#BeOpenDESIGN
Platoo is an interactive sensory meal plate concept by designer Tej Belkhode that reimagines toddler mealtime without screens. Using tactile textures, gentle colors, and thoughtfully shaped compartments, the plate turns eating into hands-on play, encouraging curiosity, mindful interaction, and healthier relationships with food through screen-free, sensory exploration.
Platoo is an interactive sensory meal plate concept by designer Tej Belkhode that reimagines toddler mealtime without screens. Using tactile textures, gentle colors, and thoughtfully shaped compartments, the plate turns eating into hands-on play, encouraging curiosity, mindful interaction, and healthier relationships with food through screen-free, sensory exploration.
#BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN has been granted observer status with the United Nations Environment Programme, recognizing its multi-year educational initiative dedicated to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and marking a significant milestone in the foundation’s mission. Since 2019, BE OPEN has focused on empowering young creatives to address urgent global challenges through SDG-focused competitions, financial grants, educational opportunities, and platforms for idea exchange. With six completed competitions and one ongoing, the foundation has consistently supported innovative solutions aimed at building a more equitable and environmentally sustainable world.
As a UNEP-accredited observer, BE OPEN will now participate in international discussions, contribute insights, and collaborate with leading environmental organizations, strengthening the role of creative-minded youth in shaping sustainable policies and practices.
BE OPEN has been granted observer status with the United Nations Environment Programme, recognizing its multi-year educational initiative dedicated to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and marking a significant milestone in the foundation’s mission. Since 2019, BE OPEN has focused on empowering young creatives to address urgent global challenges through SDG-focused competitions, financial grants, educational opportunities, and platforms for idea exchange. With six completed competitions and one ongoing, the foundation has consistently supported innovative solutions aimed at building a more equitable and environmentally sustainable world.
As a UNEP-accredited observer, BE OPEN will now participate in international discussions, contribute insights, and collaborate with leading environmental organizations, strengthening the role of creative-minded youth in shaping sustainable policies and practices.
#BeOpenARCH
Glass Brick House in Ghent uses glass bricks not as a decorative accent but as the core architectural strategy. Faced with an extremely tight infill site and openings possible only at the front, Delmulle Delmulle Architecten designed a double-skinned glass brick facade that filters daylight deep into the home while preserving privacy from the street. The translucent surface softens light, reduces glare, and gives the house a shifting presence throughout the day, glowing outward at night. Paired with a restrained material palette and an inverted layout, the project demonstrates how glass bricks can perform simultaneously as structure, envelope, and atmosphere in contemporary residential design.
More spectacular glass buildings on our blog.
Glass Brick House in Ghent uses glass bricks not as a decorative accent but as the core architectural strategy. Faced with an extremely tight infill site and openings possible only at the front, Delmulle Delmulle Architecten designed a double-skinned glass brick facade that filters daylight deep into the home while preserving privacy from the street. The translucent surface softens light, reduces glare, and gives the house a shifting presence throughout the day, glowing outward at night. Paired with a restrained material palette and an inverted layout, the project demonstrates how glass bricks can perform simultaneously as structure, envelope, and atmosphere in contemporary residential design.
More spectacular glass buildings on our blog.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Victoria Martínez as the Artist of the Month for December 2025, selected through a public vote from a curated shortlist of outstanding emerging artists featured on our online gallery. Victoria Martínez is a Uruguayan audiovisual producer and visual artist whose practice bridges decades of cinematic storytelling with an intimate exploration of memory and everyday life.
Stay tuned! The Artist of the Year 2025 will be announced soon, selected from among the monthly winners, and will receive a €1,000 prize along with a dedicated promotional campaign to support their artistic practice.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Victoria Martínez as the Artist of the Month for December 2025, selected through a public vote from a curated shortlist of outstanding emerging artists featured on our online gallery. Victoria Martínez is a Uruguayan audiovisual producer and visual artist whose practice bridges decades of cinematic storytelling with an intimate exploration of memory and everyday life.
