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How a Flower Farm Blooms From an Abandoned House in Detroit

A whimsical idea for a floral installation turned into so much more.

By: THURSD. | 05-10-2020 | 1 min read
Sustainability Remarkable
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Lisa Waud is based in Detroit, Michigan, and a truly inspiring person when it comes to her work with nature. She describes herself as a "botanical installation artist, focused on large-scale, multi-sensory, immersive works incorporating biophilic elements". Her most remarkable installation is the FlowerHouse which - once read about it - seriously intrigues you to get to know more about this artist. Let's walk through the development of this Flower House turned into Flower Farm slash Public Park.

The FlowerHouse

It all started with the FlowerHouse which was created in 2015 by florist Lisa Waud and several collaborators. The brief exhibition with around 2,000 visitors had a mission to bring awe and joy to its 2,000 visitors and translated the love of art that was created by the group of participating florists. The FlowerHouse was the first stage of the sustainability plan for the site, which would eventually be home to a flower farm. Hereby they pursue a passion for sustainability and responsibility to American-grown flower farms.

Flower house was a three-day large-scale botanical installation in a foreclosed, blighted home created by a team of 37 designers and over 100 volunteers.

Photography by Heather Saunders Photography

Exterior of the derelict Detroit house transformed into FlowerHouse, featuring a bold floral mural and cascading wisteria-style blooms.

Weather-beaten doorway of 11753—Detroit’s FlowerHouse—bursting with climbing roses and foliage behind peeling green paint.

Dahlia, zinnia and hydrangea heads with scattered petals forming a colorful carpet on FlowerHouse’s worn wooden floor.

Inverted heart-shaped bouquet of greens and orange berries suspended mid-room inside the reclaimed FlowerHouse.

Floor-to-ceiling cascade of vegetables, foliage and vivid flowers covering old kitchen shelves in the Detroit FlowerHouse.

Close-up of FlowerHouse produce installation—beets, eggplants, peppers and red berries accented by yellow–orange marigolds.

Vintage bathtub inside FlowerHouse overflowing with fresh blue and white blossoms against pale tiles and trailing greenery.

Interior of Lisa Waud’s Detroit FlowerHouse: abandoned room lined with floral wreaths, a leafy canopy overhead, light pouring through a back window.

 

Team Project Flowerhouse

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