Be Open think tank

#BeOpenDESIGN Stuttgart-based product designer Deniz Aktay has conceptualized a desk that aims to keep all the necessary office accessories within easy reach without cluttering the tabletop. Named Three-Six, the concept design is characterized by an orange metal inlay surrounding the wooden body of the table. While the front inlay is used to open drawers, the angular sides are intended for storing office accessories like scissors, staplers, pens, etc. The back inlay is wider than the sides, which makes it great for keeping bigger items, such as books, plants, pen holders, and other decorative things. More desks intended to reduce the difficulties of working in a mess in our blog

#BeOpenARCH ‘T-Roof’ development by Seoul-based SOSU Architects takes its name from three roofs that define its identity. The design comprises an assemblage of vertical volumes crafted with a single, cohesive material of white concrete units, featuring irregularly arranged windows and terraces framing the city beyond.

#BeOpenARCH Zaha Hadid Architects has designed a giant terraced venue for Hangzhou International Sports Centre. The complex comprises three buildings that accommodate an indoor arena, an aquatics centre and practice pitches. The stadium's facade will be lined with louvres that allow passers-by look inside, thus challenging the traditional "solid facades" of conventional sports facilities. In contrast to most large stadiums that only welcome visitors on match days and act as an obstruction to the city's urban fabric when not in use, the centre has everything to become a popular gathering place.

#BeOpenDESIGN The Sun-powered Textiles project is the result of collaboration between design and physics researchers at Finland's Aalto University, who aimed to create an energy-autonomous garment capable of powering wearable device. The project comprises a textile collection suitable for solar energy harvesting without disrupting the look of a garment. The working prototype, a show case solar cell jacket, contains temperature and humidity sensors that is powered by textile-integrated solar cells. In addition to sunlight, it can generate energy from artificial light, too. According to the team, the textile-cell energy harvesting module can be widely applied toward smart textiles and wearable technology solutions, such as occupational and professional wear, sportswear, well-being and fashion.

#BeOpenART Dutch artist duo DRIFT uses drones equipped with special software to create life-size luminous visualizations of famous architectural landmarks, such as Sagrada Familia and Colosseum, imagining what they would look like when finished or restored. The believe that completig them with light emphasizes the positive power of current high-tech developments in relation to the slow, yet beautiful, building methods of the past.

#BeOpenNEWS Time for your creative vision to bring you a €300 prize! We invite you to join #BEOPENCleanEnergy Instagram open call (which supports UN’s SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy) and post visuals that represent a cleaner, safer, happier and more sustainable world, achievable with affordable and clean energy. What picture or artwork, or photograph of today represents that better future for you, and inspires you to move forward? The entries will close November 21, 2022. BE OPEN Community members will then select the winning post from a shortlist of submissions with the highest number of likes by Instagram users. The winner will receive a €300 prize. Find details at beopensocial.com Ph: Smartflower

#BeOpenDESIGN Italian studio Reverse Innovation has teamed up with the local Matteo Correggia winery to create a project named Librottiglia that matches the characteristics of each wine to a narrative genre. As suggested by its name, which comes from a smart combination of two Italian words: libro (book) and bottiglia (bottle), suggests, the project comprises a collection of wines, each paired with a hand-picked short story by Italian authors. A small and elegant book bound to the bottle also doubles as a label, with a minimal vignettes giving a brief insight both into the nature of the story, and the character of the wine. More noteworthy wine labels in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Local architecture studio BORD has won first prize in the architectural competition for the reconstruction of an old spa in Debrecen, the second most populated city in Hungary. The city leaders wished to have a new popular waterpark that can be accessible for all age groups. The architectural concept focuses on the life-giving aspect of water and the breathtaking forest environment. Water and flora appear on both horizontal and vertical surfaces of the spa: water in the pools, lawn, water curtains, waterfalls, plant-covered walls. Located in the protected forest area, the project carefully follows the original planting. The trees of the site wrap around the lawn of the waterpark, where the elements of the spa appear like pieces of a mosaic. More bespoke waterpark designs in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Relatively simple in form, the Zibo OCT Art Center by Studio Zhu Pei comprises a cluster of porous, ring-shaped, and eaves-out stone volumes topped with hyperboloid concrete roofs. Drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese culture, the design of the new cultural complex offers surprising spatial effects. Apart from making a new landmark in the Zhangdian District with its dramatic architectural curves, the building can accommodate a large number of people, create a lot of shadows, as well as offer shading and shelter from the rain.

#BeOpenDESIGN Dan Castle has collaborated with Leadoff Studio to develop a portable multi-purpose stretching and strength tool to help a wide range of users – from professional athletes to elderly patients with chronic pain – improve both their flexibility and core strength. The lightweight product is crafted from sustainable materials. The ergonomic bar made from recyclable aluminum features handles of natural cork on both ends. Connected to the bars is a piece of non-stretch RPET fabric made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. The fabric can be expanded into a kind of a hammock, on which users can position their heels while either lying on their back or sitting on a chair to stretch the soft tissues of their toes, foot, calf, and hamstring. More portable workout equipment in our blog