Be Open think tank

#BeOpenARCH Danish architecture firm SAGA has prototyped a habitat for future moon missions. Inspired by the principles of Japanese origami folding, they have developed Lunark, a deployable structure that is algorithmically optimized to unfold and expand up to 750 times its original size, so it can fit into a standard shipping container or a rocket when collapsed. Using rigid carbon fiber panels creates a lightweight and strong structure. Solar cells covering the exterior maximize energy generation, while heavy insulation is intended to combat both -40°C temperatures and hurricane winds. Before actually launching the structure to the moon, the team visited northern Greenland for two months to trial the habitat and gather important data about its performance. More ideas for a lunar settlement in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN Studio Gingko Design based in Warwickshire, England has created Smart Moon Lamp, a gravity-defying levitating light that creates a fascinating and life-like illusion of the real thing. A sphere 3D printed from completely safe and biodegradable translucent PLA, with its textured surface imitating that of the moon, slowly rotates in the space above a base made of reclaimed wood. Using a powerful built-in magnet, the moon is suspended and floats in mid-air, gently rotating as a planetary object would. More lamps reproducing the illumination associated with moonlight in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Sandra G Matthews and Michael R Henderson of Moon World Resorts Inc. have proposed a 224-meter high spherical resort called ‘Moon’ that would provide space tourism without having to actually leave planet Earth. Shaped after the actual moon, the resort would be a hyper-realistic manifestation of the moon, featuring a three-story spherical steel volume that functions as the base, with the “world’s largest sphere” placed on top of it. The latter would be constructed from steel, covered in a carbon-fiber composite, decorated as the moon and integrated with solar panels to power the entire resort. Apart from the resort’s luxurious amenities such as spa and convention center, the guests will be able to walk on the lunar surface while exploring an authentic lunar colony that will be utilized for guest visits and astronaut training. The resort will be built in four locations around the world, first of which is expected to be Dubai.

#BeOpenDESIGN Paris-based extrtude.studio has designed a collection of objects that screw on top of the standard glass jars we all have at home (⌀78 mm rim) to create all kinds of functional and esthetic items, from a piggy bank and a candle holder to a self-watering flower pot. Named Upcycled Jars Collection, the covers are made from used bioplastic packaging waste collected in Europe and then 3D printed in the Parisian region. The project aims to reduce glass waste but also uses as little plastic as possible.

#BeOpenDESIGN Knowledge Tree produced by the team behind the Bookniture series is part bookshelf, part ambient-light. Made of birch tree plywood, the shelf comprises five angular platforms that allow the user to stack the current-read books open and face lower, which eliminates the need for a bookmark. In the meantime, the built-in USB powered warm white-coloured light illuminates the books with a warm glow. Last but not least, the product enables the user to display their favourite books and magazines to personalize the interior.

#BeOpenARCH Creative duo Nicholas Préaud and Manuel Cervantes has designed a delicate structure that is inspired by Mayan pyramids as well as Indian step wells. Named ‘A Timeless Ruin,’ the project comprises an interdependent system of wooden beams that takes the shape of an inverted pyramid. Using loose white fabric, the duo covered some of the voids in the wooden skeleton, adding an ethereal touch to the otherwise still structure. The resulting project explores the limits between the real-life and digital world, all the while achieving a coexistence of artificial and natural.

#BeOpenDESIGN In his Fuwa Fuwa series, Franco-Japanese artist Yusuké Y. Offhause reimagines PET bottles by combining the transparent plastic with heterogeneous material that looks like oxidized iron or something that you see at archeological digs or underwater remains. While retaining the original shape of the bottle, the designer replaced part of the transparent plastic with noble materials, glass, transparent resin or ceramic, highlighting the missing parts with these other elements. More creative ways of giving second life to plastic bottles in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN BLUU is an all-in-one oral care kit that would be perfect for travelers that have a tendency to forget to bring along toothpaste. Developed by Guatemala-based designer Fernando Maldonado, the travel toothbrush has a squeezable compartment shaped like a blue pill that can be filled with toothpaste. Whenever one has to brush their teeth, they just have to squeeze the needed amount. More noteworthy toothbrush designs in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Robert Bezeau came to the island of Bocas del Toro, Panama spearheading the Bocas recycling program in 2012. After collecting millions of plastic bottles from the islands beaches and town, he made an unconventional decision — to build an entire village out of plastic bottles, including an educational center, museum, eco-homes that are up for sale, and even a castle and dungeon. The startup eco-village invites visitors to have a vacation where they can learn more about recycling, up-cycling, and other actions they can take to ‘repent’ for their plastic waste crimes.

#BeOpenART One Tree Four Seasons is a collaborative work between the Swedish architect/artist Ulf Mejergren and the Finnish artist Antti Laitinen. The duo is working on a specific alder tree standing solitary on a field south of Stockholm, Sweden, to create four different projects, one for each season, using the available material found in nature. Some of the materials can only be found at certain periods over the year, which makes each project into a reflection of that particular time. For the second project, which started in August this year, the artists collected hay from the surrounding field to create a floor and seating inside the structure, as well as inner walls, while the tree crown becomes the roof. A concert performed by the local string quartet Julikvartetten was held inside the structure as a homage to the tree.