Leonora Oppenheim
Leonora Oppenheim is a design storyteller. Which is a neat way of saying she uses word, image and form to portray local cultural, environmental and community stories to wider audiences. In short, she's passionate about provoking discussion and debate through creativity.
From working on plans for a chocolate factory with cacao farmers in the Ecuadorian Amazon, to reporting on biogas toilets from the mountains of northern Ethiopia, to teasing out themes from the Do Lectures in West Wales, Leonora has many a tale to tell of her adventurous and inspiring encounters with creative minds around the world.
Leonora regularly puts finger to key to tell epic tales of design derring and sustainability do for online and print publications, and as director of design practice Elio Studio, she crafts her narratives in collaboration with architects, designers, curators and scientists.
Currently Leonora is focusing her energies on Creative Data, an initiative to design a series of conversations about future landscapes. Working in collaboration with climate and social scientists these interactive installations act as creative spaces for people to discuss local environmental issues in their own communities.
Leonora has lived and worked variously in Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Barcelona, New York and Quito. These days she's based in London, but continues to explore both locally and globally.
Latest Stories from Leonora Oppenheim
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Biomimicry in Architecture by Michael Pawlyn (Book Review)
A new book on the radical design disicpline of biomimicry in the built in environment
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Gisele Bünchen, Wangari Maathai & Unilever Are Big Winners at The International Green Awards 2011
The inspriation filled International Green Awards 2011 take place in London celebrating the best creative work in sustainability.
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Meet The Best in Green Business, Product Innovation + Celebrity Campaigners at The International Green Awards 2011
This November the glittering Gala Ceremony for the International Green Awards will take place in London and you can be there.
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Do Lectures 2011 - The Importance of Independence
Over the past few weeks we've been sharing the amazing ideas and themes that emerged from the Do Lectures 2011. This year's inspiring talks are now being launched online in
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Do Lectures 2011 - The People's Take Over
Yesterday for our third post in the Do Lectures 2011 series we encouraged you to Start Where You Live. You never know quite how far you will travel. In the
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Do Lectures 2011 - Start Where You Live
So far in our Do Lectures 2011 series we've talked about the fact that Things Are Not Just The Way They Are, we always need to ask difficult questions and challenge the
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Do Lectures 2011 - What Can You Uniquely Do?
Yesterday I introduced the Do Lectures 2011 with a flash of party glitter from Steve Edge and the statement, Things are not just the way they are. This first emerging
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Do Lectures 2011 - 5 Lessons on How to Love Life & Improve the World Around You
There is a man dressed in a silver lamé suit jumping about with extraordinary energy in a wind blown field in West Wales. His name is Steve Edge and his motto in life is:
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The Architecture of Necessity: Talking to Andreas Gjertsen of Tyin Tegnestue (Video)
Over the last few weeks we've been writing about the amazing sustainable design work that went on at the WOMAD festival this summer, in the UK. Peter Gabriel's DJ Booth
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Roots Architecture at WOMAD 2011 - A Game of Structural Consequences (Video)
What can you do at a music festival in four days with 75 volunteers and lots of salvaged materials? Build some amazing performance stages, that's what. Last year we reported on the Roots Architecture project at the WOMAD
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Ryan Frank is Back with Bee Friendly Furniture for the National Theatre
All images via Ryan Frank. Ryan Frank may have moved his design studio to the sunnier climes of Barcelona, but he is still getting great commissions back in London, where he's made a name for his funky ways with reclaimed materials. The latest project
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Peter Gabriel Creates Amazing DJ Booth With His Old CDs and Cassettes
Now that we live in the digital age, the question has often been asked: "What in the love of music do we do with all our old formats?" Yes, all those cassettes, CDs, VHSs and their horribly non-recyclable jewel cases that are still
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The 6th International Green Awards Are Calling for Your Entries
Have you got what it takes to win an International Green Award? These awards have built an increasingly prestigious profile over the last few years with both pioneering names and young innovators being rewarded for their extraordinary work in promoting
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Redesigning How We Clean: Ami Shah of iQ on Their Award Winning Refill Packaging (Interview)
Over one billion plastic cleaning containers go into landfill each year, according to the Canadian eco-cleaning company Planet People. And did you know that the majority of household cleaners are 95 per cent water and only five per
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Low Carbon Living Experiment Ends. Did The Lindell Family Achieve a One Tonne Life? (Video)
You may remember six months ago we travelled to Sweden to meet the lucky Lindell family who had just moved in a beautiful new home in the suburbs of Stockholm. This wasn't any old designer house though, this was
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Those Hipsters at Holstee Launch A Colourful Upcycled Wallet for Summer
There's no doubt that an ethical brand with hipster flavour is still rare enough as to be an attention grabbing entity. Holstee is one such brand, being as brilliant with words and positive attitude as it is with eco-friendly products. Their stock in
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The Science Behind Ocean Acidification: Helen Findlay on Her Work in the Arctic Sea Ice (Interview)
In the last week there have been some very sobering reports on the extremely degraded conditions of our oceans. The general gist is that it is much worse than previously thought, which is worrying
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Worn Again Equip Eurostar Staff With Upcycled Bags Made From Their Old Uniforms
Good news today as another sustainable design concept becomes reality. Upcycling company Worn Again have equipped 250 Eurostar train managers with some rather smart bags made from old staff uniforms. It's been a long journey
