Innovation these days equals sustainability, and the biggest challenge designers face now might be the need to promote ecological values through their work. Yet many designers, artists and architects succeed in making their work a statement by turning waste into the new luxury. Reclaimed materials add an extra dimension even to the simplest creations — that being the message of hope and the feeling of purpose.
Take a look at these creative ideas on how to apply the reclaimed materials in design.

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Dear friends, we are happy to announce the results of our #BEOPENDesignCity open call conducted together with the Mayor’s Fund for London! We wanted to thank all the participants: there have been so many great entries that it was a very hard decision for the jury of the open call to make. 
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Computers are finding their way to the runways around the world: 3d printed dresses, personally-customized models, ‘smart’ materials and unexpected shapes are just the first results of this invasion. At the same time, the fashion retailers keep following the predictions from the Trends report data analytics: those either analyze the catwalks and note the patterns, shapes and colors which are used the most or use AI to mimic the customers’ decision making.  So, although computers are rather new to the fashion business, they are certainly already very influential in this field.

Check out the most interesting examples of the ‘coded couture’ — some of these are still prototypes, yet others can be purchased already.

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Dear friends, we are happy to announce the completion of our latest Ranking of Educational Programmes in Architecture and Design, this time the research was dedicated to the academic institutions in Europe. It is the 4th year that BE OPEN Foundation is conducting extensive research of the creative studies curricula. The initiative was launched in 2013, when the Foundation launched the initiative Inside the Academy.  BE OPEN has already mapped educational design programs in North America, in Africa, in South America, and in Asia.

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Acoustic panels can serve so many purposes apart from just reducing noise in a building. They add the color and 3d-texture to wall designs, they serve as space-dividers, they can even be used to encourage creativity! Yet the main purpose of those panels is still to absorb sounds, and it seems there is a great demand for it. These days the need for quiet spaces that give an opportunity for relaxation as well as communication is high, especially in the busy offices. That’s why designers have to account for this extra feature while developing their aesthetical ideas, and give interior space the quality of coziness and intimacy by lowering the noise level.

Here are just a few examples of acoustic panels with an extra twist.

 

Circular whiteboards with fabric covered surfaces were designed by Nendo to serve as office partitions. They can be easily wheeled around the office to encourage creativity. Slots in tables, benches, counters and the floor allow the screens to be held in place. The conceptual office range was made for Japanese furniture manufacturer Kokuyo.

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For decades now the fast-developing technologies have been influencing the form and substance of design education. Finding practical application for the knowledge and skills acquired during the process of learning is crucial for every design student. Yet, quite often even the most prominent schools lack access to manufacturing or engineering opportunities. To tackle this problem design schools around the world are now pairing up with big productions to create prototypes together, which is a great opportunity for students to apply their design skills, and for employers — to hunt the most gifted ones.
The results are impressive, just check out these examples of student-designed furniture!

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Dear friends,

the #BEOPENDesignCity open call, held together with the Mayor’s Fund for London, is now closed for submissions. Huge thanks to all the participants; we are amazed at the amount of talented works we’ve received, and even more amazed at how many creative souls around the globe we got connected with thanks to this open-call. It will not be an easy task to define the winner, so give us some time to review the results, and stay tuned for the updates meanwhile. And just in case you’ve missed this one, please, make sure to take part in our upcoming challenges which will follow shortly.

Have you noticed that looking at a certain colour often alters your behavior and feelings? Environmental-behaviour research studies have brought us a new concept of changing the emotional reality around us through colour, which naturally get represented in design and architecture. The colour becomes a language, a visual cue, sending a certain message to people passing by.

Colour intervention may serve a means to transform the infrastructure of the city and draw attention to its certain areas, for aesthetical purposes as well as for practical ones. And more than that — it is a simple and uncostly way to get your idea through to the minds of people. Check out these outstanding examples of colour intervention created by both artists and architects.

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Tunnels  and underground passages might seem dark and unfriendly places, but some of them are there to prove just the opposite. To architects, those often offer an opportunity to express their most daring ideas of space distortion and use of color. Moreover, advanced usage of underground spaces and empty lots seeems simply inevitable these days, as it may become a perspective means of confronting the housing crisis as well as a great opportunity to employ innovative technologies. Just take a look at several examples of tunnel architecture, that may serve as an inspiration to design a project like this for your city environment!

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Dear friends!

Our #BEOPENDesignCity open call held together with the Mayor’s Fund for London is still rolling. There is only a couple of weeks left before the deadline on January 31st! Are you in? If yes, just post your picture on Instagram or Facebook with the tag #BEOPENDesignCity to win €300! Today we suggest taking a look at the works we find most impressive – those submitted to the challenge by the participants from all over the world.

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