Developed in collaboration with Compound Yellow and funded by the University of Warwick (United Kingdom), as part of the project Air Ecologies by C+ arquitectas for the Chicago Architecture Biennial 2025.

Saturday 11/15, 2025
10:00am-12:00pm
Compound Yellow
244 Lake St.

Have you ever made a terrarium? Do you know what a closed ecosystem is? Do you know which ecologies are needed for climate change adaptation? How do you engage with urban natures?

Explore these questions while making your own closed-jar terrariums. In this hands-on workshop you will learn how to make terrariums and self-sustaining ecologies with recycled materials and develop your creativity and experimentation to compose your own ecosystems. You will also deepen your understandings of the advantages and disadvantages of sustainable imaginaries and the functioning of ecological interrelations.

In a relaxed and welcoming setting, Jasper Nord, a multidisciplinary sustainable designer and mycologist with a long experience in art and community engagement, and Nerea Calvillo, architect, researcher and Chicago Architecture Biennial participant, will invite you to share their physical and cultural connections with nature and spark your ecological imagination.

Presented in collaboration with Urban Rivers, Compound Yellow, and University of Warwick

Participation: No prior knowledge is required. Just curiosity and willingness to get your hands dirty (literally!).

Location: Compound Yellow. 244 Lake St. Oak Park, IL. The event is outdoors, so remember to dress accordingly.

What to bring: Two recycled glass jars that you may have at home, or any other glass containers that can be closed.