#BeOpenDESIGN
US clothing brand Pangaia has introduced a puffer coat filled with “Flower Down,” a plant-based insulation developed over a decade as a cruelty-free alternative to goose or duck down. Made by combining shredded wildflowers with a vegetable-waste biopolymer and a lightweight aerogel, the material is designed to be warm, water-repellent, and biodegradable. Encased in a recycled polyester shell, the jackets also support regenerative growing practices that help restore habitats and protect local butterfly species, reflecting the company’s ongoing focus on material innovation.
US clothing brand Pangaia has introduced a puffer coat filled with “Flower Down,” a plant-based insulation developed over a decade as a cruelty-free alternative to goose or duck down. Made by combining shredded wildflowers with a vegetable-waste biopolymer and a lightweight aerogel, the material is designed to be warm, water-repellent, and biodegradable. Encased in a recycled polyester shell, the jackets also support regenerative growing practices that help restore habitats and protect local butterfly species, reflecting the company’s ongoing focus on material innovation.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Designer and artist Jérôme Pereira creates delicate lighting sculptures using foraged tree branches and blown-glass lamps, forming balanced compositions that explore gravity and equilibrium. In the series Celestial Attraction, branches act as suspended mobiles or tripod supports while carefully placed counterweights keep each piece in perfect balance. Blending natural materials with influences from physics and cosmology, Pereira’s works read as quiet studies of weight, motion, and the poetic relationship between nature and light.
Designer and artist Jérôme Pereira creates delicate lighting sculptures using foraged tree branches and blown-glass lamps, forming balanced compositions that explore gravity and equilibrium. In the series Celestial Attraction, branches act as suspended mobiles or tripod supports while carefully placed counterweights keep each piece in perfect balance. Blending natural materials with influences from physics and cosmology, Pereira’s works read as quiet studies of weight, motion, and the poetic relationship between nature and light.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Seattle-based designers Chet Kittleson, Max Blumen, and Graeme Davies created Tin Can, a screen-free landline-style phone designed to help children call friends without the distractions of smartphones. Shaped like a colorful cylinder that nods to the classic tin-can-and-string toy, the device features a handset with no display, relying on simple voice calls to keep communication focused. Plugged into the wall and paired with a parent-controlled app that manages approved contacts and quiet hours, the phone encourages independent yet safe conversations.
Seattle-based designers Chet Kittleson, Max Blumen, and Graeme Davies created Tin Can, a screen-free landline-style phone designed to help children call friends without the distractions of smartphones. Shaped like a colorful cylinder that nods to the classic tin-can-and-string toy, the device features a handset with no display, relying on simple voice calls to keep communication focused. Plugged into the wall and paired with a parent-controlled app that manages approved contacts and quiet hours, the phone encourages independent yet safe conversations.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Marka by Adel Alserhani is a modular seating concept inspired by the Bedouin tradition of adaptable, community-centered living. Drawing from objects once used as camel saddle supports that later evolved into low seating, the design reinterprets this heritage for contemporary life. Its interlocking structure allows the seat to shift between a shared configuration for conversation and a personal chair for quiet moments. Made from recycled polypropylene sourced from local manufacturing waste, Marka blends cultural memory, sustainability, and flexible design while encouraging small moments of connection in modern living spaces.
More seating design on our blog.
Marka by Adel Alserhani is a modular seating concept inspired by the Bedouin tradition of adaptable, community-centered living. Drawing from objects once used as camel saddle supports that later evolved into low seating, the design reinterprets this heritage for contemporary life. Its interlocking structure allows the seat to shift between a shared configuration for conversation and a personal chair for quiet moments. Made from recycled polypropylene sourced from local manufacturing waste, Marka blends cultural memory, sustainability, and flexible design while encouraging small moments of connection in modern living spaces.
More seating design on our blog.
#BeOpenNEWS
Here are the top 50 entries in the Design Equality competition short-listed for the Public Vote based on such criteria as viability, feasibility and desirability of the design, evidence of a rigorous research process informing the solution proposed, and its creative value.