Stay tuned! The Artist of the Year 2025 will be announced soon, selected from among the monthly winners, and will receive a €1,000 prize along with a dedicated promotional campaign to support their artistic practice.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Carbon Cell is a British materials company transforming agricultural waste into a carbon-negative, compostable alternative to traditional polystyrene foam. Made from biochar derived from crop residues and mixed with bio-based polymers, the lightweight rigid foam sequesters nearly as much carbon dioxide as is contained in its structure while delivering similar performance to expanded polystyrene in packaging and insulation. Unlike conventional foams that persist as plastic pollution, Carbon Cell’s material breaks down in home composting conditions, leaving behind stable biochar that continues to lock away carbon and enrich soil.
More carbon-negative materials on our blog.
Carbon Cell is a British materials company transforming agricultural waste into a carbon-negative, compostable alternative to traditional polystyrene foam. Made from biochar derived from crop residues and mixed with bio-based polymers, the lightweight rigid foam sequesters nearly as much carbon dioxide as is contained in its structure while delivering similar performance to expanded polystyrene in packaging and insulation. Unlike conventional foams that persist as plastic pollution, Carbon Cell’s material breaks down in home composting conditions, leaving behind stable biochar that continues to lock away carbon and enrich soil.
More carbon-negative materials on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Unveiled in front of Fukuyama Station for the Hiroshima Architecture Exhibition 2025, Junya Ishigami’s Clouds Descend is a sculptural, cloud-like kiosk that doubles as the show’s visitor information centre. The bent-steel structure was inspired by Ishigami’s visit to sponsor Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, where he was struck by the power of shaping massive steel plates. Echoing shipbuilding techniques, the kiosk’s welded, three-dimensional steel form is weighted at its base to balance like a self-righting toy, giving it the appearance of a delicate cloud skimming the ground.
Unveiled in front of Fukuyama Station for the Hiroshima Architecture Exhibition 2025, Junya Ishigami’s Clouds Descend is a sculptural, cloud-like kiosk that doubles as the show’s visitor information centre. The bent-steel structure was inspired by Ishigami’s visit to sponsor Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, where he was struck by the power of shaping massive steel plates. Echoing shipbuilding techniques, the kiosk’s welded, three-dimensional steel form is weighted at its base to balance like a self-righting toy, giving it the appearance of a delicate cloud skimming the ground.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Tokyo-based designer Masahiko Ito has developed a saddle-shaped school chair called Saddle Seat to improve children’s posture, encourage movement and maximise concentration. Inspired by the natural link between posture and attention, the narrow, curved seat promotes an upright, alert sitting position while still allowing subtle fidgeting, which Ito believes is key to sustained focus. Made from three low-impact components - a steel tube frame, an oil-finished birch plywood seat and a solid timber backrest - the chair combines ergonomic thinking with sustainable material choices. Ito argues that better posture not only supports concentration but can also reduce long-term physical and mental health issues associated with prolonged sitting.
Tokyo-based designer Masahiko Ito has developed a saddle-shaped school chair called Saddle Seat to improve children’s posture, encourage movement and maximise concentration. Inspired by the natural link between posture and attention, the narrow, curved seat promotes an upright, alert sitting position while still allowing subtle fidgeting, which Ito believes is key to sustained focus. Made from three low-impact components - a steel tube frame, an oil-finished birch plywood seat and a solid timber backrest - the chair combines ergonomic thinking with sustainable material choices. Ito argues that better posture not only supports concentration but can also reduce long-term physical and mental health issues associated with prolonged sitting.
#BeOpenDESIGN
At CES 2025, Yukai Engineering unveiled Mirumi, a clip-on furry robot with expressive puppy-like eyes and sloth-like arms that cling to bag straps and interact with passersby through nods, head turns, and shy gestures. Equipped with an inertial measurement unit and distance sensor, Mirumi responds to taps, motion, and nearby movement by looking around, bowing slightly, tracking people with its gaze, hiding its face when startled, and shaking its head when jostled.
At CES 2025, Yukai Engineering unveiled Mirumi, a clip-on furry robot with expressive puppy-like eyes and sloth-like arms that cling to bag straps and interact with passersby through nods, head turns, and shy gestures. Equipped with an inertial measurement unit and distance sensor, Mirumi responds to taps, motion, and nearby movement by looking around, bowing slightly, tracking people with its gaze, hiding its face when startled, and shaking its head when jostled.
