GarageLand commemorates the enduring mythology of the Silicon Valley garage. Out of small sheds to store cars came a cultural revolution: from Hewlett Packard in 1938 to Apple in 1976 to tech startups today, the domestic landscape of the garage gave birth to the world’s first high-tech region. An embossed plaque on the garage where William Hewlett and David Packard developed their first product, an audio oscillator, reads: “The Birthplace of Silicon Valley.” This garage is a symbolic monument to the creation of new techno-utopian lifestyles, and a literal monument recognized by the National Register of Historic Places for its economic and creative significance.

Highlighting Silicon Valley’s startup origins, GarageLand is a monumental stack of garages. Each garage is 3D-printed on-site from recycled materials, and each is ready for delivery to backyards throughout Silicon Valley, and beyond. GarageLand is a highly visible part of Silicon Valley’s culture of making and innovation: the landmark reworks the tech industry’s physical landscape by dispensing affordable, garage-sized spaces to house the next wave of entrepreneurial breakthroughs. Serving as “accessory dwelling units” (ADUs), GarageLand garages fill a gap in the marketplace amid a profound shortage of affordable housing and small independent office spaces. GarageLand garages can be used as startup workspaces, micro housing, granny flats, music or art studios, or man caves or she sheds.

We love garages because they are doggedly honest in response to their functional requirements: they are shamelessly cheap, simple to construct, convenient to use, functionally flexible, and ubiquitous throughout the American landscape. GarageLand garages are made with recycled plastic obtained from existing recycling ecosystems in coastal, agricultural and urban communities. Different kinds of plastics (from oceans, farms and recycling centers) bestow distinctive, vibrant colors and textures to GarageLand.

GarageLand is an ever changing monument: individual garages are temporarily displayed until each is acquired by a visitor. After a garage departs, another is 3D printed to take its place in the landmark’s permanent latticework. This open framework is fully accessible to visitors via stairs (blue), ramps (green), and an elevator (yellow diagonal stripe). Visitors are invited to explore and imagine taking one (or more) of the many differing garages home to their backyard. The dissemination of GarageLand garages throughout the broader landscape will transform a single-site monument into a wide-ranging landmark, and yet another daily reminder of Silicon Valley’s profound impact on the world.