20biocubes

a quick overview of the biocube project

2009-08-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

The biocube project was an experimental environmental design project funded and implemented by the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign during the 2007 - 2008 school year.

Starting in the fall of 2007 a proposal was granted to fund a native prairie in the amount of $17,000. The native prairie would contribute positively helping drainage, maintenance, and providing a new aesthetic to the university's environment.

The biocube project was intended to advertise the coming of this prairie by implementing native forbes and grasses in custom designed planters. Such a project would not have been possible without the collaboration of multiple fields of study.

Contributing were, 64 students at UIUC (the grunt work and maintenance of biocubes), the School of Art and Design (graphic design, painting, industrial design), Ecology Department (advisory on plant selection, donation of dirt), UIUC Facilities and Services (biocube placement), Blue Illinois (funding), Red Bison (greenhouse plants), and local businesses/clubs (t-shirts, supplies, donations, and advertisement).

The biocube planters were designed to be secure yet movable if needed. Each planter was constructed from OSB, cinder blocks, screws, industrial staples, wood glue, spray paint, dirt, small rocks, and a combination of 3 forbes and grasses. In total 20 were constructed.

Existing on campus for over 6 months, the conclusion of the project intended to use a cradle to cradle philosophy. The plants were donated to participants, the cinder blocks were reused to create a fire pit, and the OSB were donated to local artists as square canvases.

After a year of hard work and organization, the biocube project was a success in spreading awareness of native plants, giving the community a chance to participate, and additionally leaving the smallest carbon footprint possible.

I hope this description shines some light on what my thesis was all about. Please feel free to look through the blog for all the amazing moments and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me here: raffaele.stuparitz@gmail.com

Sincerely,
Mr. Raffaele Stuparitz

Recycled Paintings

2009-01-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

These paintings were constructed by local artists in Urbana-Champaign from used Biocubes.

Re-cycled Cubes

2009-01-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

all done?

2008-10-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

the last of the biocubes all claimed, removed, or discarded. is this it?

Biocube 20 M.I.A

2008-10-19T23:06:00.001-07:00

the remaining biocubes! take care

2008-09-27T23:03:00.000-07:00

Still Thriving

2008-09-10T11:29:00.001-07:00

The start of the new school year and the Biocubes continue to grow (thanks hallie).

soon enough

2008-08-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

classes are starting soon enough. I was around Champaign-Urbana last weekend and saw some thriving Biocubes (exciting). Ill be around the start of the semester.

One song equals four cubes

2008-07-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Five Fours EP

http://www.mediafire.com/?ytvdyw0oqnj

these five songs were composed to represent the 20 Biocubes. Each song represents four Biocubes. In the spirit of participation, three students from UIUC helped create the songs that compose the Five Fours EP.

June to July

2008-07-15T19:04:00.001-07:00

It has been a month. any pictures, comments, or incites?

How are the cubes?

2008-06-15T12:20:00.001-07:00

To whom it may concern (the CU community), I haven't been around as of late. If anyone could send me pictures of the Biocubes it would be greatly appreciated. Have a day(s).

Facilities and Services

2008-05-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

Maureen, David, Anthony, Ryan, Eliana, Betsy, Lisa, Karie, and Francisco.

participating people

2008-05-27T16:42:00.001-07:00

mauricio and tessa

the biocube project and you

2008-05-23T08:27:00.001-07:00

some aren't thriving and some are, i am gone for the summer, the experiment is on! Will the UIUC campus take care of the biocubes, do we care about the environment, will the project get destroyed. we will find out...

Biocubes 7 and 11 in the way

2008-05-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Biocubes 7 and 11 collected by Facilities and Services.

Biocube 14 flipped

2008-05-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

people can't keep there hands off

participating people

2008-05-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

connie and edward

participating person

2008-05-15T18:35:00.001-07:00

adam

participating people

2008-05-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

raffaele and otto

participating person

2008-05-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

jade

participating people

2008-05-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

matt and max

participating people

2008-05-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

jason and anna

Vine Ripe Tees

2008-05-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to Caleb Ganzer, creator and owner of Vine Ripe Tees, for the printing of Tshirts for The Biocube Project, all Tshirts made from organic cotton and soy ink, exclusively given out to participating members of The Biocube Project.

HPHS GSI

2008-05-10T10:48:00.001-07:00

aren't they cute and evironmentally friendly

Biocubes at BFA 2008

2008-04-30T19:28:00.001-07:00

be aware

Biocube 18 adopted

2008-04-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

thank you to Katherine Chi and Laura Witzling for the adoption of Biocube 18

I scream

2008-04-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

ice cream thrown in Biocube 7

be careful

2008-04-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

biocubes can be dangerous

five fours

2008-04-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

five fours thanks jonner.

four fours

2008-04-25T14:24:00.001-07:00

special thanks to Teddy Lu.

three fours

2008-04-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Caleb for letting me borrow his truck and the clouds for watering the plants. Special thanks to the participating painters Jeff, Theo, Anna, Jason, and Maria.

sometimes its all up to me

2008-04-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

it's the little things that count

2008-04-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

big ups to Chris, Jerome, and Otto

Environmental Horizons Sustainability Summit

2008-04-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

Free of charge!

