Sorority Houses In Sketchup

The goal of this project was to create an accurate 3-dimensional miniature version of my sorority house, Pi Beta Phi. This goal also turned into a research question on if it would even be possible to replicate this intricate house accurately into Sketchup. The challenge of this project was finding architectural plans, elevations of the exterior of the house as well as measurements and angles of the house. This motivated me to make sure that my 3D design in Sketchup was as accurate as possible in order to put into our chapter’s archives as a copy of the house since we did not have one. I wanted it to not be my interpretation or approximation but something that could stand as an accurate representation of the house and its details. This was not meant to be a simulacrum because I was not basing this off of a copy of the house but the house itself. Thus, I was very meticulous at

It was important to me to make this 3D model of Pi Phi because I view this historical home of ours as my sanctuary and a sacred space that we love and protect. Just like a church or a temple we conduct rituals which include biblical scripture being recited during chapter meetings, initiation and other traditions. We keep the place from being profane by having a no alcohol, no drugs, no tobacco product rule on Pi Phi grounds. Another rule to keep the place sacred is that no boys are allowed in any of the girl’s rooms and no visitors other than Pi Phis are allowed in the house after 11pm.

Another research question this project addressed was how to go about finding old records and resources of one of NC’s Historical District houses. This proved to be difficult due to the fact that our house was built in 1915 and we acquired it in 1925 as one of the first sororities at UNC. Through the