In the entertainment industry ‘Family Entertainment Center’ is often abbreviated as FEC — FEC is also termed as Indoor Amusement Park, Family Amusement Center, Family Fun Center, or Fun Center, or Family Fun Corner. The FEC has a wide range of offerings -the landscape size matters — from indoor ski areas, indoor theme parks, water parks, zoos, science centers, shooting ranges, or even an underground shark tunnel — to— limited acres land of play zones, amusement park themes (water-park and ride-parks).
Alongside these amusement facilities, the companies running the FEC shows, also organise audience engaging events like: festive celebrations, special campaigns, entertainment shows, award functions, summer workshops, and music concerts, etc. And over the years this large scale FEC concept which runs down from the US to India, is now narrowed down in size in every cluster and penetrated deep till one’s door-step — this has now become a part of the shopping mall industry, recreational clubs, club houses in residential colonies and townships.
In India, while designing the interiors for a residential project, the concept of FEC is further narrowed down -where the spaces are reserved for many small happenings within a family life — while designing such an arena especially for family indoor get-together and entertainment —where a productive afternoon – to – an evening – to – a week-end is spent, or ceremonies and celebrations are celebrated together. Well, scaling down and designing such a space is not restricted to one particular block, but this ‘Family-First Zone’ can be a cluster of two or more spaces, all depends upon the segregation, segmentation of the whole house.
Drawing room, living room, a segregated dining area, terrace, balcony, empty corners or blank spaces can be converted to a ‘Family-First Zone’ -to organise a kitty, or a high-tea, or to play games, watch movies, listen to music, chit-chat over a coffee or conversing over family history or cultural and ritual narratives — every such gala moment, which strengthens the family-bonding and nurtures other relations can happen at any area of this ‘Family-First Zone’.
A house resembles everything, meaning everything — family bonding too is revealed in the interiors of the house.