Sigma Chi Fraternity, University of Oklahoma
Fraternities on college campuses were born in the American South in the mid 1800’s and cloaked in a societal culture of accepted norms that today are foreign and repugnant to us. This design for a new chapter house for the Sigma Chi Fraternity on the University of Oklahoma campus breaks free of the ubiquitous Southern plantation prototype so common in fraternity houses, and instead evokes a truly inclusive, 21st century modern American culture.
Designed to attract young men from all backgrounds and ethnic origins, this fraternity house will be a cool place to hang out and be with friends; a place that provides an environment to learn social skills, encourage learning, make lifelong connections, and have a comfortable home away from home. Long, expansive, modern forms and durable materials of masonry and tailored metal panel siding enclose light-filled interiors and reflect the sweeping Midwest plains that surround the campus. Generous covered outdoor spaces provide connections to various gathering spaces, the street and campus community.