TerraLiving

Luxury-grade terrarium, The Wardian Pod - Heart of Forest, planted with hundreds of detailed moss specimens for its lucky viewer, headed to Singapore 🇸🇬

🌳 Vegetation category: ZERO Moss, incubated, cultivated and preserved in TerraLiving's Lab, Malacca, Malaysia. Everlasting & no maintenance needed.

📖 Original Design Story:

Part of the futuristic botanical collection, "The Wardian Pod" is inked with two large panels that give an undisturbed, symmetrical view from one end to the other.

The fluffy, soft ZERO Moss that took form on the ground, alongside many branch-like driftwoods, has created a fine art of science fiction.

This could be how plants will be stored and transported 1000 years later; who knows.

But at this moment, "The Wardian Pod" provides a glimpse of the far future, of how plants could look like.

If you wish to zero in on the intricate details, simply open one of the two doors at each end, grab a magnifying glass, and gape at the ZERO Moss and driftwoods' elaborate arrangement.

[Early Access] Time Capsule (S) - Island with unique parametric base variant.

Making early access designs available ahead of official launches allows us to share our creations faster without waiting for official product shots, which are in a long queue. While early access lacks detailed photos, it offers an attractive discount for early birds who would like to support our work.

🌳 Vegetation category: ZERO Moss, incubated, cultivated and preserved in TerraLiving's Lab, Malacca, Malaysia

📖 Original Design Story:

The Time Capsule (S) – Island; a modern and minimalist island of shelter that holds multiple botanical specimens in stasis state within its glass dome.

Inside, different preserved moss specimens (ZERO Moss) thrive around a central Tree Moss, creating a green island that’s as peaceful as it is small.

Designed to look immersive in every detail, made in our laboratory with utmost care, each capsule carries a piece of earthy nature that tells us to slow down and look into the small yet complex world of moss.

The Vertex II - R under late evening sunlight and our TerraLight 2.0, headed to Cicero, Indiana 🇺🇸

🌳 Vegetation category: ZERO Moss, incubated, cultivated and preserved in TerraLiving's Lab, Malacca, Malaysia. Everlasting & no maintenance needed.

📖 Original Design Story:

The Vertex II - R showcases the delicate interplay between ZERO moss and 3D-printed tessellated "R - stones", encapsulated within a minimalist, geometric glass enclosure.

The clear, geometric lines on the R - stones and the glass symbolize the passing of time.

At the same time, the "R" in "The Vertex II - R" represents renewal, further emphasizing the terrarium's connection to the never-ending nature of time.

Tessellation, the intricate process of dividing and rearranging elements to fit together like puzzle pieces, is the cornerstone of "The Vertex II - R" terrarium.

Here, our design philosophy is grounded in exploring tessellations, which we employ as the foundation for many of our creations, including the segmented geometric arrangements of glass vessels and support structures.

Utilizing specialized design software, our designers input a series of tessellation parameters to generate unique, 3D-printed structures that harmoniously complement the moss wall's contours in "The Vertex II - R".

The Time Capsule - S under natural morning light and our TerraLight 2.0, headed to Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, France 🇫🇷

🌳 Vegetation category: ZERO Moss, incubated, cultivated and preserved in TerraLiving's Lab, Malacca, Malaysia. Everlasting & no maintenance needed.

📖 Original Design Story:

Inspired by the concept of preserving moments & memories, the Time Capsule - S captures the evergreen beauty of nature and passage of time within a glass dome.

This terrarium encases lush, preserved ZERO Moss that bears the story of Malaysia's Rainforest that is estimated to be more than 130 million years old.

Supported by plant based bio-degradable 3D printed structures and protected by a glass dome, it is designed to fit elegantly in just about any desk space and invites its viewer to endless hours of enjoyment to gaze upon the details of its botanical specimens.

The Colony - X : Tree Moss Forest, highlighted by multiple Tree Moss specimens, Climacium sp. at different growth stages alongside a wide variety of unique moss arrangements such as Rhodobryum sp., headed to a collector in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. 🇺🇸

🌳 Vegetation category: ZERO Moss, incubated, cultivated and preserved in TerraLiving's Lab, Malacca, Malaysia

📖 Original Design Story:

Inspired by the Royal Belum State Park in Malaysia, The Colony - X is a time capsule of a tropical paradise placed in suspended animation.

Lush, fluffy, and evergreen ZERO Moss preserved at different growth stages "grow" out of the sculpted cork structure.

Its design resembles the forest canopy of the islands that dot the lake; all encased within a clear crystalline bell glass dome, sitting atop an intricately carved wooden base with a walnut sheen to give the viewer an unobstructed 360° birds-eye visual experience.

