“Flight of Fancy” Bat House

To the surprise of almost everyone, the main event at a benefit auction of whimsical bird houses wasn’t a bird house at all: a bat house stole the show. Organized by the Texas Fine Arts Association, proceeds from the December 1988 auction benefitted Texas and national artists. Lake and Flato architects of San Antonio, Texas designed the fanciful bat house that became the highest bid item in the auction, bringing in an astounding $8,000. They originally had intended to design a hummingbird feeder for the event, but after hearing Merlin Tuttle lecture in San Antonio, they decided that a bat house would be much more fun. The “Flight of Fancy” house is a four foot tall, one foot square sheet metal box lined with rough-sawn wood. It stands 10 feet off the ground on rusted drill-stem pipe. Lake and Flato overwhelmed the competition with the sheer size and drama of their structure. Stacked over the top of the house are three huge squares of sheet metal, bent to simulate the wings of bats in flight. The “Flight of Fancy” bat house may or may not attract bats, but it certainly will always attract attention!