#BeOpenARCH
Burkinabè architect Diébédo Francis Kéré has designed the UNESCO Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects to raise global awareness of the illicit trafficking and loss of cultural heritage, featuring 600 stolen or disappeared artefacts sourced from Interpol’s database. Rendered in an earthy palette, the virtual museum is housed within a globe and organised around a spiralling gallery that branches into region-specific zones, symbolising the cultural gaps left by stolen objects. Drawing inspiration from the baobab tree and its hidden roots, Kéré uses light-filled openings and abstract forms to convey how cultural heritage underpins community identity, spirituality, and resilience, while emphasising the global importance of restitution and repatriation.
Burkinabè architect Diébédo Francis Kéré has designed the UNESCO Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects to raise global awareness of the illicit trafficking and loss of cultural heritage, featuring 600 stolen or disappeared artefacts sourced from Interpol’s database. Rendered in an earthy palette, the virtual museum is housed within a globe and organised around a spiralling gallery that branches into region-specific zones, symbolising the cultural gaps left by stolen objects. Drawing inspiration from the baobab tree and its hidden roots, Kéré uses light-filled openings and abstract forms to convey how cultural heritage underpins community identity, spirituality, and resilience, while emphasising the global importance of restitution and repatriation.
#BeOpenDESIGN
The German high-end sneaker brand nat-2™ has developed a patented upper material made partly from recycled coffee grounds. Crafted in Germany and handmade in Italy, these 100% vegan sneakers are available in both high-top and low-top styles, with up to 50% of the upper material made from repurposed coffee grounds. The result is a smooth, fine texture that subtly emits the natural scent of coffee. The sneakers also feature eco-conscious materials like cork insoles, rubber outsoles, and recycled PET bottles for the suede-like finish.
More designs transforming coffee waste into sustainable products on our blog.
The German high-end sneaker brand nat-2™ has developed a patented upper material made partly from recycled coffee grounds. Crafted in Germany and handmade in Italy, these 100% vegan sneakers are available in both high-top and low-top styles, with up to 50% of the upper material made from repurposed coffee grounds. The result is a smooth, fine texture that subtly emits the natural scent of coffee. The sneakers also feature eco-conscious materials like cork insoles, rubber outsoles, and recycled PET bottles for the suede-like finish.
More designs transforming coffee waste into sustainable products on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Rosana Escobar's project, Unravelling the Coffee Bag, reimagines fique, a Colombian agave plant fibre traditionally used for coffee bags, by repurposing waste materials from its production process into sustainable furniture and textiles. Escobar identifies discarded byproducts, such as soft, fluffy fibres from harvesting and durable woven coffee bags, and transforms them into felt for rugs and yarns for furniture. Collaborating with local fique producers, she creates a collection of functional items like benches, stools, and rugs rooted in traditional craftsmanship and the existing lifecycle of the material.
Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Rosana Escobar's project, Unravelling the Coffee Bag, reimagines fique, a Colombian agave plant fibre traditionally used for coffee bags, by repurposing waste materials from its production process into sustainable furniture and textiles. Escobar identifies discarded byproducts, such as soft, fluffy fibres from harvesting and durable woven coffee bags, and transforms them into felt for rugs and yarns for furniture. Collaborating with local fique producers, she creates a collection of functional items like benches, stools, and rugs rooted in traditional craftsmanship and the existing lifecycle of the material.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Shelter Wear is an innovative wearable design created by Tokyo-based fashion student Yoon Myat Su Lin, inspired by the devastating effects of natural disasters like the earthquake in Myanmar, which left many displaced without shelter. The garment transforms from a stylish outer jacket into a fully functional tent, with sleeves that double as backpacks for carrying essential items. This multifunctional piece merges fashion with emergency preparedness, offering mobility and protection during crises while reducing the need for bulky, separate emergency gear.
More shelter garments on our blog.
Shelter Wear is an innovative wearable design created by Tokyo-based fashion student Yoon Myat Su Lin, inspired by the devastating effects of natural disasters like the earthquake in Myanmar, which left many displaced without shelter. The garment transforms from a stylish outer jacket into a fully functional tent, with sleeves that double as backpacks for carrying essential items. This multifunctional piece merges fashion with emergency preparedness, offering mobility and protection during crises while reducing the need for bulky, separate emergency gear.
