3D Printed Earth Dome Supports Native Wildflower Growth
Botanical artist Lily Kwong created EARTHSEED DOME, a large-scale 3D-printed installation presented by the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA SF). Located in Transamerica Redwood Park, the looping structure combines digital fabrication, earth-based materials and ecological restoration.
The installation draws on ancestral building methods, ecological stewardship and new construction technologies. At the same time, its form and materials respond to the surrounding Bay Area ecosystem. The project also invites visitors to help support local biodiversity.
Printing With Local Earth
EARTHSEED DOME consists of more than 120 individual modules. The project team printed and assembled these elements on site at the Transamerica Pyramid. To produce them, a robotic arm used a WASP LDM XXL Extruder and CFS HD pumping system.
Fabrication started during San Francisco Art Week in January 2026 and continued for several weeks. Because printing took place in public, visitors could observe the additive manufacturing process. They could also watch the structure gradually take shape.
The project connects advanced robotic production with long-established earth-building techniques. Around the dome’s base, the team added smaller printed soil forms. These elements contain Northern California earth, compost and natural fibres. A WASP 40100 LDM printer produced the forms with the same CFS HD material delivery system.
Supporting Native Plant Growth
The team filled the printed soil forms with local wildflower seeds. Next, they placed the elements within mounds around the installation. As a result, the seeds germinated and flowers began growing among the printed forms.
In addition, visitors can take home seed packets. Each packet contains more than 15 sun-loving annual wildflower species native to the Bay Area. Visitors can scatter these seeds elsewhere, extending the project’s ecological ambitions beyond the park.
EARTHSEED DOME shows how one project can combine large- and small-scale earth printing. Moreover, it explores how temporary architectural installations can support plant growth instead of functioning only as static objects. Local soil, natural fibres, compost and native plants form an integrated material system. Consequently, the installation connects material experimentation with habitat awareness and community participation.
Lily Kwong created the installation for ICA San Francisco. Atelio provided fabrication and design stewardship, while WASP supplied the 3D-printing technology and fabrication expertise.
Source: WASP
Photos: ICA / WASP / Lea Bruno