Well protected within the glass dome, these vibrant green mosses are professionally arranged to provide a stylish artistic statement and a way to re-connect with nature.

Now, relax and indulge yourself in this glass oasis that welcomes you to disconnect from today's busy and modern society for a moment.

During our interview by DesignWanted in 2020,

Interviewer:

Unlimited budget, unlimited resources: what is the project TerraLiving would develop? What would it look like?

Raymond Yeow:

“A gallery in every prominent city with a highly customized design inspired by architecture and nature from that environment, creating a lasting memory about our current art, culture and civilisation.

If a man set foot on Mars, our terrarium will definitely be the first to touch down Mars’ surface.”

A desert moss that has the potential to grow on Mars The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis is a promising candidate for Mars colonization thanks to its extreme ability to tolerate harsh conditions lethal to most life forms. The moss is well known for its ability to tolerate drought conditions, but researchers report in the journal The Innovation that....

A pair of Vertex II - Natural Moss Wall terrariums, featuring two different colourways, headed to a collector in Culver City, CA 🇺🇸

🌳 Vegetation category: ZERO Moss, incubated, cultivated and preserved in TerraLiving’s Lab, Malacca, Malaysia

📖 Original Design Story:

The design behind our Vertex - II collection revolves around sleekness, accessibility, and elegance.

This natural variant is inspired by the organic growth pattern of mosses growing symbiotically on the tree barks of the Malayan rainforest.

Such design is expressed through its latest colourway, a textured and elegant black. Its multi-structure space-age-inspired design amplifies the sense of space that allows the transplantation of a wider variety of moss variants and preserved oak bark, resulting in a sleek and spacious look.

The glass body is fully detachable and can be accessed through a seamless-hinge glass door at the top for unobstructed viewing and effortless maintenance (glass cleaning if needed).

The base and moss wall support structures were 3D printed with biodegradable plant materials. A smooth protective coating overlays the textured surface for enhanced touch tactility.

A textured surface complements the natural growth pattern of moss on hard surfaces. It is also an ode to a future of wide adoption in personal manufacturing, where humans prioritize personalized products over mass-produced ones with planned obsolescence.

TerraLiving Gallery's Online Presence We re-imagine terrariums for 21st century & beyond through biomorphism, technology, art & science. Based in Malacca, Malaysia.

Despite making waves internationally, we are not very well known in Malaysia.

However, thanks to the continuous support from loyal fans over the decade, we are investing significant resources into expanding our presence in Malaysia.

This includes the release of exclusive designs, creative brand collaborations, working with local partners and research institutions, and the construction of a brand-new gallery.

For our international fans, we wouldn’t be here today without your support. In line with our 10th anniversary next year, we also focus on unique designs inspired by specific regions or art styles in close collaboration with international partners.

If you are interested in representing your region and exploring how we can work together, feel free to keep in touch!

Thank you for reading!

The Microcosm - Growth 🍄

✈️ Wolfforth, TX 🇺🇸

Part of our “Microcosm” collection, this biomorphic creation stands as a testament to the passion and expertise of our founding members. They drew inspiration from countless hours spent in metagenomics and life sciences laboratories, examining the intricate beauty of thousands of fungal Petri dishes down to the molecular level.

This collection explores a future where cellular life can be artificially created to colonize distant, otherworldly planets.

Photos taken before flying to Singapore 🇸🇬. The Terragon - X : Heart of Forest.

Approximately 30 hours are dedicated to selecting the suitable moss species for intricate detailing. This is in addition to another 20 hours of arranging preserved wood roots organically, without considering the time allocated for glass preparation and sterilization steps.

Why do we devote so much care and effort? It's because we sincerely appreciate and respect our collectors' trust in us. This commitment drives us to deliver nothing but the best.

⛰️ Concept behind this design:

The Titiwangsa Range is one of the oldest rainforests in the world.

It stands proudly between Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand, acting as a natural border.

The range is the southernmost section of the larger 1,040-mile-long Tenasserim Hills that spans from the north of Thailand to the south of Peninsular Malaysia.

Given its immense size and towering forests, multiple national parks were formed along with the range in Thailand and Malaysia.

The Titiwangsa Range has truly become the natural national treasure for these two countries.

Our designers constructed the "Terragon - X" in Titiwangsa Range's image, hoping to capture its importance and beauty and preserve it for eternity.

"The Dystopian" with our classic handcrafted and hand finished wooden base.

