Flexible Fraternity & Sorority House Design that Stays Appealing for Generations of Students

Fraternity & Sorority houses are a unique mixture of building types including, country club, restaurant, study hall, arcade and hotel, all wrapped up into one building.  They need to look and feel like country clubs but wear like prisons.  The design of the house must be flexible enough to accommodate all of the uses above but also be able change quickly between these uses without interrupting its overriding role as a place where young men and women learn leadership skills, make lifelong friends as well as getting a college education.  The zoning of each use has to be carefully considered both from a functional as well as aesthetic point of view.  Supplies and trash need to get to and from the kitchen without crossing the public path.  Food must be served from the kitchen for daily meals as well as for the large alumni buffets during football weekends and other special events.  The sleeping rooms must be zoned appropriately from the social and assembly spaces.

Greek housing design must also be responsive and ever adapting in order to stay appealing to new generations of students as new housing opportunities continue to be created on campus with bigger and more private facilities.  The design of the house must also be sensitive to its location. Often the house site is in a historically significant area of campus or the national organization would like the new building to reflect its historic roots and culture.

Finally, the process of planning and fund raising for most new Greek houses and or their renovations, is being managed and guided along by a committee of  concerned alumni and students willing to donate a great deal of time so that other young men and women can enjoy the same experiences they had as a Greek member in college.

Zaic & Associates understands these issues and also realizes that in addition to a traditional design role, we  must provide structure and leadership through the entire process including preliminary budgeting, creating fund raising renderings, preparing the Construction Documents and overseeing the construction of the project. We provide the framework and structure to make the process efficient and enjoyable.  We provide committee clients and volunteers with a structure that helps them effectively communicate their needs in an efficient manner thereby minimizing their time away from careers and families. 

We initiate Program/budget reconciliation at the commencement of the project in order to create a realistic basis upon which the project can proceed.  We then act as the team leader, coordinating from start to finish, the activities of all involved parties including the owner’s representatives, architect’s and owner’s consultants, code officials and the contractor.