The winner of the public online vote by the majority of votes will be awarded a grant of €2,000. The online vote will last till midnight May14th, 2026 (CET).
All those passionate about sustainability and creativity can cast their own vote in favour of the most promising projects.
Successful projects should answer to the needs and aspirations of its intended audience, have a clear plan of what is needed for its realisation, be sustainable and efficient, very well researched in terms of the problem to be solved, the stakeholders and purpose, and most certainly be passionate, innovative and out of the box.
Here are the top 50 entries in the Design Equality competition short-listed for the Public Vote based on such criteria as viability, feasibility and desirability of the design, evidence of a rigorous research process informing the solution proposed, and its creative value.
The winner of the public online vote by the majority of votes will be awarded a grant of €2,000. The online vote will last till midnight May14th, 2026 (CET).
All those passionate about sustainability and creativity can cast their own vote in favour of the most promising projects.
Successful projects should answer to the needs and aspirations of its intended audience, have a clear plan of what is needed for its realisation, be sustainable and efficient, very well researched in terms of the problem to be solved, the stakeholders and purpose, and most certainly be passionate, innovative and out of the box.
#BeOpenARCH
Metamorphosis in Motion by Lina Ghotmeh is a vivid pink labyrinth installed in the courtyard of Milan’s Palazzo Litta for this year’s Milan Design Week. Commissioned by MoscaPartners, the installation transforms the historic baroque courtyard into an interactive spatial experience without altering its structure. Using curved geometries, shifting perspectives, and sequential pathways, the design guides visitors through a playful maze of screens and seating that encourages pause, movement, and reflection. Positioned as both architectural intervention and social space, it reimagines the courtyard as a living environment where circulation becomes experience and the boundaries between passage and place dissolve.
More contemporary labyrinths on our blog.
Metamorphosis in Motion by Lina Ghotmeh is a vivid pink labyrinth installed in the courtyard of Milan’s Palazzo Litta for this year’s Milan Design Week. Commissioned by MoscaPartners, the installation transforms the historic baroque courtyard into an interactive spatial experience without altering its structure. Using curved geometries, shifting perspectives, and sequential pathways, the design guides visitors through a playful maze of screens and seating that encourages pause, movement, and reflection. Positioned as both architectural intervention and social space, it reimagines the courtyard as a living environment where circulation becomes experience and the boundaries between passage and place dissolve.
More contemporary labyrinths on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Couch Console by Indian designer Sushant Vora is a modular couch-side organizer designed to make binge-watching sessions cleaner and more convenient. Built around simple geometry and clear functionality, it combines multiple modules including a gyroscopic cupholder that keeps drinks upright on soft cushions, a snack tray, phone stand, remote holder, and hidden storage. The modular design allows users to rearrange components depending on their needs, while a USB-C hub lets you connect an external battery for easy charging. The result is a compact couch companion that keeps drinks stable, gadgets organized, and snacks within reach during long lounging sessions.
Couch Console by Indian designer Sushant Vora is a modular couch-side organizer designed to make binge-watching sessions cleaner and more convenient. Built around simple geometry and clear functionality, it combines multiple modules including a gyroscopic cupholder that keeps drinks upright on soft cushions, a snack tray, phone stand, remote holder, and hidden storage. The modular design allows users to rearrange components depending on their needs, while a USB-C hub lets you connect an external battery for easy charging. The result is a compact couch companion that keeps drinks stable, gadgets organized, and snacks within reach during long lounging sessions.
#BeOpenARCH
Flying Vegetation by H&P Architects is a residential project in Thai Binh City, Vietnam, defined by a full-height planted facade made from rows of terracotta pots held in a lightweight steel frame. The system acts as a living screen that filters sunlight, reduces dust, and softens the boundary between the street and the home. Designed as an adaptable framework, the pots can be easily maintained and replanted, allowing the facade to evolve over time. Beyond aesthetics, the project integrates urban agriculture into everyday life, enabling residents to grow plants and food directly on the building while reconnecting dense city living with cultivation.
