#BeOpenDESIGN
STEA by French designer Eliot Andrault reimagines personal heating by shifting focus from whole-room systems to body-centered warmth. Developed at La Cambre in Belgium, the device uses refractory bricks to store and slowly release heat, creating a localized microclimate with minimal energy use. Operating on a short heating cycle followed by extended heat diffusion, STEA reduces continuous power consumption while delivering a steady, enveloping warmth. Its monolithic form, inspired by cast-iron radiators and softened by a portable steel handle, reflects a balance between industrial presence and human use. Designed for disassembly, repair, and recyclability, the project proposes a more sustainable and intentional relationship to heat.
STEA by French designer Eliot Andrault reimagines personal heating by shifting focus from whole-room systems to body-centered warmth. Developed at La Cambre in Belgium, the device uses refractory bricks to store and slowly release heat, creating a localized microclimate with minimal energy use. Operating on a short heating cycle followed by extended heat diffusion, STEA reduces continuous power consumption while delivering a steady, enveloping warmth. Its monolithic form, inspired by cast-iron radiators and softened by a portable steel handle, reflects a balance between industrial presence and human use. Designed for disassembly, repair, and recyclability, the project proposes a more sustainable and intentional relationship to heat.
#BeOpenDESIGN
On the Calculation of Volume reimagines a Greenpoint apartment as a reflection on repetition, storage, and urban survival in New York City. Designed by architect Massimiliano Malagò with client Kathleen Pongrace, the project draws on literary references from Solvej Balle and Simone de Beauvoir to shape sculptural furniture pieces that balance permanence and decay through ceramic tile, foam, and integrated storage. Responding to the pressures of limited space and a growing personal library, the renovation transforms domestic objects into studies of time, accumulation, and everyday city life.
On the Calculation of Volume reimagines a Greenpoint apartment as a reflection on repetition, storage, and urban survival in New York City. Designed by architect Massimiliano Malagò with client Kathleen Pongrace, the project draws on literary references from Solvej Balle and Simone de Beauvoir to shape sculptural furniture pieces that balance permanence and decay through ceramic tile, foam, and integrated storage. Responding to the pressures of limited space and a growing personal library, the renovation transforms domestic objects into studies of time, accumulation, and everyday city life.
#BeOpenDESIGN
In an era dominated by flawless renders and polished product shots, Timothée Mion’s chair buck is a refreshing reminder that great furniture design still begins with the body. Used to physically test seat heights, angles, and posture before committing to a final form, the adjustable rig highlights something digital tools can’t fully replicate: the feeling of actually sitting in a chair. Rather than treating prototyping as a rough preliminary step, Mion’s process embraces it as part of the design itself.
In an era dominated by flawless renders and polished product shots, Timothée Mion’s chair buck is a refreshing reminder that great furniture design still begins with the body. Used to physically test seat heights, angles, and posture before committing to a final form, the adjustable rig highlights something digital tools can’t fully replicate: the feeling of actually sitting in a chair. Rather than treating prototyping as a rough preliminary step, Mion’s process embraces it as part of the design itself.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Paloma Bautista as the Artist of the Month for May 2026. Originally from the Canary Islands and now based in Finland, Bautista is an architect, designer, and visual artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores the creation of atmospheres through color, form, and spatial sensitivity. Holding a Master of Architecture degree, Bautista brings a deep understanding of structure, balance, and environment to her artistic work.
Each month, BE OPEN Art presents 20 artists for public voting, with monthly winners advancing to compete for the Artist of the Year 2026 title. The overall winner will receive a €1,000 prize and promotional support from BE OPEN Art.
We warmly congratulate Paloma on this well-deserved recognition and thank her for her inspiring contribution to the BE OPEN Art community.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Paloma Bautista as the Artist of the Month for May 2026. Originally from the Canary Islands and now based in Finland, Bautista is an architect, designer, and visual artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores the creation of atmospheres through color, form, and spatial sensitivity. Holding a Master of Architecture degree, Bautista brings a deep understanding of structure, balance, and environment to her artistic work.
Each month, BE OPEN Art presents 20 artists for public voting, with monthly winners advancing to compete for the Artist of the Year 2026 title. The overall winner will receive a €1,000 prize and promotional support from BE OPEN Art.
We warmly congratulate Paloma on this well-deserved recognition and thank her for her inspiring contribution to the BE OPEN Art community.