More shelter garments on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Ghiotto is an innovative boccia ramp designed to promote social interaction among children with and without disabilities in school environments. Developed by Diego Reggiani as a university project at Politecnico di Milano, Ghiotto emphasizes universal design, offering a simple, adjustable structure that encourages inclusive play and fosters early social connections. The ramp’s key features include a six-position tilt mechanism that allows children to control the game’s intensity, a built-in storage area for boccia balls, and ergonomic dimensions based on anthropometric data for both wheelchair users and non-disabled children.
Ghiotto is an innovative boccia ramp designed to promote social interaction among children with and without disabilities in school environments. Developed by Diego Reggiani as a university project at Politecnico di Milano, Ghiotto emphasizes universal design, offering a simple, adjustable structure that encourages inclusive play and fosters early social connections. The ramp’s key features include a six-position tilt mechanism that allows children to control the game’s intensity, a built-in storage area for boccia balls, and ergonomic dimensions based on anthropometric data for both wheelchair users and non-disabled children.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Sleev is a conceptual upper-limb exosuit by South Korean designers Youngha Rho and Sungchan Ko that reimagines wearable robotics for everyday use rather than clinical or industrial settings. Unlike bulky exoskeletons focused on rehabilitation or load-bearing, Sleev is lightweight, sleek, and easy to wear with one hand, resembling an elbow brace rather than a machine. Designed to support natural arm movement, it assists with daily tasks like lifting groceries or holding a baby, while also serving rehabilitation needs for stroke or injury recovery. By integrating force myography (FMG) to read muscle pressure and user intent, Sleev aims to provide intelligent, personalized assistance making robotic augmentation something people would actually want to wear daily.
Sleev is a conceptual upper-limb exosuit by South Korean designers Youngha Rho and Sungchan Ko that reimagines wearable robotics for everyday use rather than clinical or industrial settings. Unlike bulky exoskeletons focused on rehabilitation or load-bearing, Sleev is lightweight, sleek, and easy to wear with one hand, resembling an elbow brace rather than a machine. Designed to support natural arm movement, it assists with daily tasks like lifting groceries or holding a baby, while also serving rehabilitation needs for stroke or injury recovery. By integrating force myography (FMG) to read muscle pressure and user intent, Sleev aims to provide intelligent, personalized assistance making robotic augmentation something people would actually want to wear daily.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Futto is a lightweight wearable rehabilitation device developed by Yoshihiro Yamada that uses rubber straps to support and effectively replace weakened walking muscles. Consisting of an abdominal belt and four elastic straps that hug the legs and feet, the 280-gram gear provides balanced tension to stabilize posture, assist leg movement, and improve gait. Designed for elderly users and those recovering from sports injuries, Futto works through a three-step mechanism that aids leg lifting, heel landing, and stride progression, helping patients walk more naturally while strengthening their bodies under professional guidance.
Futto is a lightweight wearable rehabilitation device developed by Yoshihiro Yamada that uses rubber straps to support and effectively replace weakened walking muscles. Consisting of an abdominal belt and four elastic straps that hug the legs and feet, the 280-gram gear provides balanced tension to stabilize posture, assist leg movement, and improve gait. Designed for elderly users and those recovering from sports injuries, Futto works through a three-step mechanism that aids leg lifting, heel landing, and stride progression, helping patients walk more naturally while strengthening their bodies under professional guidance.
#BeOpenARCH
Wired Scape by 100architects transforms a residential playground in Guangzhou into a flowing, abstract landscape where play becomes part of everyday urban life. Instead of mimicking nature literally, the project translates forests and water into sculptural steel “trees,” suspended bridges, and graphic ground patterns that encourage movement, exploration, and discovery across multiple levels. A continuous, multicolored surface organizes paths, plazas, seating, and play zones into a single fluid terrain, while a sunken central plaza adds space for gathering and rest. Designed as a multi-generational environment, Wired Scape blends climbing, swinging, and balancing with areas for supervision and social interaction, using durable materials and integrated lighting to function as both a daytime playground and a nighttime neighborhood landmark.
More immersive playscapes on our blog.
