This new fraternity house addresses many of this Southern College’s institutional objectives including security, student life concerns and extensive campus-wide improvements being implemented adjacent to the building. Located directly across from the College Admissions Office, the design features a broad front porch and expansive windows to create transparency to the interior. Material and landscape selections focus on low maintenance, sustainability, and durability.
The original house located at the same site had been reduced to ashes in 2012, leaving its residents homeless and lacking an identity. Even prior to the conflagration that led to its demise, the fraternity’s minimal street presence made it an easy target for neglect and illcare. The task was not only to rebuild the home, but also to rehabilitate the identity of the fraternity at this small southern college.
Rigorous studies of campus and adjacent houses led to an awareness of the important role of the house’s location relative to campus and town. Particular site constraints such as the narrow lot and the need for major and minor entrances led to a long and narrow form. By carefully locating public spaces on the front and rear of the site, the fraternity house becomes an inviting social space, welcoming tor residents while being easily surveyed by campus security. A new front porch with built-in furniture adds a degree of privacy with a contemporary nod toward southern porch living.
StudioMB’s planning of the house and the landscape allows for gathering spaces of different sizes and configurations for a variety of functions. The front great room, with the majestic open stair allows for formal meetings of the brothers, while the rear terrace, open slatted stair, and lawns allow for more informal social functions and play. A hierarchy of rooms and variety of spaces within the house makes it appealing to brothers as they matriculate, benefitting recruiting and retention.
Material Used :
1. Hardi Panel
2. Jeld Wen Doors and Windows
3. Ipe Decking and Cladding
4. Forbo LVT Flooring
5. El Dorado Stone
