Be Open think tank

Local practice Vo Trong Nghia Architects has utilized rammed earth as the main building material for the Dong Anh House, a residential project in Hanoi. Various types of soil were taken from different land mines, about 30km from the construction site. The soil was filtered, ground and mixed with cement and other additives, before being compacted in the formwork in stages to achieve an extraordinary striped pattern. The walls are 35 cm thick, which ensures they are robust enough to form two storeys without the need for structural concrete pillars. Another emphasis is created by a rooftop garden. The gabled roofs feature square planters containing to grow fruit trees that help the building to blend in with the surroundings. More rammed earth architecture projects in our blog.beopenfuture.com

Finnish design and innovation agency Aivan has teamed up with scientists to create – or rather grow – Korvaa, an experimental headset made exclusively from novel, bio-based materials. The name of the product originates from the word play in Finnish: Korva means ‘ear’, while Korvaa stands for ‘to substitute or replace’. The project aims to showcase possibilities of Synbio (short for Synthetic Biology), a rapidly developing, disruptive technology that enables the design and engineering of new biological organisms for useful purposes. A headset was originally chosen as the first physical implementation of these microbially grown materials in a three-dimensional form, because of the variety of materials it contains — from hard plastic to pliable mesh and leathery soft textile, - all of which were microbially produced based on funghi mycelium, cellulose and spider silk. Credits: www.aivan.fi

Chinese Atelier Tao+C has redesigned an old house in Village Qinglongwu, Zhejiang province, China, by adding a capsule hotel, a community bookstore and library. The original rammed-earth structure supported by a timber framework has been given a glazed gable-end extension of wooden frames and corrugated polycarbonate panels, which makes the building look like a lighthouse at twilight. The original floors and partition walls were removed, and 20 capsule bedrooms were stacked inside the existing triple-height shell and hidden behind the bookshelves made from local bamboo. More striking conversion projects in our blog.beopenfuture.com

To ensure social distancing measures are respected, Rotterdam-based architect Cosimo Scotucci has envisioned a dynamic installation named Physx. Designed to be placed in front of the city’s local station, the proposal goes further than previously proposed solutions, such as circles on the grass or tape in the restaurant. The installation consists in a tight tend surface raised from the ground of about 50cm. Once a person step on the membrane, it absorbs the pressure and reveals the inner fibers, generating a coloured “safe zone” of 1,5m around the person, which defines the distance that should be kept while interacting with other people. When people get close to each other, the personal areas start to blend together showing that the measures are not adhered to. Thanks to the different colors of the fibers, it is also easy to understand the grade of danger people face standing next to each other. Credits: cosimoscotucci.com Working at a similar project? You might be interested in the Safe City Prize of €2000 for the best project aiming to relieve urban life in the context of the pandemic, which is to be awarded by BE OPEN and Cumulus as part of the Design for Sustainable Cities international student competition. The entries can be submitted online via the competition’s website: citydesign2020.com

Rowan Mersh, a multi-media sculptor who lives and works in London, uses windowpane oyster shell discs, dentalium shells, and turritella seashells to create intricate sculptural, wall-mounted installations. Mersh’s pieces are inventive and multipurpose, bridging the realms of art, design and fashion. The artist slices the shells, grinds, shapes and polishes them by hand to reveal their lace-like central cavities. The shells are then bound together with fluorocarbon, as each shell informs the shape, size, and position of the next. The sculpture evolves like a web is spun, grown from central point, spiraling outwards to the sculpture’s boundaries. More seafood waste applications in our blog.beopenfuture.com

Mexico-based practice Roth Architecture has developed an unprecedented eco-conscious art gallery at a luxurious eco resort in Tulum, Mexico, which strays far from the traditional "white box" typically associated with art galleries. Elevated above the ground to the height of the surrounding tree canopy, the gallery is meant to immerse in the natural setting. Built with contrasting materials of cool and smooth polished cement and locally sourced wood with its raw exposed structure, the building appears to grow from the ground. The visitors must take off their shoes before entering the gallery to interact with the floor, which rises up to join multi-tiered walkways, that bring them in touch with distinct parts of the forest, brought inside the dome by the architects. roth-architecture.com

Indonesia-based biotech startup Mycotech has developed a material called Mylea, which is grown from mycelium, the thread-structure that mushrooms and other fungi use to grow, and can be used as a leather alternative. The team collaborated with Pala Nusantara, one of the most prominent handmade-wooden watchmakers in Indonesia, to create Pala x Mylea™, the world’s first mushroom watch. The idea of this vegan leather is inspired by tempeh, the traditional Indonesian dish, which is made by combining white soybeans with fungus named Rhizopus oligosporus. The fungus's mycelium binds the soybeans together and makes them solid. Aware that Indonesia produces more than 120 million tons of agricultural waste, with less than 10% being recycled, Mycotech has decided to use it as growth medium for mycelium, instead of soybeans. Apart from the Pala x Mylea™ watch, Mylea applications include wallets and covers for traveler’s journals. Materials, packaging and even buildings made from mushrooms in our blog.beopenfuture.com

Vancouver-based Backcountry Hut Company specializes in producing minimalist kit-of-parts building systems that can be easily assembled in remote locations. Coming in a flatpack design, the cabins can be erected by several people in under a week. The offer now includes three A-Frame layouts that can be configured in a number of ways, each of the designs coming with a step-by-step building guide. The most basic and affordable System 00 encompasses a one-room structure, while System 01 comprises an open-plan modular cabin with a lofted sleeping area capable of accommodating a family. Stylish, flexible and affordable, System 02 features kitchen and living areas on the ground level and sleeping quarters on the top floor. This concept is more fitted for easily accessible areas and could even be assembled within city limits. More flat-packed houses in our blog.beopenfuture.com

Made from 90% natural and sustainable materials and 100% biodegradable filter materials, Briiv is the world’s most sustainable natural air purifier. Briiv uses a combination of four natural and fully biodegradable filters, which includes moss, coconut fiber, activated carbon and wool. These layers work together to effectively improve the air quality in the home, filtering a standard 4m x 4m room in under 30 minutes. At the end of their lives, the filters can be composted, breaking down completely within 3-4 months. The main body, boasting a minimal design that can complement any interior, is formed from a new biodegradable bio-plastic called Vibers, which is made from a combination of elephant and waste potato starch. via briiv.co.uk

Eindhoven-based Tienvierstudio, founded by Milou Bergs and Edwin van Capelleveen, has developed a modular balcony system intended to encourage good relations between neighbours, thereby tackling social isolation and loneliness. Aptly named Social Balconies, the concept aims to create a semi-public communal space, which allows neighbors to connect with one another. This toolkit of bridges and stairs is designed to connect pre-existing balconies in almost any type of building to minimize social boundaries between residents. The system comes with planters that can be attached to the railings to make the building come alive and engage residents in communal gardening. More housing solutions that reignite sense of community between neighbours in our blog.beopenfuture.com