied—each month marked by subtle shifts in lighting, spacing, and orientation to reflect difference rather than repetition. Using 3D rendering and NASA’s Blue Marble dataset, Lee crafts a rotating structure where time unfolds through motion and atmosphere rather than fixed units.
Jaekeun Lee’s Spiral Timepiece reimagines the calendar as a dynamic, cyclical form, replacing the rigid grid of traditional timekeeping with a flowing spiral of earth-like globes. As the first part of his ongoing Provisional Tempo project, the work visualizes time as continuous yet varied—each month marked by subtle shifts in lighting, spacing, and orientation to reflect difference rather than repetition. Using 3D rendering and NASA’s Blue Marble dataset, Lee crafts a rotating structure where time unfolds through motion and atmosphere rather than fixed units.
#BeOpenART
Ana Brecevic’s Plasticum is a paper art series that addresses ocean plastic pollution through delicate, hand-cut forms of bleached corals and sea fans. Made from recycled paper, upcycled fabrics, and natural dyes, each piece contrasts the fragility of marine life with plastic-like adornments that evoke ocean debris. Drawing from her Franco-Croatian background and concern for the Mediterranean’s ecological decline, Brecevic transforms discarded materials into poignant symbols of environmental loss, offering a precise and visually striking critique of human impact on marine ecosystems.
Ana Brecevic’s Plasticum is a paper art series that addresses ocean plastic pollution through delicate, hand-cut forms of bleached corals and sea fans. Made from recycled paper, upcycled fabrics, and natural dyes, each piece contrasts the fragility of marine life with plastic-like adornments that evoke ocean debris. Drawing from her Franco-Croatian background and concern for the Mediterranean’s ecological decline, Brecevic transforms discarded materials into poignant symbols of environmental loss, offering a precise and visually striking critique of human impact on marine ecosystems.