NSW DPIRD Seed Vault and Growth Rooms Envirographics
We were presented with a unique challenge for this project: To create envirographics that are scientifically accurate, rooted in peer-reviewed research on the history and science of growing wheat and rice, yet imaginative enough to captivate senior executives, policy-makers, visiting ministers, and the broader public.
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Research
Co-design
Design, development and finalisation of 155 square metres envirographics across the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute’s Seed Vault and Growth Rooms
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April 2025 – February 2026
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Client – NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Print and Install - Littlewood Signs
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Some of the most consequential scientific work in Australia happens in controlled rooms where wheat varieties are catalogued, seeds are shelved, and researchers spend careers tracing the genetic thread between yesterday's crops and tomorrow's food security.
The brief was to create a 155 m² immersive envirographic installation across two distinct spaces: the Seed Vault and the Growth Rooms. We not only had to visually communicate the work done, but to capture the imagination, spark curiosity, and be a platform for future investment for safeguarding Australia's staple crops – a staggering percentage of which are grown in the Riverina, NSW.
Scientific accuracy and emotional resonance are not natural companions, so we needed to ensure the envirographics were research-led, but compelling enough to hold the attention of a minister who has thirty seconds in a corridor, and curious enough to make a first-time visitor ask a question they didn't know they had.
The work had to earn the trust of researchers while speaking plainly to people who had never considered where their bread came from.
Enter the humble kitchen table – a commonality that connects families and strangers alike.
By illustrating the types of foods dependent on cereal grains, and surrounding it in ultra violet light (the very light you can see when you open the growth room doors), we concentrated on providing common ground – and a starting point for conversation about science, investment, and the work being done outside the walls.
We had two spaces, with two emotional narratives, both with the same underlying premise: community continuity depends on genetic continuity.
For the Growth Rooms, the narrative is intergenerational. Grandma's bread carried genetic diversity that took decades to develop. Today's uniform, higher-yielding varieties represent a bottleneck. The genes preserved in seed banks may literally return to feed generations facing climate conditions we can't yet predict. The design makes this circular story legible. Think, the past as a prologue, and the science as a form of care across time.
For the Seed Vault, the narrative turns inward, so close in fact you feel like you’re in a plant cell. The NSW DPIRD seed banking program maintains climate-adapted advantages in wheat and rice varieties. The installation invites visitors into the researchers' perspective: what do scientists actually see when they collect data? Abstract and geometric visual elements spark curiosity, creating entry points for staff to connect visitors to the reality of the work behind the imagery.
“Rach ensured the artwork was research-led. From the history of wheat, to the lifecycle of leaf blotch diseases, she ensured every element was scientifically accurate while still capturing imagination and curiosity. An unexpected, but welcome surprise was the elevated sense of pride from our staff. Not only do the envirographics look impressive, they articulate our collective purpose.”