🌳 Vegetation category: ZERO Moss, incubated, cultivated and preserved in TerraLiving's Lab, Malacca, Malaysia

✈️ Destination: Culver City, CA 🇺🇸

📖 Original Design Story:

Post-Apocalypse Day 3,571

In just 79 days, it'll mark three years since humanity vanished. I'm "Dystopian", a once-small plant (moss), now sprawling within and around a towering, 30-story skyscraper. Here's my tale.

Ever since humans disappeared, all but them have flourished. My green kin and I have reclaimed their concrete jungles, sprawling from sewer depths to the peaks of electricity pylons.

I remember the days when my brethren were mercilessly cut down, their silent screams lost to human ears. We suffered, dwindled, until one day, the forests fell eerily quiet.

No humans. No chainsaws. Just silence.

I waited. Seven days passed, then six months. Still no sign of them. It was perplexing, yet the forests rejoiced, and our animal friends thrummed with newfound freedom. It seems the humans are truly gone.

What do you imagine happened to them? A mystery for the ages, perhaps.

Meanwhile, I thrive in this humanless world, an ode to nature's unwavering resilience.

Introducing The Vertex II - Eden, a biomorphic sculpture housed within a full white geometrical glass vessel.

The word biomorphic comes from the Greek words bios, which means life, and morphē, which means shape. These sculptures represent natural organic shapes: leaves, flowers, animals, and people.

From the womb of a loving mother, our artists created “The Eden” in the image of birthing a living miracle.

The cocoon-like bone lattice structure symbolizes the womb of a mother that is slowly moving and evolving to support a new life miracle.

As the “The Eden” gradually takes root on the ground, life slowly takes place in the heart of the womb, in the form of ZERO moss.

The new miracle sparked life around its ecosystem, supplying life force to surrounding lush greeneries, making it the Heart of Eden.

The miracle is “The Eden”, where life forms. A perfect companion connecting you to the blessings of life.

Our classic Vertex ZERO (S) with a luxury moss wall is one of the best-crafted terrariums in its category and size.

It features a variety of unique moss species, including tree moss, among other intricate details that can only be truly appreciated up close.

Each piece provides a unique experience for its viewer, evoking a calm and serene imagination and a reflection of one’s thoughts when one is close to natural materials such as moss.

This particular piece is all ready and heading to Kraków, Poland 🇵🇱

A look into one of the proposed renders by our team for the new lineup of geometric terrariums in anticipation of the 10th anniversary of TerraLiving in 2025.

From the inception of TerraLiving, I have been highly fascinated by uniquely shaped geometric terrariums. That is what modern terrariums should look like. Their sleek look, expressed through clean and straight lines, guides the eye along the terrarium, protecting and providing a haven for all kinds of plant arrangements.

In the early days, I had a strong vision and couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of having a dedicated team within TerraLiving to design and customize geometric glass terrariums to our exact specifications.

From designing each glass facet to ensuring they all come together perfectly, seeing this vision realized over the past years is a “dream come true” moment.

This would allow us to better express our moss arrangements. My goal has always been to create terrariums that are not available anywhere else— pieces I would be extremely proud to display on my desk and that would be appreciated by like-minded individuals who value beautifully made things in life.

Footnote: Hi everyone 👋, I’m Raymond Yeow, the co-founder of TerraLiving. As 2025 is a big year for us at TerraLiving, I will write some posts from time to time to share our journey so far, how we navigate challenges as a team, showcase some of our private collections, and much more. Many thanks to all our supporters who have stayed with us through thick and thin over the years.

A batch of live mosses inhabiting their long-term cultivation incubators.

A meme terrarium 🌳

Coming soon, the second generation of Time Capsule - L : Natural Moss Wall variant that offers a moss wall with more depth and a three-dimensional viewing experience.

Textured Moss Green variant of The Vertex II - Natural Moss Wall.

How does it feel like under natural light?

The design behind our Vertex - II collection revolves around sleekness, accessibility, and elegance.

This natural variant is inspired by the organic growth pattern of mosses growing symbiotically on the tree barks of the Malayan rainforest.

Such design is expressed through its latest colourway, a textured and elegant black. Its multi-structure space-age-inspired design amplifies the sense of space that allows the transplantation of a wider variety of moss variants and preserved oak bark, resulting in a sleek and spacious look.

The glass body is fully detachable and can be accessed through a seamless-hinge glass door at the top for unobstructed viewing and effortless maintenance (glass cleaning if needed).

The base and moss wall support structures were 3D printed with biodegradable plant materials. A smooth protective coating overlays the textured surface for enhanced touch tactility.

