Mary Ellen Carroll did what most of us thought was going to be impossible. She turned a dilapidated house in Sharpstown 180 degrees — and it didn't come toppling down.

In October, Carroll was set to turn the house on 6513 Sharpsview for her "protoype 180" performance art project, but had to delay it due to engineering fears of the house crumbling during the turn. Cherry House Moving Company and the artist were able to overcome these technicalities by placing wooden planks placed under the wheels of the moving truck as it made the 180-degree turn.

Decked out in a dark blue blazer and white pants, Carroll, the architecture diva extraordinaire, was introduced by her close friend, noted architect Charles Renfro, who sported a smart gray skinny tie for the momentous occasion. Spots of light rain mixed with intermittent downpours, extending the turning process from a planned one-and-1/2 hours to three.

After the truck got stuck in the mud, the team powdered the wheels with lime to regain traction. The rain finally cleared and the intermission ended, and about 11 spectators from the original core 40 remained to see the end of an undeniably unique brand of performance art. Carroll says that her cameras caught more than 200 people in all stopping by at some point during the day.

Adding to the special event feel, Carroll broadcast it on a web cam setup, allowing thousands around the world the chance to look in if they so desired.

Watch the turn:

The idea behind "prototype 180" came to Carroll one day while she was stuck in Los Angeles traffic. The notion of turning a house 180 degrees, and transforming the backyard into the front, fit into Carroll's mind as a social commentary on the abandoned first-wave suburbs across the nation. She thought of the whole thing while surrounded by cars on the freeway. Then, she spent 10 years working to make it happen.

Now that the house has been turned, the next step is placing it on a soon-to-be cemented foundation (projected to take about three more weeks). Once that process is over, landscape and installation artist Molly Gochman, a collaborator on the project, will begin her contribution to Carroll's work by designing a minimalistic installation.

"I don't want it to flood the neighbors," Gochman said. "That'll be the first challenge, and then I'll break down the elements of the landscape."

The hope is that the house will provoke discussion and dialogue. Carroll plans to bring the art community to the so-called forgotten suburb with "prototype 180," and also seeks international attention through the live video feed from cameras planted on corners of the house.

Carroll plans on remodeling the home with environmentally-friendly amenities and decor of the era when it was built. The artist has said it is also intended to eventually become a single-family home to a real family, but which family is still undecided.

If you were trying to avoid gentrification, Sharpstown — get ready, the artists are moving in.