#BeOpenART #BeOpenDESIGN
Amsterdam-based multidisciplinary artist Abel van Oirschot, who has aphantasia and cannot form mental images, built Birch, a life-size octagonal spacecraft interior entirely by hand in his home garage. Constructed from wood, cardboard, foam, and repurposed electronics, the white, Space Age-inspired set combines clinical geometry with deeply personal objects, from photographs and stickers to a guitar and iPod. The result is less a convincing spacecraft than a portrait of imagination itself: a physical world built without ever being visualized in the mind.
Amsterdam-based multidisciplinary artist Abel van Oirschot, who has aphantasia and cannot form mental images, built Birch, a life-size octagonal spacecraft interior entirely by hand in his home garage. Constructed from wood, cardboard, foam, and repurposed electronics, the white, Space Age-inspired set combines clinical geometry with deeply personal objects, from photographs and stickers to a guitar and iPod. The result is less a convincing spacecraft than a portrait of imagination itself: a physical world built without ever being visualized in the mind.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
As the 2026 BE OPEN Regional Art competition wraps up its Central European stage, Elena Baturina selected Prague-based artist Ester Nemjo as her personal choice.
A painter, illustrator and animator, Ester creates dreamlike worlds filled with imaginary creatures and symbolic landscapes. A graduate of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague and the School of Decorative Arts in Paris, her work brings a distinctive imaginative voice to contemporary art.
Congratulations, Ester!
As the 2026 BE OPEN Regional Art competition wraps up its Central European stage, Elena Baturina selected Prague-based artist Ester Nemjo as her personal choice.
A painter, illustrator and animator, Ester creates dreamlike worlds filled with imaginary creatures and symbolic landscapes. A graduate of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague and the School of Decorative Arts in Paris, her work brings a distinctive imaginative voice to contemporary art.
Congratulations, Ester!
#BeOpenDESIGN
TonerBox rethinks the home gym as furniture, packing weights, resistance bands, storage, and a tri-fold workout bench into a compact oak plywood box. With an aluminum-framed bench that opens in seconds and built-in racks for the equipment, the system keeps a full-body workout setup hidden in plain sight. Designed for strength, cardio, flexibility, and mobility training, TonerBox offers a space-saving alternative to bulky home gym machines.
TonerBox rethinks the home gym as furniture, packing weights, resistance bands, storage, and a tri-fold workout bench into a compact oak plywood box. With an aluminum-framed bench that opens in seconds and built-in racks for the equipment, the system keeps a full-body workout setup hidden in plain sight. Designed for strength, cardio, flexibility, and mobility training, TonerBox offers a space-saving alternative to bulky home gym machines.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Stockholm-based artist duo Bigert & Bergström transforms a polluted industrial site in northern Sweden with the Lithium Crystal Sauna, a striking pink, faceted structure inspired by lithium crystals. Combining digital fabrication, mirrored titanium-coated steel and a battery-powered heater, the sauna explores the contradictions of the green transition while creating an intimate space for gathering, reflection and conversation.
More sustainable saunas on our blog.
Stockholm-based artist duo Bigert & Bergström transforms a polluted industrial site in northern Sweden with the Lithium Crystal Sauna, a striking pink, faceted structure inspired by lithium crystals. Combining digital fabrication, mirrored titanium-coated steel and a battery-powered heater, the sauna explores the contradictions of the green transition while creating an intimate space for gathering, reflection and conversation.
More sustainable saunas on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Nafaskāri by material researcher and designer Vibhuti Amin explores how biotechnology can help preserve endangered craft traditions while creating climate-resilient alternatives to synthetic dyes. Developed with master artisans in Srikalahasti, India, the project introduces pigment-producing soil bacteria into the 3,000-year-old Kalamkari tradition, responding to rising temperatures and water scarcity that threaten botanical dye crops. Its low-tech Nafas Chamber enables artisans to cultivate microbial pigments locally, connecting scientific innovation with heritage knowledge, ecological resilience, and greater autonomy for maker communities.