Wired Scape by 100architects transforms a residential playground in Guangzhou into a flowing, abstract landscape where play becomes part of everyday urban life. Instead of mimicking nature literally, the project translates forests and water into sculptural steel “trees,” suspended bridges, and graphic ground patterns that encourage movement, exploration, and discovery across multiple levels. A continuous, multicolored surface organizes paths, plazas, seating, and play zones into a single fluid terrain, while a sunken central plaza adds space for gathering and rest. Designed as a multi-generational environment, Wired Scape blends climbing, swinging, and balancing with areas for supervision and social interaction, using durable materials and integrated lighting to function as both a daytime playground and a nighttime neighborhood landmark.
More immersive playscapes on our blog.
#BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art, the online art gallery founded by Elena Baturina’s BE OPEN think tank, is delighted to announce the winners of its 2025 Artist of the Year competition, which celebrates emerging talent from around the world. Czech-British painter Anastazie Anderson, previously named Artist of the Month in September, has been awarded the Artist of the Year 2025 title along with a €1000 prize, in recognition of her large-scale, emotionally charged canvases that blur the boundaries between memory and imagination through references to photography, social media, cinema, and modernist painting. In addition, BE OPEN founder Elena Baturina selected Rio Skor as her personal favourite of 2025; the Montreal-based artist and architect-turned-sculptor will receive a €500 prize.
#BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art, the online art gallery founded by Elena Baturina’s BE OPEN think tank, is delighted to announce the winners of its 2025 Artist of the Year competition, which celebrates emerging talent from around the world. Czech-British painter Anastazie Anderson, previously named Artist of the Month in September, has been awarded the Artist of the Year 2025 title along with a €1000 prize, in recognition of her large-scale, emotionally charged canvases that blur the boundaries between memory and imagination through references to photography, social media, cinema, and modernist painting. In addition, BE OPEN founder Elena Baturina selected Rio Skor as her personal favourite of 2025; the Montreal-based artist and architect-turned-sculptor will receive a €500 prize.
#BeOpenNEWS
#BeOpenDESIGN
Developed by researchers at Empa in Switzerland, the fungal battery is a 3D printed, fully biodegradable microbial fuel cell that generates electricity using living organisms. The device combines yeast fungi at the anode, which release electrons through their metabolism, with white rot fungi at the cathode, which capture and conduct those electrons, all embedded in a cellulose-based printing material. Powered by simple sugars, the battery can run small devices such as environmental sensors for several days before breaking itself down from the inside. Non-toxic and compostable by design, it reframes energy storage as a temporary, living system rather than a permanent piece of hardware.
More biodegradable batteries on our blog.
Developed by researchers at Empa in Switzerland, the fungal battery is a 3D printed, fully biodegradable microbial fuel cell that generates electricity using living organisms. The device combines yeast fungi at the anode, which release electrons through their metabolism, with white rot fungi at the cathode, which capture and conduct those electrons, all embedded in a cellulose-based printing material. Powered by simple sugars, the battery can run small devices such as environmental sensors for several days before breaking itself down from the inside. Non-toxic and compostable by design, it reframes energy storage as a temporary, living system rather than a permanent piece of hardware.
More biodegradable batteries on our blog.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is delighted to announce Meshach Charity, a Nigerian figurative painter, as the December winner of its Regional Artist of the Month program within the Western Africa stage of the global BE OPEN Art competition.
A graduate of the University of Uyo, Meshach works primarily in oil paint, transforming everyday moments into vibrant visual narratives. Meshach Charity now joins Ahmed Partey of Ghana and Aluu Prosper of Nigeria as contenders for the Western Africa Regional Winner title, which will be announced soon.
The selected artist will receive a €500 cash prize and increased global visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
BE OPEN Art is delighted to announce Meshach Charity, a Nigerian figurative painter, as the December winner of its Regional Artist of the Month program within the Western Africa stage of the global BE OPEN Art competition.
A graduate of the University of Uyo, Meshach works primarily in oil paint, transforming everyday moments into vibrant visual narratives. Meshach Charity now joins Ahmed Partey of Ghana and Aluu Prosper of Nigeria as contenders for the Western Africa Regional Winner title, which will be announced soon.
The selected artist will receive a €500 cash prize and increased global visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.