Be Open think tank

#BeOpenDESIGN The Pangolin Bench by London-based artist and designer Jacob Walls is an interactive seating design that responds to human touch using thermochromic dye, leaving behind fleeting color imprints of hands and bodies. Made from reclaimed industrial foam offcuts, the bench combines sustainability with sensory engagement, transforming passive sitting into a dynamic visual experience. Each piece is hand-colored to enhance its heat-reactive surface, blurring the line between furniture and art. As users interact with it, the bench becomes a living canvas—recording and fading traces of presence in real time. More extraordinary benches on our blog.

#BeOpenARCH London-based studio 51 Architecture has designed Hrost, a six-metre-tall timber structure installed at the Royal Academy's summer exhibition, as a multi-species shelter that integrates architecture with biodiversity support. Positioned in the Lovelace Courtyard at Burlington House, the "proxy barn" provides nesting and roosting spaces for birds, bats, insects, and small mammals through features like overhanging eaves, timber cladding, built-in hollows, and a woodpile base. Designed in collaboration with Price & Myers and BlokBuild, the structure also includes a human-accessible interior for maintenance. Hrost explores how buildings can support ecosystems in landscapes affected by intensive land use, addressing the decline in nesting opportunities caused by modern, tightly sealed architecture.

#BeOpenARCH ZigZag Resort, located along Albania’s Himare coastline, is a sustainable retreat designed by JA Joubert Architecture in collaboration with UNS Architects. Shaped in a linear zigzag layout, the resort follows the natural topography to preserve views and minimize environmental disruption. Using passive design strategies like solar orientation, natural ventilation, and rainwater systems, the resort reduces its ecological footprint. Locally sourced Berat stone ties the architecture to regional traditions, while integrated paths, terraces, and a funicular ensure smooth, low-impact circulation. With infinity pools and private coastal access, the design fosters a seamless connection between built space and nature.

#BeOpenDESIGN Italian craftsman Andrea Marazzi has hand-built the world’s narrowest Fiat Panda: a fully functional, single-seater electric vehicle measuring just 50 cm wide. Using 99% of the original parts from a 1993 Panda, Marazzi reshaped the body and structure while preserving its signature look, including the roof, doors, and four-wheel design. Built over 12 months at his family’s auto recycling workshop, the 264 kg microcar has a modest top speed of 15 km/h and a 25 km range, intended as a drivable art piece rather than a road-legal car. With its ship-like rear and compact build, it’s now being submitted for a Guinness World Record as the narrowest car ever made.

#BeOpenDESIGN Inspired by the self-cleaning, buoyant nature of the lotus plant, Floatis is a conceptual floating water purifier designed to provide clean drinking water from stagnant sources like ponds and lakes. Created by South Korean designers Dami Seo, Hyeonsu Yu, and Gagyeong Min, the device features a lotus-leaf-shaped bowl that floats on the surface while a submerged purifier filters contaminated water. With a press of a central button, clean water collects in the upper bowl, ready for use. Though still in development and facing a few practical challenges, Floatis elegantly blends biomimicry with function, offering a poetic and potentially life-improving solution to global water access issues.

#BeOpenDESIGN Designer Hans Ramzan has conceptualized Stil, a beautifully simple, solar-powered water purifier designed for communities without access to clean water or electricity. Rather than relying on filters or batteries, Stil uses the age-old process of distillation—heating contaminated water using a dome-shaped Fresnel lens and collecting the resulting condensation as pure drinking water. With its bamboo composite body, clever heat-distributing core, and intuitive design, Stil provides up to 12 liters of clean water daily, offering a sustainable and dignified solution to one of the world’s most pressing problems. More innovative water purifiers on our blog.

