Seven question findings – Preliminary
60 visitors to the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts responded to “7 questions” and designed a Flock house using either a drawing or paper model
a. Visitors to the New York City Flock House, included in the Flock House Omaha Project gallery, readily associated to 36 structures from their experience, memory, knowledge or imagination. They identified play structures from childhood (11), mobile structures (8) mobile vehicles (2), live-in structures (10) and objects from the natural world (5).
Play structures from childhood: club house (2), jungle gym, climbing structure on playground (2), play structure, fort, tree house, backyard Glory Days playhouse, Cinderella’s pumpkin coach (2), “Childhood structures. I made of logs, bricks, etc. the countless hours I spent revisiting them, fantasizing within them and spending time in them.”
Mobile structures: covered wagon (4), stage coach, gypsy caravan, gypsy living, horse-drawn wagon
Mobile vehicles: vehicle, raft
Live-in structures: teepee, teepee crossed with igloo, teepee hut, tent (2), space house, not home w/ mortgage, home, yurt, tiny house movement
Objects: pumpkin, shell, dice, driftwood, warm egg
These associations represent a playful and fanciful response to Flock House, mobile structures that are not urban, living structures that are not urban or a “home w/ mortgage,” and natural “organic” objects.
b. Visitors associated to 27 environments or activities in which they envisioned a Flock House situated. They envisioned a Flock House situated in a future setting (8), outdoors in connection with natural settings (7), in recreation and learning areas (6), and in memory (2), metaphor (1), and a body feeling/activity (3)
Flock House situated in a future setting: future living “it would work well for the future where there will be less space” (3), travel in space (2), living in space, dystopian art, Mad Max, Beyond Thunderdome
Situated outdoors in connection with natural settings: camping (4), global resource stewardship, traversing the wild wild west, native Americans. Their homes were able to move freely.
Recreation and learning areas: playground (2), story time, school ground. “A space like this on a school ground would breed such creativity. It also brings consideration for the current state of our world (use/waste) and how to reimagine it all.” “place to chill-out – escape stress”, Burning Man
Memory: wood furniture we had when I was a child, good memories of warm nights on the couch watching documentaries
Metaphor: rolling dice
Body feeling/activity: floating, sailing, Looks like it has sails
These associations are connected to a vision of future living, space, natural areas, learning environments, and movement. Visitors provided 43 descriptors for the NYC Flock House structure. This language described Flock House design (18), materials (8), a feeling or personal response invoked (10), and insights into the nature of the structure (7).
c. Visitors provided 43 descriptors for the NYC Flock House structure. This language described Flock House design (18), materials (8), a feeling or personal response invoked (10), and insights into the nature of the structure (7).
Design: little or no facade, simplicity, experimental, symmetry structure, easily assembled, strong, changeable for weather, back support, can hold several people, platform and free form design, and geometric (2) Changes: make it swing in the wind, somehow. More moving parts, and more soft objects. (4) very elegant, could be wind-powered
Materials: exposed metal & wood, new used, white & natural wood tones, stained glass, recycled, fabric for shelter or sail, white fabric
Feelings of personal responses: intriguing & mystical, open & free, purity, provocative, transitional, adaptive, beautiful curves in lines of wood, nostalgic, revolutionary, intriguing
Insights into the nature of Flock House: radical & useful, migrate, temporary, weightless structure that has mean to always move, Cool and unique idea, nomadic
These descriptors focus on Flock House as exposed materials, pure form built for mobility and adaptability. It uses strong design line and geometric elements achieved thorough recycled materials, which can be synthetic, natural, or repurposed. It is affiliated with beauty and innovation, creativity, and open to future needs and possibilities. It is temporary and mobile.
d. Visitors provided 37 descriptors for the “atmosphere” they felt when viewing the Flock House in the exhibit, or when entering the Flock House to complete their 7 questions and design a Flock House using drawing and model building materials available. In a discussion of the atmosphere one visitor said, “You come in and feel the structure.” These descriptors expressed as nature of the structure (12), a visitor’s internal response (11), the external – interactive potential of the structure (9), how internal and external combine to create an atmosphere which is “secluded but also togetheness”, and the zone to which the Flock House belongs (5).
The atmosphere described as evoked by structure: pure, airy, simple, rolling in any direction, somewhat cold/industrial feel, cozy, close, beauty, shelter, fantasizing, spending time and revisiting.
The atmosphere experienced internally is: calm (2) contemplative, safe, protecting, fun, free, floating, sailing, “makes me happy.” glad I have the chance to be inside one now (after writing a paper about the Flock House Project)
The interactive potential is felt in an atmosphere of: exploration, engagement, and inviting (2). It is felt as “space to re-imagine” and of adventure, welcoming
The atmosphere belongs to zones: “connected to the future”, mystical, inhabited by a creator (with agency), who engage as “genies in a bottle.” Very organic
These descriptors point to a space of comfort and neutrality where residents find support for creative work because it is safe, supporting open thought. Here, one can embark into new territory and the adventure of envisioning.