Be Open think tank

#BeOpenDESIGN Posthuman Habitats by futurist designer Aroussiak Gabrielian is a speculative design project that responds to the future city’s impending food and water scarcity, dwindling green space in the face of hyper-densification and the nomadic existence that characterizes our age of migration. The project comprises wearable garden vests that grow crops nourished by bodily waste. The garments are intended to provide sustenance to the wearer, as well as flourish as expanding ecosystems that attract and integrate other animal and insect life. They also promote healthful diet and lifestyle, as they inspire outdoor exposure to optimize photosynthesis.

#BeOpenDESIGN Founded by Sophie de Oliveira Barata, the former design student of the London School of Fashion, The Alternative Limb Project creates artificial limbs that double as art pieces exploring themes of body image, modification, evolution, and transhumanism, whilst promoting positive conversations around disability. The design process is driven by understanding each client’s aesthetic and functional desires, then finding the right partners - specialists in 3D modelling, prostheses, electronics, and other new technologies. To create her eclectic designs, Barata resorts to silicone as a base material, but also works with variations of carbon fibre, 3D-printed brass, and leather. More designer prosthetics in our blog

#BeOpenNEWS BE OPEN Art is happy to announce the Artist of the Year 2022, selected by the majority of votes among the monthly ratings. We congratulate the talented Chidinma Nnoli, a young artist from Lagos, Nigeria. Chidinma’s work, painted predominantly in oils, “confronts entrenched structures in our society, including the patriarchal power structure and misogyny; challenges stereotypes, psychology and the cultural conditioning of women.” By the winner’s request, BE OPEN will donate the grant of 500 euros to Nigerian charity Drug Aid Africa that sources and dispenses life-saving medications in Nigeria and across the continent.

#BeOpenDESIGN Philip Frenzel, a student at Aalen University in Germany, designed ADCASE, or Handyairbag. It is a relatively thin phone case that attaches to the back of the phone without compromising its aesthetic and acts as an airbag, once the phone is dropped. In this case, eight curled metal legs pop out from inside the case, curling around the front and back of your phone, which allows it to safely reach the ground. The legs absorb impact, so the phone bounces around without ever making contact with any surface. via boredpanda.com

#BeOpenART Commissioned by Rothschild Foundation, Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos @joanavasconcelosatelier has envisioned a part garden sculpture, part site-specific public art that looks exactly like a three-tired wedding cake crafted from ceramic tiles. Glazed in pale pinks, greens, and blues, its candy-colored decoration mimics icing, sprinkles, and toppers dressing up wedding cakes. The project, which the artist describes as ‘a temple of love,’ will be unveiled at the Waddesdon Manor in the UK this June.

Developed by Munich-based startup NOVA Products GmbH, this wearable device looks like pearl-studded earrings and is designed to be worn in the same way. Named Audio Earrings, the product uses NOVA’s patented Direction Sound technology to channel audio right into your ear without blocking your hearing. The H1 works just like conventional TWS earbuds. A touch panel on the back of the earrings registers touch inputs, letting the user control listening experience or interact with the smartphone’s voice AI. Available in gold and silver variants and studded with real freshwater pearls, the earphones can be worn either on earlobes or placed within any other piercing on the ear. For those who do not have their ears pierced, the earbuds come in clip-on variants too. More extraordinary earphones in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Brazilian Studio MEMM has designed a new building for the Farm School in Manhattan as a space where students would interact by farming and harvesting, with plenty of space for the sun to penetrate and nature stand out even inside the building. The project seeks to welcome not only the producers but also the public, increasing interaction and interest for this type of program.

#BeOpenDESIGN Designed by Polish company AEROSIZE in collaboration with designer Dorota Kabała, founder of studio We Design for Physical Culture, lightweight and portable airbag named vest ONE offers increased safety for off-piste snowboarding, skiing, snowmobiles and rescue teams exposed to the danger of snow avalanches. The patented hybrid airbag system inside of the vest is smaller than an average avalanche backpack kit and works differently than standard avalanche airbag systems. When the user pulls the, compressed gas) from the cartridges inflates the airbag structural chamber, which stretches the fabric of the airbag walls. The rest of the volume is then filled automatically with air sucked in from the outside. This solution helps minimize the size and weight of the final product. More unusual applications of airbags in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN According to scientific studies conducted at Stanford university, the airbag technology developed by Swedish brand Hövding is 8x safer than traditional bicycle helmets. Billed as the world’s safest cycling helmet, the design comprises a collar-like device containing an airbag that activates in the event of a crash. Once the helmet detects abnormal movement caused by an accident, it only takes 0.1 seconds to inflate forming a protective hood around the head and neck. More wearable airbags in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Designer Caspar Schols has created a flat-pack cabin that slides open for an unparalleled indoor-outdoor experience. ANNA is a dynamic home in the shape of an open platform with the ability to transform the floor plan according to the season and climate by playing with the configuration of the two sliding shells made from timber and glass. When completely closed, the cabin’s interior comprises a large living area, an indoor bathroom with a shower and a kitchen, as well as a storage closet and a lofted sleeping area. The wooden shell is insulated to keep the dwellers warm in winter. #BeOpenARCH

#BeOpenARCH Snøhetta has been working with local entrepreneur Tom Bjarte Norland to develop a unique accommodation on the Norwegian west coast. The Bolder project consists of four cabins lifted over the ground and designed to harmonize in the best possible way with the surrounding nature, below the tranquil sea and between the jagged mountains. The four cabins are lifted above ground on large concrete pillars and have glass facades to bring the outdoors inside. Large glass panels, as well as the skylight that mirrors the cabin’s concrete base both in size and in placement, help occupant to always keep contact with the sky. When stepping inside, guests are left with the illusion of floating in the air on the cliff's edge with unobstructed views over the fjord. More dwellings offering views of the sky above in our blog