Be Open think tank

#BeOpenDESIGN Barcelona brand Kilzi turns furniture into a playful study of movement with the Barefoot Table. Designed by Jorge Suárez-Kilzi, its slanted legs make the solid dyed-chestnut table appear as if it is quietly walking. Balancing humour with a thoughtful meditation on stillness and change, the design captures the idea of "motion held in balance", reminding us that even the most familiar interiors are never…

#BeOpenDESIGN Madkids Empire transforms analog synthesizers into sculptural landscapes inspired by lakes, mountains, trees, and living ecosystems. Founded by Xam, the experimental practice uses intuitive interfaces, graphic metaphors, and playful interaction to make complex circuitry feel less like technical equipment and more like a world to explore. By replacing conventional controls and terminology with visual cu…

#BeOpenDESIGN Swedish practice ADDI Designstudio has created the STEKA sauté pan for Japanese cookware brand Mozambique, rethinking traditional cookware with an octagonal, uncoated aluminum form designed for lifelong use. Cast from 5mm solid aluminum, the pan features a removable screw-fixed handle for repair and replacement, a matching self-basting lid inspired by the Japanese otoshibuta, and a durable construction…

#BeOpenDESIGN Developed by Opera della Marca and supported by the Fondazione Oltre il Labirinto, HugBike is an inclusive tandem bicycle designed for people with autism, Down syndrome, blindness and other disabilities. Its reversed layout places the rider in need of support at the front while the driver steers from behind using extended handlebars, creating a reassuring "hug" that improves comfort, safety and accessi…

#BeOpenARCH Czech architect Lenka Milerová has transformed a derelict pigsty into a 32-square-metre summer house that celebrates reuse and material honesty. Retaining the original stone walls, the compact retreat pairs rough cement-rendered masonry with exposed concrete details, including a continuous bench that functions as seating, storage, steps and a bath, while new steel-framed openings bring light into the sin…

#BeOpenARCH Architecture studios 3XN, B+H Architects and Zhubo Design have completed the Shenzhen Natural History Museum, a 100,000-square-metre cultural landmark in China's Pingshan District. Clad in granite and shaped to evoke surrounding rivers and hills, the museum features an accessible sloping roof, cave-like interiors and cone-shaped galleries that create an immersive journey through natural history and the r…

#BeOpenDESIGN Designed by Chung-Ang University student Youngbin Kwon, Mosaic is an AI-powered desk organiser that reshapes itself around the objects placed on its surface. Instead of fixed compartments, the adaptive tray reconfigures to accommodate items such as phones, keys and cables, exploring how artificial intelligence and modular design could create more intuitive, playful organisation systems.

#BeOpenARCH When disaster strikes, every second counts, and Hariri & Hariri's origami-inspired folding pod is designed with exactly that in mind. The New York architecture firm created a self-unfolding prefabricated shelter that transforms from a compact, transportable unit into a fully functional living space at the push of a button. Requiring no tools or manual assembly, the lightweight modular pod offers a fast, …

#BeOpenDESIGN Rather than designing a playground for autistic children, architect Matthew Springett and educator Fiona MacDonald of Matt + Fiona invited students at Phoenix School in East London to become co-designers. Together, they created the Phoenix Playground Room, a striking sensory play space shaped by the children's ideas and built to provide continuity during the school's relocation. The project demonstrate…

#BeOpenDESIGN London-based EcoLogicStudio has developed Photo.Synth.Etica, a living algae curtain that uses photosynthesis to capture carbon dioxide from the air while releasing oxygen. Designed as a facade-mounted photobioreactor, the modular bioplastic system doubles as a sunshade, using microalgae-filled tubes to remove air pollution, generate biomass and explore how buildings could actively improve urban air qua…

#BeOpenDESIGN Designed by Vasyl Maletych, Grate Module is a modular furniture system built around a single grilled L-shaped section. The versatile component can be combined in multiple configurations to create everything from magazine racks to expandable coffee tables, while overlapping colored grates generate striking moiré patterns that turn functional furniture into graphic sculptural pieces.

#BeOpenDESIGN Hall 5, the studio of Ignacio Abaitua and his daughter Carlota, transforms leftover resin and fiberglass from surfboard production into furniture and everyday objects. Working from Spain's Basque coast, the duo developed an artisanal process that incorporates up to 70% reclaimed material, giving discarded surfboard waste a second life as terrazzo-like tables, vessels, coasters and soap dishes with dist…