Nafaskāri by material researcher and designer Vibhuti Amin explores how biotechnology can help preserve endangered craft traditions while creating climate-resilient alternatives to synthetic dyes. Developed with master artisans in Srikalahasti, India, the project introduces pigment-producing soil bacteria into the 3,000-year-old Kalamkari tradition, responding to rising temperatures and water scarcity that threaten botanical dye crops. Its low-tech Nafas Chamber enables artisans to cultivate microbial pigments locally, connecting scientific innovation with heritage knowledge, ecological resilience, and greater autonomy for maker communities.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Scentra gives rosemary waste a surprising second life as packaging. Designed by Zhixi Dai, Zhou Yun, and Wang Zhan, the protective block uses compressed rosemary trimmings and a seaweed binder to cradle an essential oil bottle. But the cleverness does not end at unboxing: the rosemary retains its natural scent, allowing the packaging to become a passive diffuser. By turning agricultural waste into both protection and a functional object, Scentra shows how sustainable design can be practical, sensory, and genuinely delightful.
More eco-friendly packaging on our blog.
Scentra gives rosemary waste a surprising second life as packaging. Designed by Zhixi Dai, Zhou Yun, and Wang Zhan, the protective block uses compressed rosemary trimmings and a seaweed binder to cradle an essential oil bottle. But the cleverness does not end at unboxing: the rosemary retains its natural scent, allowing the packaging to become a passive diffuser. By turning agricultural waste into both protection and a functional object, Scentra shows how sustainable design can be practical, sensory, and genuinely delightful.
More eco-friendly packaging on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
This open-source Raspberry Pi book reader rethinks accessibility by eliminating the screen entirely. Two 16-megapixel cameras scan an open book, OCR converts the pages to text, and text-to-speech reads them aloud through tactile controls. NFC tags let users manage multiple books, while automatic summaries help readers pick up where they left off. Designed by Ludwin (lhm0), the project combines thoughtful optical engineering, accessible interaction, and open hardware to turn printed books into screen-free audiobooks.
This open-source Raspberry Pi book reader rethinks accessibility by eliminating the screen entirely. Two 16-megapixel cameras scan an open book, OCR converts the pages to text, and text-to-speech reads them aloud through tactile controls. NFC tags let users manage multiple books, while automatic summaries help readers pick up where they left off. Designed by Ludwin (lhm0), the project combines thoughtful optical engineering, accessible interaction, and open hardware to turn printed books into screen-free audiobooks.
#BeOpenARCH
MAD has unveiled updated designs for Danshuis, a new dance centre in Rotterdam that will transform a 1923 Art Deco warehouse with a striking four-storey glass extension. Inspired by the flowing movement of a dancer’s skirt, the rippling facade will form a transparent foyer wrapped around a spiral staircase, blurring the boundary between interior and landscape. Set to open in 2030, the centre will bring together dance studios, performance and exhibition spaces, a gym, café, public hall, and river-facing terraces.
MAD has unveiled updated designs for Danshuis, a new dance centre in Rotterdam that will transform a 1923 Art Deco warehouse with a striking four-storey glass extension. Inspired by the flowing movement of a dancer’s skirt, the rippling facade will form a transparent foyer wrapped around a spiral staircase, blurring the boundary between interior and landscape. Set to open in 2030, the centre will bring together dance studios, performance and exhibition spaces, a gym, café, public hall, and river-facing terraces.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Studio Carraldo’s backdirwas_5 is a community oven in Boden, Austria, that translates local Alpine building traditions into a compact contemporary structure. Created for the Medienfrische festival, the oven combines a concrete base cast with timber-log formwork, a heat-retaining firebrick dome, and a sculptural stainless steel shell inspired by traditional Alpine shingles. More than a functional oven, it creates a shared space for local residents and visiting artists to gather, cook, and connect through making.