#BeOpenDESIGN The Ducky Thermometer for Kids by designer Geonwoo Kang transforms a routine health check into a playful, comforting experience designed specifically to reduce anxiety in young children. Shaped like a friendly rubber duck, it fits comfortably in small hands, encouraging kids to take an active role in their own care. Instead of intimidating numbers, the thermometer uses expressive animated duck faces to indicate temperature ranges—happy for normal, worried for mild fever, and sick for high fever—making it easy for children to understand how they feel. More smart thermometers for kids on our blog.

#BeOpenDESIGN Campus Shuttle, a sleek autonomous mobility concept by student designers Kilian Wiesmann and Nils Achenbach, reimagines public transportation for dense urban environments. Designed for use between high-traffic hubs like campuses, airports, and office districts, the shuttle pairs minimalist aesthetics—curved glass, aluminum framework, and subtle lighting—with cutting-edge features such as proximity-based access, retractable wheelchair ramps, and interactive route hubs. Created in collaboration with Brose Mechatronics, the transparent, low-profile vehicle blends seamlessly into modern cityscapes while addressing accessibility, sustainability, and the inefficiencies of today’s outdated transit systems.

Réal, designed by Maxime Bourgault, is a versatile and stylish safety bollard reimagining the entrance to pedestrian streets. Addressing the often-overlooked need for inviting urban furniture, Réal replaces bland concrete barriers with a friendly, rounded design that welcomes visitors and enhances the visual appeal of city centers. Its modular features allow for accessories like planters, seating, and signage, creating cohesive, clutter-free spaces. By promoting safer, more sustainable, and people-friendly environments, Réal supports the pedestrianization of cities while adding charm, identity, and purpose to public spaces. #BeOpenDESIGN

#BeOpenDESIGN Donatas Žukauskas’s TRIPOD Tables transform recycled paper pulp and cardboard into sturdy, wood-like side tables that combine sustainability with striking natural textures. Through innovative material experimentation, Žukauskas creates a durable composite that mimics the strength and tactile richness of wood while offering slight elasticity to resist damage. The mottled surfaces and minimalist tripod forms deliver both aesthetic appeal and practical longevity, making these eco-friendly tables a compelling alternative to traditional furniture that emphasizes environmental responsibility without sacrificing style or function. More furniture made of paper pulp on our blog.

#BeOpenDESIGN Designed by Shanghai-based studio Super Nature Design, the collection of paper vases for DOT DOT DOT explores the potential of everyday objects to inspire creativity and interaction. Crafted entirely from paper, each vase features a unique combination of colors, patterns, and forms, encouraging users to fold, shape, and adapt them according to their preferences or spatial needs. Beyond their decorative function, the vases act as dynamic canvases—flexible in form and open to interpretation.

#BeOpenDESIGN Tokyo-based designer Tsujio Ippei explores the intersection of graphic design, material texture, and visual humor with Bakermee, a series of wrapping papers that visually and tactilely reference baked goods. The collection includes three distinct A2 sheets—each patterned after a different type of bread—and is designed to fit various shapes and package sizes. What distinguishes the project is not only its playful visual language but also the use of coarse-textured paper to evoke the tactile feel of real crusts, enhancing the illusion.

#BeOpenDESIGN The Health Tool concept by Georgian designer Aleksandr Misiukevich smartly combines multiple health-related functions into a single, compact device—streamlining everyday medical routines without overwhelming the user. At first glance, it resembles a digital thermometer, but it also acts as a pill organizer, a reminder system, and even a discreet holder for folded paper prescriptions. With a display that shows temperature and prompts medication times, plus hidden compartments for pills and slips, it’s designed to support people managing ongoing health conditions.

#BeOpenDESIGN Bare Conductive’s Electric Paint Lamp Kit transforms the complex world of electronics into a playful, accessible experience by allowing users to paint their own touch-sensitive circuits on paper. Using a water-based, conductive paint, the kit enables anyone—regardless of technical knowledge—to create interactive lamps that respond to touch, such as turning lights on and off or dimming them. Complete with customizable templates and powered by a simple USB connection, the kit merges creativity, technology, and education, making it easy and fun to explore the magic of connected design. More paper-based lamps on our blog.

