That’s a line from an old poem of mine.  It’s about the desire—begun in childhood and still going strong—for a hide-out, den, fort, or tree house: some small, cozy, rustic space in nature that facilitates dreams.

(A lot like what the Indianapolis Island residents are going to experience in the IMA’s 100 Acres: Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park).

There’s an architect who’s long advocated for the domestic pleasures and greater sustainability possible with smaller, well-crafted homes: Sarah Susanka, author of the Not So Big House series of books.  She speaks at The Toby this Thursday, May 20 at 7 pm, as part of the IMA’s Planet Indy speaker series.

In advance of her Indy visit, I asked Sarah a few questions about her ideas:

What is the relationship between good design and sustainability?

In my books, they go hand in hand.  I believe that anything that is well-designed will stand the test of time and will sustain the inhabitant.  The wise use of both energy and monetary resources is a core element of good design.

How do you create desire for small instead of big?

I talk to people and work with people at all ends of the spectrum–people who want 600 sq. ft. homes and those who want 6,000 sq ft.  I’ve tried to offer the tools they really need to evaluate their decision.  When people are focused on high square footages, there is usually some “keeping up with the Joneses” going on.  I tell these clients: “How about having the coolest house, not the biggest?”  I help people “right-size” their homes.

What about modular homes?

The pre-fab industry is learning how to make better a house than the typical modular home currently on the market.  But a small house doesn’t have to be a cheap house.  You don’t buy a Porsche because it’s big – the point is that it’s beautifully made.  I believe that if we could look into the future we would find that many houses are going to be made through a manufacturing process.  The art of the home will be greatly enhanced and tailored onsite, but basic form will be delivered.

Manufactured Housing

What projects are you working on now?  What trends do you see?

My latest book [published March 2010] is More Not So Big Solutions For Your Home, about doing more with less space.  And we’re developing a line of houses for the builder market, for the people who build suburbia.  Some of them are gung-ho about building smaller houses, but you can’t just shrink a big one and make it livable.  We need to take their simple-to-build houses and make them a whole lot more interesting to live in.

A longer version of this interview will appear in the June-July issue of Indiana Living Green magazine.

Filed under: Current Events, Education, Local, Public Programs, The Toby

Vixen. The very word conjures up an image of a slightly dangerous woman of questionable morals. The dress a little too tight. The cleavage a little too exposed. The hips as she walks with a little too much sway in their motion. The heels of her stilettos a little too rounded if you know what I mean. But the word vixen is also the name for a female fox. And we have one. A female fox I mean. We have plenty of the other kind too, just so you know. But I’m talking about the fox now.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Horticulture

In the autumn of 2009, Andrea Zittel sent a request for proposals to students at the Herron School of Art and Design who wished to live on her latest piece, Indianapolis Island. The island is an 18′ x 20′ fiberglass living structure that will float in the lake of the new 100 Acres Art and Nature Park. We (Jessica Dunn and Michael Runge) collaborated to write a proposal and were chosen by Zittel and the IMA after several interviews and meetings.

We are really excited to be a part of this project and have many ideas dealing with the Give and Take nature of the project.

Here is a quick overview of our project:

Fabrication of the interior: We will be fabricating the entire interior of the island with modular, dual-purpose furniture including a bed which functions as a couch as well as storage space. We will also be building a bicycle generator so we can have electricity on the island.

Floating garden: Similar to a self watering container, we will be building floating garden pots that will grow vegetables we can eat while living on the island.

Floating messages: Visitors may send messages to the island inhabitants by floating paper messages via capsules visually reminiscent of the island’s shape.

Island trade: Every visitor who sets foot on the island will have the opportunity to give and take something from the island. This trade will will show a tangible example of the mark left on the individual and the space.

Follow our construction progress and our evolving (or deteriorating) mental state on our blog. You can also follow us on Twitter.

Filed under: Art, Art and Nature Park, Current Events, Guest Bloggers, Local

The planting within and around Alfredo Jaar’s the Park of the Laments has been upper most on our to-do list lately. Of all the inaugural installations at 100 Acres this one has the greatest number of new plants associated with it. All of the species used are listed in Charles Deam’s seminal work, Flora of Indiana.

Let’s take a look at the vomitorium (I hear that is the term being used in meetings). That would be the exit. Or egress if you wanna get all fancy with your talk and use two-dollar words. We’ve balanced like mountain goats on the slopes of the entrance to Jaar’s piece, tucking our toes into the soil as we planted the grasses and sumac.

Heading down the entrance path.

In the tunnel (a little X Files feel here).

The 45 degree slopes. Covered in plastic to keep them dry prior to planting.

Katie clinging to the wall with one hand while removing the plastic.

Removing excess soil.

Planting Panicum virgatum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ (switch grass).

This is actually a different side from the next image so just pretend it’s the same. Work with me people. I don’t really have time for blogging this spring.

Panicum all along the top of the bank just behind the benches where you can relax (after they are built and the Park is ready – June 20).

Planting the Rhus aromatica ‘Grow-Lo’. This cultivar of fragrant sumac gets about 2-3 feet tall and roots along its stems. That along with the geo-webbing will help hold the steep banks. It has very fragrant foliage when bruised – the foliage not you. And good fall color tending toward the reds and oranges.

A mostly finished bank.

We have just a little more planting to do in the vomitorium this week. Planting the interior of this piece is well underway. We have quite a bit planted on the exterior as well. Maybe I can get something to you about that real soon. Maybe not.

Filed under: Art, Art and Nature Park, Current Events, Horticulture, Local

Over the past fourteen weeks I have run about 150 miles. With one foot in front of the other, at a pace just slightly faster than a brisk walk, I’m creeping towards my goal of running the Mini Marathon. My feet, to my great amazement, have carried me through snow and rain, over hills, under bridges, across busy intersections, along quiet trails and triumphantly across finish lines both real and imagined. With just about a week to go until the big show, it’s time to leave the struggles of training behind, and reflect on all of those little supporting factors that’ve been like a wind blowing me forward. I won’t bore you with the details about the clinch songs on my iPod, my snazzy new running shoes, or the discovery of some stuff called GU. What I would like to tell you about is my favorite mile…

To find some extra motivation for my long runs, I signed up for a Mini Marathon training program with a local runners’ organization. What I didn’t realize at the time is that the training run they sponsor each week uses the White River Tow Path which runs right through the IMA campus. Bonus! Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Guest Bloggers, Local, Musings