Studio Carraldo’s backdirwas_5 is a community oven in Boden, Austria, that translates local Alpine building traditions into a compact contemporary structure. Created for the Medienfrische festival, the oven combines a concrete base cast with timber-log formwork, a heat-retaining firebrick dome, and a sculptural stainless steel shell inspired by traditional Alpine shingles. More than a functional oven, it creates a shared space for local residents and visiting artists to gather, cook, and connect through making.
#BeOpenARCH
Design Wood Home Studio’s The Lens is a timber viewing pavilion on Kizhi Island that offers a contemporary frame for the UNESCO-listed Kizhi Pogost. Set at the island’s northern tip, its rhythmic wooden slats reinterpret traditional Russian lemekh shingles, while a cupola-shaped opening aligns the historic churches into a single sculptural view. The bench-like micro-structure turns the landscape into a living architectural composition, with shifting light and shadows adding depth to its textured timber skin.
Design Wood Home Studio’s The Lens is a timber viewing pavilion on Kizhi Island that offers a contemporary frame for the UNESCO-listed Kizhi Pogost. Set at the island’s northern tip, its rhythmic wooden slats reinterpret traditional Russian lemekh shingles, while a cupola-shaped opening aligns the historic churches into a single sculptural view. The bench-like micro-structure turns the landscape into a living architectural composition, with shifting light and shadows adding depth to its textured timber skin.
#BeOpenDESIGN
For blind and visually impaired users, making a simple cup of tea can involve a series of hidden risks, from handling boiling water to operating appliances without visual feedback. Ivana Nedeljkovska’s Smart Cup rethinks this routine by combining a kettle, teapot, and drinking cup into one touch-oriented vessel, eliminating the need to transfer hot liquids. Raised Braille controls, a guiding base, an ergonomic handle, and heat-resistant construction support safer, more independent use, while its warm-toned sculptural form brings accessibility into a polished everyday object.
For blind and visually impaired users, making a simple cup of tea can involve a series of hidden risks, from handling boiling water to operating appliances without visual feedback. Ivana Nedeljkovska’s Smart Cup rethinks this routine by combining a kettle, teapot, and drinking cup into one touch-oriented vessel, eliminating the need to transfer hot liquids. Raised Braille controls, a guiding base, an ergonomic handle, and heat-resistant construction support safer, more independent use, while its warm-toned sculptural form brings accessibility into a polished everyday object.
#BeOpenDESIGN
After the Last Sip is a material research project by Taiwanese designers Chao-Chun Kung, Ching-Yu Lin, and Chen-Yang Chang that repurposes discarded coffee grounds and tea leaves into 3D-printed furniture, lighting, and sculptural objects. Developed at Fab.Pub in East London, the material combines dried and ground coffee and tea waste with PLA, a biodegradable polymer, and is processed using robotic 3D printing and parametric design. The project explores how everyday organic waste can become a functional and expressive design material while retaining visible traces of its original form.
More design from coffee grounds and tea leaves on blog.
After the Last Sip is a material research project by Taiwanese designers Chao-Chun Kung, Ching-Yu Lin, and Chen-Yang Chang that repurposes discarded coffee grounds and tea leaves into 3D-printed furniture, lighting, and sculptural objects. Developed at Fab.Pub in East London, the material combines dried and ground coffee and tea waste with PLA, a biodegradable polymer, and is processed using robotic 3D printing and parametric design. The project explores how everyday organic waste can become a functional and expressive design material while retaining visible traces of its original form.
More design from coffee grounds and tea leaves on blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Mokase turns the smartphone into an unlikely espresso maker, combining a slim, waterproof phone case with a disposable coffee cartridge, built-in heating system, and companion app. Designed by Luigi Carfora and Clemente Biondo of Smart K, the concept reimagines portable coffee by transforming an object already carried everywhere into a miniature brewing device.
More extraordinary coffee makers on our blog.
