Benjamin Patch, an athlete turned interior designer and ceramicist, is stepping into the year with a renewed sense of purpose. As the founder of be.assembly, his work reshapes spaces, bringing fresh perspectives to design – and he’s taking the same approach in his travel plans this year.
The former professional volleyball player, who once represented the US on the Olympic team and was the first openly queer player in a German men’s professional sports league, is no stranger to travel: childhood homes ranged from the mountain-backed expanses of Utah in the United States, to New Zealand and Tonga in the South Pacific. Since then, he’s also lived in Europe, with stints in Italy and Berlin, as well as in New York City.
We sat down with Benjamin for a bite-sized conversation about the destinations he’s excited to visit in 2025, his thoughts on bringing intentional transformation into the months ahead, and the journey that’s guiding his creative vision in what promises to be a year of change.
The former professional volleyball player, who once represented the US on the Olympic team and was the first openly queer player in a German men’s professional sports league, is no stranger to travel: childhood homes ranged from the mountain-backed expanses of Utah in the United States, to New Zealand and Tonga in the South Pacific. Since then, he’s also lived in Europe, with stints in Italy and Berlin, as well as in New York City.
We sat down with Benjamin for a bite-sized conversation about the destinations he’s excited to visit in 2025, his thoughts on bringing intentional transformation into the months ahead, and the journey that’s guiding his creative vision in what promises to be a year of change.
What destinations will you be visiting in 2025?
I’m itching to go to Tibet. I’d love to visit the foothills of the Himalayas. I’m feeling the call of the mountains, the topography, the location of remote towns in obscure landscapes... I think we’re all going to be looking eastward in 2025.And Paris, too: everyone is moving to Paris right now. It’s always been such a staple for design, with a rich design history, that it now curates a huge offering of vintage and collector’s items you can’t find anywhere else. We’re thirsting for meaning, and for depth and connection, in the design world. Paris offers that.
What’s a word that sums up your feelings for the year ahead?
I was watching a film recently called The Eight Mountains – an Italian film. In it were these two boys, in their late 30s, that have a charming path of friendship and finding themselves. One of them decides to change his whole life and he writes down that sometimes you just feel like you want to “totally transform” yourself – to really start over. I think that is the word I identify with for the upcoming year: transformation.You’re based in New York right now, but wanting to return to Europe. Why?
There’s some real magic that exists in Europe, and I want to go and enjoy that while it lasts. We’re all seeking some kind of story and authenticity, and we’re really hungry for depth. The contemporary world, such as America, which is young, lacks that. So what do we do? We look to our forefathers, we look to our ancestors. We look to connect to a place that had meaning, and where things created came from depth of thought. Europe has that depth.