#BeOpenDESIGN
Some of the best product designs solve everyday problems with almost invisible simplicity, and Gaenim’s silicone bottle cap water dispenser for dogs is a perfect example. Replacing a standard bottle cap, the flexible silicone attachment unfolds into a drinking bowl and drains unused water back into the bottle, eliminating the need for bulky pet accessories. Its thoughtful use of food-safe silicone keeps the design lightweight, durable, and easy to clean, while fitting seamlessly into daily walks, road trips, and hikes.
Some of the best product designs solve everyday problems with almost invisible simplicity, and Gaenim’s silicone bottle cap water dispenser for dogs is a perfect example. Replacing a standard bottle cap, the flexible silicone attachment unfolds into a drinking bowl and drains unused water back into the bottle, eliminating the need for bulky pet accessories. Its thoughtful use of food-safe silicone keeps the design lightweight, durable, and easy to clean, while fitting seamlessly into daily walks, road trips, and hikes.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art has announced Angolan multidisciplinary artist Cristiano Mangovo as its Artist of the Month for July 2026. Educated at the École des Beaux-Arts de Kinshasa, Mangovo creates paintings, installations, and mixed-media works that explore power, inequality, migration, memory, and identity through a vivid visual language shaped by personal experience and social observation. As the July winner, he advances to the Artist of the Year 2026 competition, where finalists will compete for a €1,000 prize and promotional support from BE OPEN Art.
BE OPEN Art has announced Angolan multidisciplinary artist Cristiano Mangovo as its Artist of the Month for July 2026. Educated at the École des Beaux-Arts de Kinshasa, Mangovo creates paintings, installations, and mixed-media works that explore power, inequality, migration, memory, and identity through a vivid visual language shaped by personal experience and social observation. As the July winner, he advances to the Artist of the Year 2026 competition, where finalists will compete for a €1,000 prize and promotional support from BE OPEN Art.
#BeOpenDESIGN
What if batteries were alive? Bio-designer Lucia Giron and researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed algae-powered biophotovoltaic cells that generate electricity through photosynthesis. By combining living cyanobacteria with thoughtful product design, the prototypes demonstrate a cleaner alternative to disposable batteries while making energy production visible. The project shows how design can bridge biology and technology, turning sustainable innovation into an experience people can see, understand, and interact with.
More battery innovations on our blog.
What if batteries were alive? Bio-designer Lucia Giron and researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed algae-powered biophotovoltaic cells that generate electricity through photosynthesis. By combining living cyanobacteria with thoughtful product design, the prototypes demonstrate a cleaner alternative to disposable batteries while making energy production visible. The project shows how design can bridge biology and technology, turning sustainable innovation into an experience people can see, understand, and interact with.
More battery innovations on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Instead of treating artificial wood as a stand-in for timber, Tact Inoue's MOCKY furniture series explores what the material can do on its own. Made from a composite of wood flour and resin, each piece is assembled by heating and compressing components until they fuse together, eliminating the need for traditional joinery. The process creates organically distorted joints, warped surfaces, and sculptural protrusions that are as structural as they are expressive.
Instead of treating artificial wood as a stand-in for timber, Tact Inoue's MOCKY furniture series explores what the material can do on its own. Made from a composite of wood flour and resin, each piece is assembled by heating and compressing components until they fuse together, eliminating the need for traditional joinery. The process creates organically distorted joints, warped surfaces, and sculptural protrusions that are as structural as they are expressive.
#BeOpenNEWS
On International Youth Day, 12 August 2026, UNESCO’s NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee Youth Working Group, alongside SDG Academy, SDSN Youth and the SDG 4 Youth & Student Network, will host an invite-only online consultation on the Post-2030 Youth Education and Learning Agenda. Young people aged 19–35 will share their experiences, priorities and ideas for shaping the future of education beyond 2030 through interactive discussions and breakout sessions.
📅 When: International Youth Day – 12 August 2026
🕒 Time: 9:00–10:30 AM EDT | 3:00–4:30 PM CEST
📍 Where: Online via Zoom
🔗 Registration
On International Youth Day, 12 August 2026, UNESCO’s NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee Youth Working Group, alongside SDG Academy, SDSN Youth and the SDG 4 Youth & Student Network, will host an invite-only online consultation on the Post-2030 Youth Education and Learning Agenda. Young people aged 19–35 will share their experiences, priorities and ideas for shaping the future of education beyond 2030 through interactive discussions and breakout sessions.
