Morris Agency
Oklahoma is Indian country, and the Morris Insurance Agency says this
both literally, in its collection of Native American art, and metaphorically
in its suggestive form and orientation.
From a distance, the agency resembles a compound of weathered farm buildings sinking gracefully into a field of prairie grasses and red cedar trees. Four copper wind cutters rise above the entrance in acknowledgment of the sacred number four - four cardinal directions, four seasons and the Native-American myth of the wind spirit that moves silently through the tall prairie grasses.
Small openings in the north facade protect against biting north winds, while a long, high sun catcher opens southward to a small lake, the reflected light from the water brightening the interior spaces. The east facade presents a large window to the sunrise, while the west is closed against baking afternoon sun. Like many Elliott + Associates projects, the Morris Agency blends the precious and the commonplace-copper roof and vinyl siding, native art and indigenous landscaping. The oxidizing copper and deep shadows give the building a rooted appearance, as though it had been there forever.
A long interior spine serves as an art gallery for the owner's collection of Native American pots, headdresses and ceremonial pieces. Tall windows in the key transitional spaces offer glimpses of the indigenous landscape and prairie grass moving to the breath of the wind spirit.
