Imagine living in a multimillion-dollar home at the age of 20. Now imagine sharing that home with a dozen of your closest friends. This fall, three University of Mississippi sorority houses welcome members to newly constructed or renovated homes.
DELTA GAMMA
Built in the 1930s, the Delta Gamma house is the oldest house on campus. The Ole Miss DG chapter is the largest in the nation. According to Lisa Darnell, chairman of the building committee, expanding membership over the last couple of years led to the need for renovations to the house. “Sorority membership had increased rapidly from about 300 members five years earlier to over 400 members in 2013,” Darnell said. “We had a need for increased space for providing study, dining, living and meeting spaces for our growing membership.” During the yearlong expansion process, which nearly doubled the structure in size, it was important to preserve and incorporate
historical elements into the new design. The original door of the house was moved and is now the door in the new library. A rug that had been in the living room for more than 50 years was retired and made into an ottoman in the library. As for the exterior, it was important for the new house to maintain the aesthetic appearance of the old one. The designers decided to keep the elements that most distinguished the house from other buildings on campus: the colonnaded front porch, the white painted brick and the dark green louvered shutters. “The new design echoes the spirit and charm of the original house, both inside and out,” Darnell said.
SEPTEMBER 2018 | INVITATION OXFORD
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