The SugarCube is an art project created at the Burning Man festival this year, based on patent-pending new wood construction technology. It is an open-ended, wooden structure that is made of plywood and manufactured wood I-joists to be self supporting and strong enough to carry normal floor loads on all three horizontal levels including the mezzanine and roof.
Why create a full-sized model at Burning Man?
- A limited amount of time to build and take down the structure
- A large pool of unskilled but willing volunteers to help with construction
- High heat, winds, and dust is guaranteed to test all aspects of the concept
- Plenty of space to work with
- No building codes or permits are required
- (Relatively) easy way to make a dramatic statement
The cube is 22'x22'x22', making it one of the more substantial pieces of art on the playa, and was the tallest publicly accessible "viewing platform" in the City. Located along the 6 o'clock walkway, it provided a commanding view of the Burning Man pavillion, and a great view of the Esplanade and open playa.
Our crew invited the citizens of Black Rock City to interact with the SugarCube by creating art upon it, and throughout the week it was visited by many artists who painted and decorated every available surface with art in various forms.
In addition to artists, the SugarCube was enjoyed by thousands of people as a viewing platform, as shade during the hot parts of the day, and as a central meeting point and "landmark" of the City.
The SugarCube is a full-sized prototype for a new technology that we hope will revolutionize the wood construction industry. Designed to be portable and easily constructed, a team of 6-8 people built the SugarCube in 5 days, and then de-constructed it in 3 days. All the materials, including the scaffolding, tools, and other equipment easily fit on one flatbed truck. The SugarCube is 100% recyclable, as it uses screws instead of nails in construction, and can be re-assembled in another location. The Sugar Cube at approximately 1,000 square feet of usable area had a total cost for materials of less than $15,000. $15 per square foot compares favorably to traditional framing.
If you are interested in purchasing the SugarCube as an art installation, alternative housing solution, or otherwise, please contact david@sugarcube2006.com for more details.
Who is Behind the SugarCube?
The technology behind the SugarCube was invented by Michael Kozel (architect) and David Wilson (civil/structural engineer). Together, they have devised a way to revolutionize wood construction. To celebrate this new invention, they erected the SugarCube as a full-sized prototype, to share with the community as an art space and "treehouse", and to educate and inform the Burning Man attendees about this new technology. This new style of construction is environmentally friendly, easily and quickly constructed, and can be disassembled very quickly and totally recycled- we believe that these elements of earth-friendliness, recycleability, and alternatives for "traditional" housing, are ideas very much in line with the spirit of the Burning Man community and "leave no trace" principles.
The SugarCube crew is based out of the San Francisco Bay Area (Berkeley). If you have any questions, please contact us at: contactus@sugarcube2006.com
