Ship shapes: Seattle architect creates detailed 3D prints of the Washington ferries he loved

by Kurt Schlosser on January 31, 2026 at 8:30 amJanuary 31, 2026 at 9:13 am

When Gino Palileo moved to Seattle from the Philippines in 2015, his first job in his new city was at an ice cream parlor near the waterfront ferry dock. Seeing the green and white ferries crossing Elliott Bay was the beginning of a lasting appreciation for ships.

“When I went to high school, we went camping a lot, so we took the ferries,” Palileo told GeekWire. “We would make maybe two or three trips a year.”

When Palileo started studying architecture, he was given a 3D printer to help with design and modeling. Now that an architect is splitting his time between Seattle and New York, he’s stuck with 3D printing as a hobby — and this week he showed off a new passion project.

In one post on RedditPalileo shared images of prints he made of Washington State Ferries. The 1:400 scale models are rather elaborate replicas of Olympic-class ships from the state’s fleet: the M/V Chimacum, M/V Samish, M/V Suquamish and M/V Tokitae.

Palileo created his designs from scratch Rhinoceros 3D modeling software and then printed the ferry models – measuring approximately 9.8 inches in length – on a Prusa MK4S printer. The designs are available on his Prusa’s page Printable copies marketplace.

The models feature the different ferry decks, railings, seating and more infrastructure. It could print small cars and trucks, or people.

“I love these ferries; it’s always fun to ride them,” Palileo (@GP_3D) said in his post on Reddit. “They all have beautiful names that honor tribes, peoples and locations native to the Puget Sound area.”

Commenters on Reddit showed the love for ferries in the Seattle area is strong – and for Palileo’s craftsmanship:

• “Wow! My wife is originally from Whidbey Island. I would love to make one for her.” — @jordanhusney
• “If you print another one, take it to the ferry itself and present it to the captain. It would be cool to see it in a display case on board.” — @Shayden-Froida
• “This is beautiful – thank you! My father-in-law was the chief engineer of the Olympic Games and this will be a great gift for him.” — @deklinker

Palileo, a self-proclaimed transit nerd, said he has plans for other Seattle-related designs and prints. He could take the Monorail or maybe a Link light rail train. And he likes the steamship Virginia V, moored in South Lake Union.

And when it comes to revisiting ferries, he has a classic in mind.

“I was thinking maybe an older ferry – the Coconut?” said Palileo. “It’s a bit more complicated than I thought, so I opted for the modern one for the time being. But I want to do that and have a nice silver color for it.”