#BeOpenARCH
Set into the steep terrain of southern Poland’s Beskid Mountains, KWK Promes’s Yaw House transforms the hillside into an active architectural element rather than a backdrop. Defined by a subtle rotational move inspired by the aviation term “yaw,” the residence begins with a conventional gabled form aligned to its neighbors before pivoting toward sunlight and panoramic valley views. This shift reorganizes the interior into naturally distinct public and private zones while allowing the grass-covered roof and sloped terrain to visually merge, making the house appear embedded within the landscape itself. Midway through construction, the project evolved to include a rehabilitation swimming pool, which the architects integrated as a circular, subterranean centerpiece that softens the home’s otherwise angular geometry and anchors the spatial experience of the residence.
Set into the steep terrain of southern Poland’s Beskid Mountains, KWK Promes’s Yaw House transforms the hillside into an active architectural element rather than a backdrop. Defined by a subtle rotational move inspired by the aviation term “yaw,” the residence begins with a conventional gabled form aligned to its neighbors before pivoting toward sunlight and panoramic valley views. This shift reorganizes the interior into naturally distinct public and private zones while allowing the grass-covered roof and sloped terrain to visually merge, making the house appear embedded within the landscape itself. Midway through construction, the project evolved to include a rehabilitation swimming pool, which the architects integrated as a circular, subterranean centerpiece that softens the home’s otherwise angular geometry and anchors the spatial experience of the residence.
#BeOpenDESIGN
At Milan Design Week 2026, MEUW (Socius novus) by Jaemo Lee and Lisa Schober, part of HEAD – Genève’s MAIA exhibition “No One Sees Them Like We Do. Notes on Animal Interiors,” presented a family of soft, translucent silicone creatures installed in the abandoned Baggio Military Hospital. Positioned between object and organism, the near-amphibian forms are designed as speculative companions that simulate intimacy without requiring care, reframing human–animal relationships through touch, weight, and material presence. Drawing on references from pet commodification to speculative media, the project uses tactile interaction to question whether connection can be constructed through designed objects rather than living beings.
At Milan Design Week 2026, MEUW (Socius novus) by Jaemo Lee and Lisa Schober, part of HEAD – Genève’s MAIA exhibition “No One Sees Them Like We Do. Notes on Animal Interiors,” presented a family of soft, translucent silicone creatures installed in the abandoned Baggio Military Hospital. Positioned between object and organism, the near-amphibian forms are designed as speculative companions that simulate intimacy without requiring care, reframing human–animal relationships through touch, weight, and material presence. Drawing on references from pet commodification to speculative media, the project uses tactile interaction to question whether connection can be constructed through designed objects rather than living beings.
#BeOpenDESIGN
In Tokyo, product designer Kenji Abe’s Aperire rethinks sustainable lighting by casting fixtures from discarded aluminum cans without over-refining the material. Instead of erasing imperfections, he preserves ink traces, bubbles, and surface irregularities, turning them into the object’s visual language. Inspired by foraminifera and eroded rock formations, the porous, chambered form diffuses light softly through openings while exposing its recycled origin. The result is a material honesty where sustainability is not a narrative layer but an embedded, visible condition of the object itself.
In Tokyo, product designer Kenji Abe’s Aperire rethinks sustainable lighting by casting fixtures from discarded aluminum cans without over-refining the material. Instead of erasing imperfections, he preserves ink traces, bubbles, and surface irregularities, turning them into the object’s visual language. Inspired by foraminifera and eroded rock formations, the porous, chambered form diffuses light softly through openings while exposing its recycled origin. The result is a material honesty where sustainability is not a narrative layer but an embedded, visible condition of the object itself.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Silhouette by Jonah Rappaport reconsiders the visual language of transformable furniture through a convertible chair that avoids the exposed mechanics and structural clutter typical of the category. Winner of the A’ Design Award 2025-2026, the chair transitions between armchair, lounge chair, and chaise longue configurations using rotating structural components and concealed locking systems integrated into the base. Constructed from layered Baltic birch plywood with fully disassemblable metal-to-metal connections, the project combines formal clarity with long-term repairability.
More design-led lounge chairs on our blog.
Silhouette by Jonah Rappaport reconsiders the visual language of transformable furniture through a convertible chair that avoids the exposed mechanics and structural clutter typical of the category. Winner of the A’ Design Award 2025-2026, the chair transitions between armchair, lounge chair, and chaise longue configurations using rotating structural components and concealed locking systems integrated into the base. Constructed from layered Baltic birch plywood with fully disassemblable metal-to-metal connections, the project combines formal clarity with long-term repairability.