Flying Vegetation by H&P Architects is a residential project in Thai Binh City, Vietnam, defined by a full-height planted facade made from rows of terracotta pots held in a lightweight steel frame. The system acts as a living screen that filters sunlight, reduces dust, and softens the boundary between the street and the home. Designed as an adaptable framework, the pots can be easily maintained and replanted, allowing the facade to evolve over time. Beyond aesthetics, the project integrates urban agriculture into everyday life, enabling residents to grow plants and food directly on the building while reconnecting dense city living with cultivation.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Recycledin has created a poker chip set made entirely from recycled plastic collected from the Mediterranean’s seas, beaches, and landfills. Around 2.5 kilograms of recovered plastic are cleaned, melted, and molded into a standard 300-chip poker set, complete with dealer and blind markers. Designed to match the size and feel of professional casino chips, the set turns marine waste into a functional gaming product while reducing the demand for new plastic production. Each set is made to order to avoid overproduction, pairing sustainability with a familiar tabletop experience.
Recycledin has created a poker chip set made entirely from recycled plastic collected from the Mediterranean’s seas, beaches, and landfills. Around 2.5 kilograms of recovered plastic are cleaned, melted, and molded into a standard 300-chip poker set, complete with dealer and blind markers. Designed to match the size and feel of professional casino chips, the set turns marine waste into a functional gaming product while reducing the demand for new plastic production. Each set is made to order to avoid overproduction, pairing sustainability with a familiar tabletop experience.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga as the April Regional Artist of the Month in the Northeastern Africa stage of its 2026 global art competition. Running from January through April, this stage recognizes outstanding emerging artists from across the region, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar.
Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga is an Ethiopian artist and fashion designer based in Addis Ababa, whose practice bridges design and photography.
As the fourth and final monthly winner in this regional stage, Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga joins January winner Reem Aljeally (Sudan), February winner Aissa Joud (Morocco), and March winner Sayda Shukri (Sudan) in the run for the title of Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa, to be announced in early May and receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga as the April Regional Artist of the Month in the Northeastern Africa stage of its 2026 global art competition. Running from January through April, this stage recognizes outstanding emerging artists from across the region, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar.
Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga is an Ethiopian artist and fashion designer based in Addis Ababa, whose practice bridges design and photography.
As the fourth and final monthly winner in this regional stage, Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga joins January winner Reem Aljeally (Sudan), February winner Aissa Joud (Morocco), and March winner Sayda Shukri (Sudan) in the run for the title of Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa, to be announced in early May and receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Dublin-based designer Cara Campos explores the afterlife of everyday objects with Objects from Frames (OFF), a furniture collection made from discarded bicycle frames. The series featuring a chair, table, and lamp repurposes end-of-life bikes by cutting, repositioning, and welding their tubular steel structures while preserving original curves, joints, and attachment points. Rather than concealing wear, Campos leaves scratches, chipped paint, and visible welds intact, allowing each piece to carry the physical memory of its former life. Developed from a university project and refined through hands-on testing, OFF highlights the precision engineering of bicycles while transforming them into functional domestic objects that balance reuse, structure, and honest material expression.
Dublin-based designer Cara Campos explores the afterlife of everyday objects with Objects from Frames (OFF), a furniture collection made from discarded bicycle frames. The series featuring a chair, table, and lamp repurposes end-of-life bikes by cutting, repositioning, and welding their tubular steel structures while preserving original curves, joints, and attachment points. Rather than concealing wear, Campos leaves scratches, chipped paint, and visible welds intact, allowing each piece to carry the physical memory of its former life. Developed from a university project and refined through hands-on testing, OFF highlights the precision engineering of bicycles while transforming them into functional domestic objects that balance reuse, structure, and honest material expression.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Tel Aviv-based designer Talia Luvaton works with vegetable-tanned leather through wet-forming and hand-molding techniques that allow the material to dictate form as much as the maker does. Her practice, deeply rooted in craft lineage and inherited tools, produces sculptural pieces that feel organic, bodily, and almost alive.
