Phase 1 - Follies In The Landscape

We propose to produce a series of artifacts that exist as follies in the landscape.

Their form and materials will be of a common language, and their distribution and arrangement throughout the greenscape of Mt. Denis will suggest their inter-relationship. For example, each folly could incorporate a path stretching towards to next nearest folly (or other forms of integrated wayfinding). In this way, these artifacts will become a recognizable and unique feature of Mt. Denis, and occupation of one will make the user aware of the whole system.

A set of common parameters will be established for each folly that will not be prescribe specific form, but will prescribe the folly’s relationship to the human body. For example, each folly might incorporate the following: seating high surfaces, working height surfaces, hard ground surfaces, a concavity for water or bbq, high points for affixing shelter from the rain, wind and sun. Affordances will be designed to flexibly accommodate a range of readily available objects that users would be likely to bring: tables, chairs, tarps.

The folly is usable in all states, packed or unpacked. Populations may change, but the general utility of the folly’s set of surfaces and affordances will not. We hope that there will be unpredicted future uses of the artifact we provide.

One question that remains is that of access. Should the folly include a full kit of accessories? Should these accessories be stored within the folly? Should they be locked up, or is there a way to make them universally available without being subject to theft or vandalism? One possible strategy would be to mark the accessories such that they’re readily identifiable as part of the folly, and as such not worth stealing.