A textured surface complements the natural growth pattern of moss on hard surfaces. It is also an ode to a future of wide adoption in personal manufacturing, where humans prioritize personalized products over mass-produced ones with planned obsolescence.

A closer look at some of the ZERO Moss specimens present in “The Cristae - Luxury Moss Wall”.

A design inspired by cristae, the folds in the inner mitochondria membrane that increase the inner membrane’s surface area where energy production occurs in mitochondria.

Mitochondria are the “nuclear reactors” or powerhouses of the cell. They are double membrane-bound organelles found in most eukaryotic organisms (ranging from plants to animals).

Advanced life forms like us, humans, and our world will never exist without mitochondria.

Through an expression known as biomorphism, our designers create artistic design elements based on naturally occurring patterns, in this case, the very structure of mitochondria.

[Preserved Moss Terrarium] Introducing “The Cristae - Luxury Moss Wall”, hosting seven distinct ZERO Moss species.

A design inspired by cristae, the folds in the inner mitochondria membrane that increase the inner membrane’s surface area where energy production occurs in mitochondria.

Mitochondria are the “nuclear reactors” or powerhouses of the cell. They are double membrane-bound organelles found in most eukaryotic organisms (ranging from plants to animals).

Advanced life forms like us, humans, and our world will never exist without mitochondria.

Through an expression known as biomorphism, our designers create artistic design elements based on naturally occurring patterns, in this case, the very structure of mitochondria.

Some everyday things at our workplace, Part 2, showcasing some live moss terrariums that we have kept for years.

Some everyday things we have at our workplace, Part 1.

Here, you can see various non-moss plants in their temporary glass dome shelters sitting on the shelves of our moss cultivation zone. They are part of our collection, allowing us to admire their growth over time, each within their individual biome.

These plants also serve as benchmarks against overall moss health and the cleanliness of the environment.

We strive to connect nature, science, and botanical aesthetics while desining our terrariums to seamlessly fitting into any desk aesthetic while standing the test of time.

The latest edition of Time Capsule - S encapsulates our design goal of allowing its viewers to endlessly enjoy the detailed viewing experience of this palm-sized terrarium through our everlasting preserved ZERO Moss.

Inspired by the concept of preserving moments & memories, the Time Capsule - S captures the evergreen beauty of nature and passage of time within a glass dome.

This terrarium encases lush, preserved ZERO Moss that bears the story of Malaysia’s Rainforest that is estimated to be more than 130 million years old.

Supported by plant based bio-degradable 3D printed structures and protected by a glass dome, it is designed to fit elegantly in just about any desk space and invites its viewer to endless hours of enjoyment to gaze upon the details of its botanical specimens.

📷 A slow morning with the Vertex (S) - Luxury Moss Wall variant.

💡 Natural morning sunlight from windowsill.

All seven pieces are heading to a returning collector in Singapore 🇸🇬.

Terrarium category: Preserved Moss / ZERO Moss terrariums

Name of designs & availability:
1. Desktop Moss Wall (L) - The Fluff (Sold out, discontinued)
2. Colony - X
3. Time Fragment
4. Time Crystal
5. Desktop Moss Wall (S) - Heart of Forest (Leaving soon / discontinuing on 1st June)
6. Pillar of Moss (Leaving soon / discontinuing on 1st June)
7. Time Capsule (S) - Island

Mosser m1 - your personal moss companion, VFX breakdown.

The last two Herbariums - Pure Moss Wall are heading to County Louth, Ireland 🇮🇪, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 🇲🇾, respectively.

ICYMI: We are significantly streamlining our collection by June 1st, 2024, and will transition those designs into a seasonal/yearly cycle or permanently discontinue them to be part of our legacy collection for display purposes.

This change will pave the way for new generations of terrarium launches as we prepare for TerraLiving’s 10th anniversary and the opening of our brand-new gallery in 2025, which will showcase these “museum pieces.”

So, if there’s something you’re keen to own, visit the link in our bio to explore all the selected collections, and please purchase it as soon as you can! Thank you 😊

#2025

Dear fans and collectors,

We are significantly streamlining our collection by June 1st, 2024, and will transition those designs into a seasonal/yearly cycle or permanently discontinue them to be part of our legacy collection for display purposes.

This change will pave the way for new generations of terrarium launches as we prepare for TerraLiving’s 10th anniversary and the opening of our brand-new gallery in 2025, which will showcase these “museum pieces.”

So, if there’s something you’re keen to own, visit the link in our bio to explore all the selected collections, and please purchase it as soon as you can! Thank you 😊

2025 #2025