Tel Aviv-based designer Talia Luvaton works with vegetable-tanned leather through wet-forming and hand-molding techniques that allow the material to dictate form as much as the maker does. Her practice, deeply rooted in craft lineage and inherited tools, produces sculptural pieces that feel organic, bodily, and almost alive.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Regional Art continues in 2026 with its next stage dedicated to Central Europe, featuring emerging artists from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. From May to August, each month 20 new artists will be showcased in the online gallery, with public voting determining the Monthly Artist and culminating in the selection of the Regional Artist and a €500 grant, alongside a €300 Founder’s Favourite award. The initiative continues BE OPEN’s mission to support young creatives whose work reflects cultural identity and contemporary social themes, while giving them international visibility and recognition.
Discover the artists, vote for your favourites, and be part of shaping the future of contemporary art at BE OPEN Art.
BE OPEN Regional Art continues in 2026 with its next stage dedicated to Central Europe, featuring emerging artists from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. From May to August, each month 20 new artists will be showcased in the online gallery, with public voting determining the Monthly Artist and culminating in the selection of the Regional Artist and a €500 grant, alongside a €300 Founder’s Favourite award. The initiative continues BE OPEN’s mission to support young creatives whose work reflects cultural identity and contemporary social themes, while giving them international visibility and recognition.
Discover the artists, vote for your favourites, and be part of shaping the future of contemporary art at BE OPEN Art.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is proud to announce Aissa Joud as the Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa in its 2026 global art competition. Following four months of recognizing outstanding emerging artists across the region, this award highlights exceptional talent from countries including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar.
Aissa Joud is a Moroccan artist from Ouarzazate, known as Morocco’s “Little Hollywood,” whose work reflects his hometown’s cultural and visual heritage and began with selling art to local tourists before pursuing formal art education.
Selected from among the four monthly winners, Aissa receives the title of Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa. The Regional Winner receives a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
BE OPEN Art is proud to announce Aissa Joud as the Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa in its 2026 global art competition. Following four months of recognizing outstanding emerging artists across the region, this award highlights exceptional talent from countries including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar.
Aissa Joud is a Moroccan artist from Ouarzazate, known as Morocco’s “Little Hollywood,” whose work reflects his hometown’s cultural and visual heritage and began with selling art to local tourists before pursuing formal art education.
Selected from among the four monthly winners, Aissa receives the title of Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa. The Regional Winner receives a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Immersive Resilience Garden by Seoul & London–based design and architecture studio StudioReBuild transforms a section of Seoul’s Ttuksom Han River Park into a multi-layered, nature-driven retreat that blurs the boundary between urban infrastructure and ecological experience. Centered around a submerged lounge and a 3D maze-like garden system, the project invites visitors into a 360-degree sensory environment where plants, people, and non-human species coexist. Inspired by natural interactions among insects and vegetation, the design uses tiered planting and perennial species to create a self-sustaining landscape that evolves across seasons while enhancing biodiversity and microclimate. Combining computational fabrication with ecological thinking, the project demonstrates how resource-efficient design can produce immersive public spaces that counter urban overstimulation and foster deeper connections with nature.
Immersive Resilience Garden by Seoul & London–based design and architecture studio StudioReBuild transforms a section of Seoul’s Ttuksom Han River Park into a multi-layered, nature-driven retreat that blurs the boundary between urban infrastructure and ecological experience. Centered around a submerged lounge and a 3D maze-like garden system, the project invites visitors into a 360-degree sensory environment where plants, people, and non-human species coexist. Inspired by natural interactions among insects and vegetation, the design uses tiered planting and perennial species to create a self-sustaining landscape that evolves across seasons while enhancing biodiversity and microclimate. Combining computational fabrication with ecological thinking, the project demonstrates how resource-efficient design can produce immersive public spaces that counter urban overstimulation and foster deeper connections with nature.