📅 When: International Youth Day – 12 August 2026
🕒 Time: 9:00–10:30 AM EDT | 3:00–4:30 PM CEST
📍 Where: Online via Zoom
🔗 Registration
#BeOpenDESIGN
EcoLogicStudio's PhotoSynthetica collection demonstrates how design can harness living systems to tackle urban pollution. At its core is the AIReactor, a desktop air purifier powered by microalgae that absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen through photosynthesis. Instead of discarding the resulting biomass, the studio transforms it into biopolymers used to 3D print everyday objects such as stools and rings. The project presents a compelling vision of circular design, where products not only improve air quality but also generate the materials needed to create new ones.
More projects embedding photosynthesis on our blog.
EcoLogicStudio's PhotoSynthetica collection demonstrates how design can harness living systems to tackle urban pollution. At its core is the AIReactor, a desktop air purifier powered by microalgae that absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen through photosynthesis. Instead of discarding the resulting biomass, the studio transforms it into biopolymers used to 3D print everyday objects such as stools and rings. The project presents a compelling vision of circular design, where products not only improve air quality but also generate the materials needed to create new ones.
More projects embedding photosynthesis on our blog.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art has named Naarm/Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist Anna Kouvelas the Art Limitless winner for July 2026. Working with found, reclaimed, and repurposed materials, Kouvelas creates textile-based works that explore identity, memory, and materiality through weaving, stitching, assemblage, and sculpture.
Anna's sustainable practice has earned her this month's recognition and a place among the artists eligible for the Art Limitless annual awards, where three winners will receive cash prizes and international promotional support from the BE OPEN Foundation.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art has named Naarm/Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist Anna Kouvelas the Art Limitless winner for July 2026. Working with found, reclaimed, and repurposed materials, Kouvelas creates textile-based works that explore identity, memory, and materiality through weaving, stitching, assemblage, and sculpture.
Anna's sustainable practice has earned her this month's recognition and a place among the artists eligible for the Art Limitless annual awards, where three winners will receive cash prizes and international promotional support from the BE OPEN Foundation.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
#BeOpenDESIGN
Nottingham Trent University Furniture & Product Design graduate Becca Panter has created ReFrame, a flat-pack steel wardrobe designed for a second life rather than the landfill. Developed in response to a Habitat and Vinted brief on small-space living, the project rethinks student furniture by making disassembly, repair and resale part of the design from the outset. Constructed from folded mild steel components and assembled with a single Allen key, ReFrame is engineered to be easily repaired, moved and reassembled, challenging the disposable culture of conventional flat-pack furniture while reflecting a generation that already embraces secondhand fashion.
Nottingham Trent University Furniture & Product Design graduate Becca Panter has created ReFrame, a flat-pack steel wardrobe designed for a second life rather than the landfill. Developed in response to a Habitat and Vinted brief on small-space living, the project rethinks student furniture by making disassembly, repair and resale part of the design from the outset. Constructed from folded mild steel components and assembled with a single Allen key, ReFrame is engineered to be easily repaired, moved and reassembled, challenging the disposable culture of conventional flat-pack furniture while reflecting a generation that already embraces secondhand fashion.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Bogdana Peric Milenkovic (Serbia) as the July Regional Artist of the Month in the Central Europe stage of its 2026 global art competition. As the third monthly winner in this regional stage, she joins the growing selection of outstanding emerging artists representing the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Bogdana advances to the final selection for the Regional Winner title and the opportunity to receive a €500 prize and international recognition through the BE OPEN Art platform.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Bogdana Peric Milenkovic (Serbia) as the July Regional Artist of the Month in the Central Europe stage of its 2026 global art competition. As the third monthly winner in this regional stage, she joins the growing selection of outstanding emerging artists representing the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Bogdana advances to the final selection for the Regional Winner title and the opportunity to receive a €500 prize and international recognition through the BE OPEN Art platform.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Developed by surfboard shaper Chris Garrett of Phantom Surfboards in collaboration with Gage Roads Brew Co., The Beerboard is an experimental surfboard that doubles as a 10-litre beer tap. Built around a sealed, pressurised chamber integrated into its core, the rideable single-fin board reimagines the way surfboard volume is measured, combining conventional board-shaping techniques with an onboard beer dispensing system while remaining fully surfable.
Developed by surfboard shaper Chris Garrett of Phantom Surfboards in collaboration with Gage Roads Brew Co., The Beerboard is an experimental surfboard that doubles as a 10-litre beer tap. Built around a sealed, pressurised chamber integrated into its core, the rideable single-fin board reimagines the way surfboard volume is measured, combining conventional board-shaping techniques with an onboard beer dispensing system while remaining fully surfable.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Hall 5, the studio of Ignacio Abaitua and his daughter Carlota, transforms leftover resin and fiberglass from surfboard production into furniture and everyday objects. Working from Spain's Basque coast, the duo developed an artisanal process that incorporates up to 70% reclaimed material, giving discarded surfboard waste a second life as terrazzo-like tables, vessels, coasters and soap dishes with distinctive colors and one-of-a-kind patterns.
