Created by Smith|Allen Studio, an Oakland based architecture firm, the 10ft x 10ft x 8ft form adds a decidedly artificial element to the otherwise organic forest it calls home. However, despite its appearance, the Echoviren is quite environmentally friendly. Printed from a PLA bioplastic, the structure will naturally decompose back into the forest in 30-50 years. According to Smith|Allen “"As [Echoviren] weathers it will become a micro-habitat for insects, moss, and birds."
To create Echoviren, Smith|Allen employed 7 3D printers running non-stop for 2 months. During this time each of the 500 unique pieces of the structure were printed so they could be snapped together, ultimately forming the modern monolith. Given the modular design, Smith|Allen were able to piece together Echoviren in 4 days, a remarkable timeline given that it took a total of 10,800 print hours to create!
In case you are wondering “why?”, Echoviren was designed as a space to contemplate man’s relationship with nature.
Watch a video of Echoviren’s Assembly:
Images and Video Courtesy of Smith|Allen