More design-led lounge chairs on our blog.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
The Art Limitless programme within the BE OPEN Art online gallery has announced Max Sheppard as the May 2026 monthly winner, recognising his distinctive sculptural reliefs that transform found coastal materials into architecturally inspired abstract compositions.
Throughout 2026, BE OPEN continues to highlight artists whose work reflects sustainable approaches to artistic practice. Each month, a winning artist is selected and featured in the online gallery, and at the end of the year, three artists will be chosen from the monthly winners by members of the BE OPEN community to receive monetary awards and increased international visibility from the BE OPEN Foundation.
We warmly congratulate Max Sheppard on this achievement.
The Art Limitless programme within the BE OPEN Art online gallery has announced Max Sheppard as the May 2026 monthly winner, recognising his distinctive sculptural reliefs that transform found coastal materials into architecturally inspired abstract compositions.
Throughout 2026, BE OPEN continues to highlight artists whose work reflects sustainable approaches to artistic practice. Each month, a winning artist is selected and featured in the online gallery, and at the end of the year, three artists will be chosen from the monthly winners by members of the BE OPEN community to receive monetary awards and increased international visibility from the BE OPEN Foundation.
We warmly congratulate Max Sheppard on this achievement.
#BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN is proud to announce the winners of the 2025/26 DESIGN EQUALITY with Innovation competition, dedicated to advancing UN SDG #5: Gender Equality.
🥇 First Prize (€5,000): Norah Kimathi (Kenya) for Zerobionic, an AI-powered robotic exoskeleton for deaf and hard-of-hearing girls.
🥈 Second Prize (€3,000): Victress Igboanusim (Nigeria) for Calyx-Probe, an AI-powered device improving access to non-invasive reproductive healthcare.
🥉 Third Prize (€2,000): Lennox Omondi, Dullah Shiltone, Keylie Muthoni and Brian Ndung'u (Kenya) for Ecobana, transforming banana waste into biodegradable sanitary pads.
⭐ Founder’s Choice Prize (€3,000): Ellena Vianne, Tria Indah Lestari, Farida Doa Valentina and Adnan Hasyim Wibowo (Indonesia) for the Roots Menstrual Care System.
🗳️ Public Vote Prize (€2,000): Akshat Shah, Harshavi Patel and Aryaa Bhagwat (India) for Samvaad Saathi, supporting financial inclusion for women daily-wage construction workers.
Congratulations to all the winners and participants!
BE OPEN is proud to announce the winners of the 2025/26 DESIGN EQUALITY with Innovation competition, dedicated to advancing UN SDG #5: Gender Equality.
🥇 First Prize (€5,000): Norah Kimathi (Kenya) for Zerobionic, an AI-powered robotic exoskeleton for deaf and hard-of-hearing girls.
🥈 Second Prize (€3,000): Victress Igboanusim (Nigeria) for Calyx-Probe, an AI-powered device improving access to non-invasive reproductive healthcare.
🥉 Third Prize (€2,000): Lennox Omondi, Dullah Shiltone, Keylie Muthoni and Brian Ndung'u (Kenya) for Ecobana, transforming banana waste into biodegradable sanitary pads.
⭐ Founder’s Choice Prize (€3,000): Ellena Vianne, Tria Indah Lestari, Farida Doa Valentina and Adnan Hasyim Wibowo (Indonesia) for the Roots Menstrual Care System.
🗳️ Public Vote Prize (€2,000): Akshat Shah, Harshavi Patel and Aryaa Bhagwat (India) for Samvaad Saathi, supporting financial inclusion for women daily-wage construction workers.
Congratulations to all the winners and participants!
#BeOpenDESIGN
The Alice Stool by Studio LoopLoop proves that sustainable design doesn't have to look serious. Combining a base made from 100% recycled aluminum with a plush seat upholstered in Bio-Fluff's plant-based faux fur, the stool transforms circular materials into something playful, tactile, and undeniably desirable. With its dreamy color gradients and cloud-like texture, Alice challenges the notion that eco-conscious furniture must prioritize responsibility over beauty, making a compelling case for sustainability that feels joyful rather than obligatory.
More funny stools on our blog.
The Alice Stool by Studio LoopLoop proves that sustainable design doesn't have to look serious. Combining a base made from 100% recycled aluminum with a plush seat upholstered in Bio-Fluff's plant-based faux fur, the stool transforms circular materials into something playful, tactile, and undeniably desirable. With its dreamy color gradients and cloud-like texture, Alice challenges the notion that eco-conscious furniture must prioritize responsibility over beauty, making a compelling case for sustainability that feels joyful rather than obligatory.
More funny stools on our blog.