No ordinary house flipper: Mary Ellen Carroll to turn art around

Artist and architect Mary Ellen Carroll was stuck in Los Angeles traffic leaving a discussion on Gertrude Stein's research on motor Autonomism, when the idea for "prototype 180" struck her.

Carroll has decided to flip a house in Sharpstown 180 degrees — making the front door face Bayland Park, and transforming the front yard into the backyard. Carroll met up with CultureMap at Droubi's Middle Eastern restaurant in Sharpstown to explain the hidden meaning beneath "prototype 180."

Carroll has actively worked on "protoype 180" for the past 10 years.

Carroll chose Houston as the location for the project because of its lack of zoning.

Carroll became interested in Sharpstown after doing some research on developer Frank Sharp's original intentions for the neighborhood. Homes in Sharpstown were designed to have large backyards and set close to the street, making it easy to access the city and achieve a sense of property with a large lot in the back.

Carroll sees the shift in demographics in Sharpstown as reflective of the future.

The house has already been set up with cameras ready to livestream the impending event. 

Originally the flip was set to take place on October 8, but is currently on hold due to construction delays. Carroll hopes to announce a new turning date by the end of October.

The technical side of the operation is quite meticulous. Carroll has teamed up with the Information Technology Department at Rice University and Cherry House Movers to complete the project.

After the house is flipped, Carroll and her crew will restore the house to its original design from the 1950s, with updated, environment-friendly amenities. 

With a career spanning more than 20 years in design, communications, architecture and film, Carroll's honors include: a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Pollack/Krasner Award, a Rockerfeller Foundation Fellowship and a MacDowell Colony Fellowship.

Carroll was recently received a Graham Foundation Fellowship to document "prototype 180" and "innovation territory," which are both focused on the aging of 'first' ring suburbs.