Illini Union Rooms A and B, 1401 West Green Street; Urbana, Illinois, 61801

April 23 and 24, 1:00-3:30

Here is the schedule: www.environ.uiuc.edu/horizons/Agenda.html

Participate with us!

help! i need some bodies

2008-04-22T23:56:00.001-07:00

want to paint flowers onto Biocubes, listen to good music, and catch up on old times? of course you do!

WHO: you and me
WHAT: painting flowers on Biocubes
WHERE: basement of the Art and Design Building
WHEN: 8PM
WHY: because i like you

hope to see you there,
Raffaele

four more

2008-04-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day

2008-04-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

Earth Day could not have gone better. Special thanks to Max Kim for providing transportation, Janeth Moncada for donating free dirt, and Otto Stuparitz and Ryan Burns for help implementing the first four Biocubes. Keep an eye open.

it's the small things that count

2008-04-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

get ready

Earth Day, 73 degrees, and an Introduction to the Public

2008-04-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

To all of you,

Tomorrow is is going to be 73 degrees, Earth Day, and the introduction of the Biocubes to the public. I will be implementing four tomorrow. I need to move 4 Biocube planters (wooden frames), 4 cinder blocks, many medium sized rocks, much dirt, and 12 native plants. I could do this all myself but, Ill be tired. I am starting at 2 o'clock at the Art and Design building. From there we will be bringing our materials towards the southwest end of campus near FAR-PAR and Illini Grove. A link has been made for a campus map to show where all the cubes will be implemented (we will be implementing cubes 2-5). I am trying to get a wagon to carry our supplies and keep the idea of sustainability in action. However, if we can not find one I would like to try to keep driving down to a minimum, carpooling, smallest amount of trips. etc. Every person who participates will get a free t-shirt in the coming weeks, be entered into a raffle for prizes, and will be recognized on this blog. Now is your chance to get involved. Happy Earth Day hope to see some helping hands.

Best,
Raffaele

the 20th, 20 posts, and 20 plant assignments

2008-04-20T21:55:00.001-07:00

20 assignments

the newest adoptees

2008-04-16T22:13:00.001-07:00

The Biocube Project would like to welcome Blue Illinois, HPHS Green School Initiative, and the Industrial Design Program at UIUC to our list of adoptees.

Native Plants

2008-04-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

the plants are ready

adopt a Biocube

2008-04-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

participate in spreading environmental and social awareness

adopt a Biocube

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2008-04-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Happy April, fooling aside there are some upcoming exhibitions for The Biocube Project.

- Revision. 2008 Industrial Design Exhibition
I space, 230 West Superior, Second Floor, Chicago, IL 60610
April 11- April 18

- Environmental Horizons Exhibition
Illini Union, 1401 West Green Street; Urbana, Illinois, 61801
April 23 and 24, 1:00-3:30

Participate with us!

Adopted Biocubes

2008-03-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Fields and Vine Ripe Tees have adopted Biocubes 8 and 10. Excited for your participation and thanking you for your donations.

20 Biocubes

2008-03-30T18:32:00.001-07:00

"Earth Hour"

2008-03-29T18:07:00.001-07:00

TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7321124.stm

20 large cubes

2008-03-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

Be Constructive

2008-03-27T17:13:00.001-07:00

120 small cubes and construction

2008-03-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

200 holes

2008-03-25T18:03:00.001-07:00

100 squares

2008-03-25T08:25:00.001-07:00

Grand Prairie Friends

2008-03-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

Native transplants have been moved into greenhouses to start growing. Special thanks to Jaime Ellis, Bob Vaiden, Bill Wasson, Edward Stuparitz, and Tony Endress for their help moving the plants. Additionally, the Biocube Project would like to thank the Grand Prairie Friends for providing native plants.

Graphic Design

2008-03-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

Jessy Weil a Graphic Design major at the School of Art and Design has recently been working on the graphic design for the BioCube Project. Meet her, greet her, thank her shes great. It's getting warmer!

as the snow melts...

2008-03-10T10:16:00.001-07:00

We are getting closer and closer to the launch of the Biocube Project, get ready.

2wenty and 2wenty

2008-02-20T22:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Biocube Project! 20biocubes will contain up to date information on the project as well as opportunities to participate. I am sincerely excited for the upcoming warm weather and for the Biocubes.

best