#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART We are proud to announce Alexis Neumann as the June winner of the ART LIMITLESS competition. An artist, scholar, and curator, Alexis creates interactive installations and mixed media works that explore Disability Studies, Theology, and Intersectionality. Drawing from her lived experience with invisible illnesses, her practice challenges perceptions of disability using accessible materials like vinyl, copper wire, and light. She is also a strong advocate for equity in the arts, curating work by other disabled artists and highlighting the knowledge disability brings to creative spaces. As the June winner, Alexis will be featured across our platforms and becomes eligible for the €1,000 grand prize to be awarded in September 2025. Congratulations to Alexis Neumann on this inspiring achievement!

#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS BE OPEN Art is delighted to announce Omotoyosi Ogunlende, known as theKraftzone, as its Artist of the Month for June 2025, selected by public vote from our online gallery. A Nigerian-born, UK-based artist, Ogunlende is known for his distinctive string art portraits, created by threading colored strings through a grid of nails to form semi-silhouette images. With a background in sculpture from Yaba College of Technology, he combines traditional techniques with contemporary themes, and is also active in arts education, teaching string art to children and participating in the Global Arts in Medicine program. At the end of 2025, the BE OPEN Art Community will select one Artist of the Year from the monthly winners. The chosen artist will receive a €1,000 prize and a dedicated promotional campaign to support the growth of their creative career.

#BeOpenNEWS BE OPEN is proud to announce the winners of its sixth international competition, Designing Futures 2050, which empowers young creatives to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Founder’s Choice Prize of €3,000 goes to Jeanne Begon-Lours and Lucy Dain-Williams from Imperial College London for Tera Mira, a biodegradable seaweed-based alternative to elastane. The Public Vote Prize of €2,000 is awarded to Zimbabwean students Komborero Victor Kangai and Tinotenda Chrispen Makoni for CALMS, an e-learning platform using TV White Spaces to bridge the digital divide. Winners will also receive educational opportunities and present their work at a major sustainability event.

#BeOpenNEWS BE OPEN Art is proud to announce the winners of the Oceania stage of the 2025 BE OPEN Regional Art competition, celebrating emerging artists whose work reflects their cultural and regional identities. Congratulations to Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho of New Zealand, awarded Artist of the Region and a €500 grant for their powerful, decolonial art rooted in Maori heritage. A special Founder’s Choice grant of €300 goes to Tania Calvo of Vanuatu, whose work embodies authenticity and a deep connection to her island’s traditions. With heartfelt thanks to the Oceanic Art Society for their support, BE OPEN continues its mission to uplift socially conscious artistic voices from across the globe.

On June 25, BE OPEN took part in the 18th session of the Committee on Innovation, Competitiveness and Public-Private Partnerships, organised by the Economic Commission for Europe at the UN headquarters in Geneva. Of particular interest to BE OPEN was the session titled “Unleashing the Power of Innovation for Climate Action: Policy Recommendations for Ethical and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence,” which examined how AI can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Experts outlined both the transformative potential and the ethical challenges of using AI in this context, offering key policy recommendations. Speaking at the session, Founder Elena Baturina reaffirmed BE OPEN’s commitment to empowering the next generation to shape an equitable and sustainable future through education, creativity, and responsibility. #BeOpenNEWS

Megan Ginn, a recent Fashion Design graduate from Birmingham City University, specializes in sustainable fashion, blending traditional Irish influences with cutting-edge biomaterial innovation. Her project draws inspiration from Aran knitwear and incorporates a unique algae-based biomaterial she developed to fuse wool to fabric. This bio-textile is not only distinctive in appearance but also transformative—it can be reheated and reshaped, allowing garments to evolve with each wearer. Employing zero-waste pattern cutting and one-of-a-kind designs, Megan proves that eco-conscious fashion can be both cool and chic. #BeOpenDESIGN