Mokase turns the smartphone into an unlikely espresso maker, combining a slim, waterproof phone case with a disposable coffee cartridge, built-in heating system, and companion app. Designed by Luigi Carfora and Clemente Biondo of Smart K, the concept reimagines portable coffee by transforming an object already carried everywhere into a miniature brewing device.
More extraordinary coffee makers on our blog.
#BeOpenARCH
Michael Jantzen’s unbuilt Staircase House turns everyday movement into the defining feature of a compact 1,000-square-foot home. Wrapping 180 wooden steps around a simple cube, the concept uses piezoelectric tread plates to convert footsteps into small amounts of stored electricity. Rooftop and ground-level decks, glass openings, a central skylight, and rooms tucked beneath the staircases complete a house where architecture, exercise, and energy generation become one continuous system.
Michael Jantzen’s unbuilt Staircase House turns everyday movement into the defining feature of a compact 1,000-square-foot home. Wrapping 180 wooden steps around a simple cube, the concept uses piezoelectric tread plates to convert footsteps into small amounts of stored electricity. Rooftop and ground-level decks, glass openings, a central skylight, and rooms tucked beneath the staircases complete a house where architecture, exercise, and energy generation become one continuous system.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art has announced Taiwan-born artist Lian Jhu as the first Regional Artist of the Month (September) in the East Asia stage of its 2026 global art competition celebrating outstanding emerging artists from Japan, North and South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Macau, Mongolia, and Taiwan.
Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Lian Jhu is an artist whose practice explores human existence through introspection, emotional experience, and the language of the painted figure.
Jhu will now join the selection of artists competing for the Regional Winner title of East Asia. The selected Regional Winner will receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
BE OPEN Art has announced Taiwan-born artist Lian Jhu as the first Regional Artist of the Month (September) in the East Asia stage of its 2026 global art competition celebrating outstanding emerging artists from Japan, North and South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Macau, Mongolia, and Taiwan.
Born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Lian Jhu is an artist whose practice explores human existence through introspection, emotional experience, and the language of the painted figure.
Jhu will now join the selection of artists competing for the Regional Winner title of East Asia. The selected Regional Winner will receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Mexico-based design consultancy NOS introduces the Paper Pulp Delivery Briefcase, a reusable and compostable alternative to single-use food delivery packaging. Made from lightweight, single-material paper pulp, its thermoformed clamshell structure accommodates different cup sizes and holds up to six drinks, with an integrated tray keeping beverages secure in transit. Stackable and easy to manufacture, the briefcase also features ergonomic handles, spaces for order details and seals, and customizable material and color options for different delivery systems.
Mexico-based design consultancy NOS introduces the Paper Pulp Delivery Briefcase, a reusable and compostable alternative to single-use food delivery packaging. Made from lightweight, single-material paper pulp, its thermoformed clamshell structure accommodates different cup sizes and holds up to six drinks, with an integrated tray keeping beverages secure in transit. Stackable and easy to manufacture, the briefcase also features ergonomic handles, spaces for order details and seals, and customizable material and color options for different delivery systems.
#BeOpenARCH
Invisible Studio and Pearce+ have created a hemispherical woodworking shelter at Westonbirt Arboretum using locally felled green oak and a lightweight aluminium shingle roof. Six tree-trunk supports carry a triangular timber frame, while 85 hand-hewn poles support the overlapping canopy, combining raw, site-responsive construction with digital fabrication. Designed to echo the delicacy of the surrounding woodland, the pavilion also explores how complex timber structures can be built affordably, sustainably, and with architects actively adapting to conditions on site.
Invisible Studio and Pearce+ have created a hemispherical woodworking shelter at Westonbirt Arboretum using locally felled green oak and a lightweight aluminium shingle roof. Six tree-trunk supports carry a triangular timber frame, while 85 hand-hewn poles support the overlapping canopy, combining raw, site-responsive construction with digital fabrication. Designed to echo the delicacy of the surrounding woodland, the pavilion also explores how complex timber structures can be built affordably, sustainably, and with architects actively adapting to conditions on site.