Be Open think tank

Sydney-based Contreras Earl Architecture has designed the world’s first dedicated coral conservation facility, a ‘living ark’ aiming to keep alive and nurture over 800 species of the world’s hard corals. Inspired by the ‘mushroom’ coral, the sculptural façade of the building comprises a series of organic undulating concrete fins clustered closely at ground level to offer protection from adverse tropical conditions including threats of flood. As they progress upwards, the fins twist and unfurl, allowing natural light and ventilation of the upper levels while providing solar shading. The architects claim that through its innovative design and engineering the building will be a world leader in next-generation renewable energy design, minimising energy consumption and solar gain. contrerasearl.com

Architecture practice A-01 based in Costa Rica and the Netherlands has developed No Footprint House in response to the concept of nomadic and adaptable lifestyle. Designed to minimize the impact of construction on the environment, the structure is organized around a centralized service core, which compresses all utilities in one compact unit, enabling an open floor plan around it. The house rests on a floating steel structure and is clad with operable wooden panels that regulate ventilation and views, as well as transform the interior to exterior spaces. The structure is designed to be plugged into a public service grid powered by renewable energies, but a fully self-sufficient configuration is possible for entirely off-grid locations. Credit: www.a-01.net

#BeOpenDESIGN Iraqi-born UAE-based designer Layth Mahdi creates marble products that are designed by a combination of humans and algorithms, and fabricated by 7-Axis robots. The first collection by the eponymous design brand is titled Ripple and comprises seven vases and a coffee table. Using advanced parametric modelling and scripting software during the design stage, Mahdi transforms marble, the material people perceive as solid and rigid, into fluid, organic and light shapes. Each vase takes around seven to eight hours to cut. More experimental marble objects in our blog.beopenfuture.com

The Church of Beatified Restituta in Brno, Czech Republic, completed by local Atelier Štěpán is characterized by a circular shape standing as a religious symbol of eternity and a panoramic rainbow-coloured window. The ring of stained-glass windows topping the church is the only decoration of otherwise bare concrete structure. Light coming through the rainbow-hued glass illuminates the concrete dome above it with various patterns depending on the time of day. As the windows are hidden behind a wide ledge, the source of the light is veiled from the visitors of the church. This, according to the architect, represents the existence of the world beyond our physical experience and the existence of God on both conscious and unconscious levels. More round churches in our blog.beopenfuture.com

We are happy to announce the winner of our #BEOPENBetterWay open call for visual responses. Our congratulations and the €300 prize go to Liliana Nicolae, photographer based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Liliana’s entry depicts a sign of a coffee place in Bucharest, which is made from recycled pipes and fittings. The open call was dedicated to promoting sustainable and responsible consumption, reusing and recycling all types of waste. Hundreds of repurposing enthusiasts shared visuals that reflect this topic and encourage people all over the globe to give second life to discarded things that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Once again, we thank and applause all the creatives around the globe who take part in our challenges.

London-based practice Denizen Works has designed a floating church which doubles as a flexible and mobile hub for the capital’s canalside communities. Christened Genesis after the first book of the Bible, the barge is crowned with an innovative kinetic roof inspired by organ bellows. When fully raised, the pop-up roof of translucent cloth will expand the barge into an illuminated beacon intended to capture attention and attract footfall to the mission. The boat’s adaptable interior is designed to accommodate a wide range of other community activities and services, including parent and toddler groups, art classes, interfaith celebrations, live music, employment training, and counselling. More bespoke places of prayer in our blog.beopenfuture.com

Committed to UN’s SDG11, we have partnered with Cumulus on ‘Design for Sustainable Cities’ student competition to award top design projects tackling issues caused by urbanization. Great prizes and free entry. Find details at citydesign2020.com Our inspiration today is Shifting Nests, a sustainable housing solution for low-cost, flexible living in unaffordable cities, developed by Vancouver-based Bla Design Group. The project comprises a cluster of prefabricated micro-homes, each with a floor area of 25 sqm, targeting young professionals who are drawn to Vancouver by work opportunities. They are intended for the city’s vacant lots that require remediation for development. Consisting of a plywood, metal cladding, and corrugated polycarbonate on a series of simple frames, Shifting Nests can be customized and oriented according to the inhabitants’ individual preferences. The entrance module of each micro-home is utilized as a vertical hydroponic system, so that inhabitants can use it to farm their own food. Credit: bla-design.com

Rüssli Architekten based in Lucerne, Switzerland, has designed Diamond Domes, a tennis club located 874 metres above sea level in the Swiss Alps. A central outdoor court sits between two symmetrically arranged identical tennis halls with crystal-shaped CLT roofs. The delicate free-standing roof construction spans over a rectangular area some 22 meters wide by 37 meters long and reveals its full grace in the building’s interior. Outside, the faceted roof is clad with aluminum composite panels arranged in a diamond pattern and meant to be reminiscent of crystal formations in rocks, to which the halls owe their name. More spectacular tennis facilities in our blog.beopenfuture.com

BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Mustafa Sönmez, artist based in Turkey, has been voted the Artist of the Month by the visitors of art.beopenfuture.com Aiming to showcase emerging talents, every month we invite people passionate with art to choose the best artist among those exhibited in our online gallery. Congratulations to Mustafa Sönmez whose enigmatic paintings have gained him a majority of votes in October! We also take the opportunity to applaud all the featured artists and thank everyone who voted. See more of Mustafa’s works at http://art.beopenfuture.com/mustafa-sonmez/

The Bureau Agreste project by the team of Hugues Hernandez, Morgan Baufils and Ariane Marty has been selected the winner of the Design for Tomorrow competition organized by French company CAPSA Containers. Briefed to create the office of their dreams using four repurposed containers, the team has developed a modern two-storeyed office organized around a shared central space that encourages exchange and debate in a bright and contemporary environment. The project seeks to minimize its ecological impact by use of solar panels on the roof as well as a rainwater harvesting system, which makes it perfect for off-grid locations. More shipping container offices in our blog.beopenfuture.com