Be Open think tank

#BeOpenNEWS At the World Climate Industry EXPO in Busan, Korea, organised by multiple Korean Government agencies, BE OPEN presented SDG-focused student competition programme - and in particular the ongoing student design competition Better Energy by Design - to the major sustainability visionaries and responsible businesses of the Asian region and the world. The competition is focused on the United Nations’ SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy. Presently, the international jury panel is finalizing the assessment of the competition entries, and shortly the winners will be announced. Five creative individuals and teams will receive cash prizes from 2,000 to 5,000 euros, and an opportunity to visit a major global energy and SDG-related event.

#BeOpenARCH Dutch architecture office UNStudio has unveiled its design for the Dadu, Children's Museum of Qatar, set alongside the large Al Bidda Park in northern Doha. Inspired by the idea of “the building blocks of learning,” the structure is formed by a series of interconnected blocky forms arranged around a covered foyer. The museum is organised around the principle of how old villages in Doha develop, with a central patio serving as a safe central gathering space.

#BeOpenARCH Aimed to ignite an innate desire for urban vacations, Chinese studio GS Design has created a white fortress-like building for the new Miyue Blue and White Cliffside Resort perched on a cliff t in a town neighbouring Shenzhen, China. The scintillating white used throughout the hotel stands out against a backdrop of sea and sky. The hotel hosts 25 guest rooms, each with their own room unique features. Thus, one of them includes a cave-like pool that extends from the room interior towards the terrace.

#BeOpenDESIGN At Milan design week, Bratislava-Berlin based design research studio Crafting Plastics! presented an installation that proposes a future where objects help humans reconnect with the planet using environmentally interactive materials derived from renewable resources. Named Sensibiom II, the installation is made of a cellulose- and algae-based composite material that is impregnated with photochromic pigments, which means they change colour from yellow to orange when exposed to ultraviolet radiation of a particular frequency or intensity. In such a way, the installation makes visitors aware of the dangers posed by UV radiation, which can damage skin and eyes when the Global Solar UV Index (UVI), a measure developed by the World Health Organisation, rises above three.

#BeOpenDESIGN Fetch is a kennel created by London-based studio Coffey Architects for their office dog using a gabion, or mesh basket and filled with nearly 500 tennis balls. Gabion is typically filled with rocks and used to form walls in architecture and landscapes. Here, solid rocks are replaced with vibrant, bouncing tennis balls calling out to be thrown around, while the grey mesh is transformed with bright green. The design is among entries for Barkitecture competition where architects compete to design innovative dog kennels within a £250 budget. More entries in our blog

#BeOpenNEWS You are invited! BE OPEN Art is setting up an art exhibition in Nicosia, Cyprus, to celebrate the emerging artists of the Eastern Mediterranean. The exhibition will take place at the Centre of Visual Arts and Research (CVAR) @cvar.severis and display the artworks selected by the public and BE OPEN community experts in the course of BE OPEN Regional Art competition, as well as a selection of visuals by young Cypriot artists. The BE OPEN Regional Art exhibition will be open from the 5th to the 21st of June with free admission at the Centre of Visual Arts and Research.

#BeOpenDESIGN Aiming to improve the welfare of street dogs in communities and create awareness among residents, Thai community group Stand for Strays has created Homeless Allot Model, a functional shelter for stray dogs made out of recycled billboards. Small, foldable shelters have been set up to protect dogs from the sun and rain, while volunteers have been deployed to ensure safety and order. A small platform on the back of the billboard panel provides the animal with a safe, hygienic, and dry place to sleep. The panels can be easily unfolded by passers-by whenever they notice a stray dog wandering in the area.

#BeOpenNEWS You are invited! BE OPEN Art is setting up an art exhibition in Nicosia, Cyprus, to celebrate the emerging artists of the Eastern Mediterranean. The exhibition will take place at the Centre of Visual Arts and Research (CVAR) @cvar.severis and display the artworks selected by the public and BE OPEN community experts in the course of BE OPEN Regional Art competition, as well as a selection of visuals by young Cypriot artists. The BE OPEN Regional Art exhibition will be open from the 5th to the 21st of June with free admission at the Centre of Visual Arts and Research.

#BeOpenDESIGN Mono by furniture brand Bogaerts is an all-in-one flexible and mobile study pod that can be folded away in three steps. This makes it ideal for usage in spaces where temporary extra sound-dampened working settings are needed. The design comprises a high back that encompasses the workspace and is available with single- or double-sized seats built into the back wall. Individual pods can be linked together for a unified workspace configuration. More ingenuous office pods in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN The in-home window bird feeder by Arlmont & Co. affords you a 180-degree view to watch wild birds enter a feeder that sits just inside your house. The half-circle shape fits within either a single or double-hung window and has a feeding area that extends into your interior space. The feeder can hold up to a pound and a half of seed and has a nearly 7-inch opening that makes it easy for birds to enter. via mymodernmet.com