Every day, the earth quivers and convulses. Hardly anyone notices. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year; only 20 percent of those can be felt by human beings.

In Los Angeles—in a bid to open the eyes of an endangered community—artist and engineer D.V. Rogers, along with a group of volunteers, has constructed Domus, an experimental installation that allows visitors to experience the world’s constant, pulsating seismic activity. “The idea is create a contemplative space that will help people be more responsive to the larger biological and seismological environment,” says Rogers, who grew up in the geologically active country of New Zealand.