Hall 5, the studio of Ignacio Abaitua and his daughter Carlota, transforms leftover resin and fiberglass from surfboard production into furniture and everyday objects. Working from Spain's Basque coast, the duo developed an artisanal process that incorporates up to 70% reclaimed material, giving discarded surfboard waste a second life as terrazzo-like tables, vessels, coasters and soap dishes with distinctive colors and one-of-a-kind patterns.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Designed by Vasyl Maletych, Grate Module is a modular furniture system built around a single grilled L-shaped section. The versatile component can be combined in multiple configurations to create everything from magazine racks to expandable coffee tables, while overlapping colored grates generate striking moiré patterns that turn functional furniture into graphic sculptural pieces.
Designed by Vasyl Maletych, Grate Module is a modular furniture system built around a single grilled L-shaped section. The versatile component can be combined in multiple configurations to create everything from magazine racks to expandable coffee tables, while overlapping colored grates generate striking moiré patterns that turn functional furniture into graphic sculptural pieces.
#BeOpenDESIGN
London-based EcoLogicStudio has developed Photo.Synth.Etica, a living algae curtain that uses photosynthesis to capture carbon dioxide from the air while releasing oxygen. Designed as a facade-mounted photobioreactor, the modular bioplastic system doubles as a sunshade, using microalgae-filled tubes to remove air pollution, generate biomass and explore how buildings could actively improve urban air quality.
London-based EcoLogicStudio has developed Photo.Synth.Etica, a living algae curtain that uses photosynthesis to capture carbon dioxide from the air while releasing oxygen. Designed as a facade-mounted photobioreactor, the modular bioplastic system doubles as a sunshade, using microalgae-filled tubes to remove air pollution, generate biomass and explore how buildings could actively improve urban air quality.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Rather than designing a playground for autistic children, architect Matthew Springett and educator Fiona MacDonald of Matt + Fiona invited students at Phoenix School in East London to become co-designers. Together, they created the Phoenix Playground Room, a striking sensory play space shaped by the children's ideas and built to provide continuity during the school's relocation. The project demonstrates how participatory design can empower young people, foster a sense of ownership and create environments that truly respond to the needs of their users.
More design for neurodivergent users on our blog.
Rather than designing a playground for autistic children, architect Matthew Springett and educator Fiona MacDonald of Matt + Fiona invited students at Phoenix School in East London to become co-designers. Together, they created the Phoenix Playground Room, a striking sensory play space shaped by the children's ideas and built to provide continuity during the school's relocation. The project demonstrates how participatory design can empower young people, foster a sense of ownership and create environments that truly respond to the needs of their users.
More design for neurodivergent users on our blog.
#BeOpenARCH
When disaster strikes, every second counts, and Hariri & Hariri's origami-inspired folding pod is designed with exactly that in mind. The New York architecture firm created a self-unfolding prefabricated shelter that transforms from a compact, transportable unit into a fully functional living space at the push of a button. Requiring no tools or manual assembly, the lightweight modular pod offers a fast, practical solution for emergency housing while remaining versatile enough to serve as a vacation cabin, event accommodation, or standalone tiny home, proving that smart design can be both beautiful and life-saving.
More portable architecture on our blog.
When disaster strikes, every second counts, and Hariri & Hariri's origami-inspired folding pod is designed with exactly that in mind. The New York architecture firm created a self-unfolding prefabricated shelter that transforms from a compact, transportable unit into a fully functional living space at the push of a button. Requiring no tools or manual assembly, the lightweight modular pod offers a fast, practical solution for emergency housing while remaining versatile enough to serve as a vacation cabin, event accommodation, or standalone tiny home, proving that smart design can be both beautiful and life-saving.
More portable architecture on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Designed by Chung-Ang University student Youngbin Kwon, Mosaic is an AI-powered desk organiser that reshapes itself around the objects placed on its surface. Instead of fixed compartments, the adaptive tray reconfigures to accommodate items such as phones, keys and cables, exploring how artificial intelligence and modular design could create more intuitive, playful organisation systems.
Designed by Chung-Ang University student Youngbin Kwon, Mosaic is an AI-powered desk organiser that reshapes itself around the objects placed on its surface. Instead of fixed compartments, the adaptive tray reconfigures to accommodate items such as phones, keys and cables, exploring how artificial intelligence and modular design could create more intuitive, playful organisation systems.