Be Open think tank

Berlin-based product designer Jonna Breitenhuber has offered a solution to burgeoning plastic waste caused by the high demand for synthetic liquid during the pandemic. Her Soapbottle is an ingenious packaging for liquid soap made from soap itself. The package consists of 80 grams of soap and can hold one litre of liquid, lasting for approximately a month, thanks to its water-insoluble layer coating that slows down the dissolving process. Once empty, the bottle can be used as a soap bar or alternatively turned into detergent – this can be easily done by grating the packaging and adding soda and natron. More designer ideas of encouraging the use of soap without the need for plastic packaging in our blog.beopenfuture.com

The name of B.S.P furniture collection by Seoul-based designer Donghoon Sohn is a word abbreviation of Byproduct/Solvent/Plastic and is inspired by B.L.T sandwich. The designer noticed that a particular type of byproduct plastic melts in organic solvents after a certain time. Pressing the melted material between virgin plastic plates pushes it to emerge from the edges, which makes it look like melted cheese spilling out of the club sandwich.This technique can be applied to different shapes and colors for a vast variety of applications in art and design. Credits: http://sohn.work

Australian architect Marshall Blecher has teamed up with Magnus Maarbjerg of Danish Studio Fokstrot to design a cluster of roaming artificial islands for Copenhagen’s harbour. Named Copenhagen Islands, the project comprises four islands, the largest of which will consist of nine modules with additional separate islands floating nearby. The structures will be made of steel and recycled floatation elements clad in sustainable timber. Conceived to serve as floating parks, the islands will be accessible by boat or swimming. Each season, they will be moved between different parts of the harbour and can be connected together for festivals or special events. The ‘parkipelago’ will be planted with grasses, bushes and trees, which will provide a new habitat for wildlife, while its underside will form an ideal environment for seaweeds and mollusks. More artificial islands of various scale in our blog.beopenfuture.com

Chinese architecture studio MAD has designed a sensuously curved pavilion for a library in the city of Haikou, China. The undulating walls of white concrete serve as organic architectural structure, as well as create visual consistency connecting the ceiling, the ground and the walls together. Circular holes of varying sizes punctuate the curved surfaces letting natural light flood the interior. To ensure accuracy and seamlessness across the curved surfaces, the building is being cast using both a CNC and 3D printed model. Named Wormhole Library, the multi-functional building includes a reading space, a café, a rooftop terrace and a large public rest area, and allows visitors to enjoy views of the sea and attend open-air performances. Sustainable and energy-saving features of the structure include curved sliding doors and retractable glass curtain walls that enhance overall airflow and ventilation and the cantilevered roof on the sunny side that allows to achieve comfortable temperatures. Credits: i-mad.com

We are here to remind you that BE OPEN and Cumulus offer €12,000 for design solutions that help tackle issues caused by rapid urbanization! The deadline for the Design for Sustainable Cities free-to-enter student competition is extended. Submission is open till Jan 31st at citydesign2020.com London-based design studio PriestmanGoode is working with autonomous network transit (ANT) company Dromos Technologies to develop an electric autonomous vehicle for high capacity urban transport. Suitable for both passenger and urban freight, Dromos is designed to run on demand 24/7 and on its own dedicated infrastructure with stops within up to 100m of any location. Not only does this affordable carbon-neutral vehicle addresses the last mile issue, but it also solves the problem of social distancing, which makes it particularly suitable for a post-pandemic world. The design features tinted glass with reflective coating that reduces solar heat absorption, large skylight and seats moulded from sustainable and easy-to-clean materials. Flexible interior options are designed to accommodate various passenger needs, while step-free entrance and extra wide doors allow easy access for prams, wheelchairs, and bikes. Credits: priestmangoode.com

New York-based company Den offers an A-frame Den Cabin Kit, which encompasses a 10sqm prefabricated semi-permanent cabin that features wooden walls, a steeply pitched roof and a large triangular window. The kit includes everything from the wooden structural parts to bolts and even door hardware and comes with all the holes pre-drilled for fast assembly. All one needs is to bolt and screw the structure together with minimal equipment. To make construction easier and faster still, the flat-packed parts arrive stacked according to the order in which they are needed during the assembly. More prefabricated cabins in our blog.beopenfuture.com

Space of Mind by Helsinki-based Studio Puisto is an adaptable, prefabricated off-grid wooden cabin just under 10sqm with modular interiors that can to be quickly and easily adapted to suit the occupant’s changing needs. Through its modular system that relies on a simple slot and lock mechanism, Space of Mind can serve as anything from a spare bedroom to a home office. Even furniture can be slotted into the structure using wooden pegs. While the light weight of the cabin enables transportation by crane or helicopter, the resilient foundation made from either removable helical piers or concrete supports almost any ground conditions, which adds to the design’s versatility and adaptability. More prefabricated cabins in our blog.beopenfuture.com

Residential complex in Athens, Greece, proposed by local 314 Architecture Studio comprises four independent units characterized by organic curves inspired by the shape of the butterfly, whose wings extend outwards, from the dwellings to the garden area. The wing volumes, bent to provide privacy, generate open terraces on the top floor that let occupants enjoy sea views while offering shading for the ground floor. Solid materiality of white cement stucco used for the walls, floor and ceiling is contrasted to the transparency and glossiness of U-glass that blurs the movement of the occupants adding to the building’s privacy. More butterfly-inspired architecture in our blog.beopenfuture.com

BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Theophilus Tetteh (NiiOdai), experimental and expressionist artist from Ghana, 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 Nii Odai, whose bespoke paintings have gained him a majority of votes in December! We also take the opportunity to applaud all the featured artists and thank everyone who voted. See more of Nii Odai’s works at http://art.beopenfuture.com/theophilus-tetteh/

Amsterdam-based photographer Mirka Laura Severa has built snowmen and snowwomen to pose for her shoot for SZ Magazin at the Hinterlux Glacier in Austria. The snowpeople in the pictures, each with their own character carefully devised and sketched by the photographer before the shoot, are dressed in winter jackets and cold weather accessories and portrayed skiing, performing headstands in the snow, and taking selfies. Thank you for being with BE OPEN in 2020. See you next year! Don’t forget to check some more snow-related stories in our blog.beopenfuture.com