The Brand New Chapter House Open
Built in partnership with DU, the brothers of Alpha Pi Zeta of Lambda Chi Alpha can once again be proud of living in the finest Fraternity House (or other student housing for the matter) on campus. The new Lambda Chi Alpha Chapter house was modeled architecturally after the former chapter house but is completely up to date and better designed for the needs of todays undergraduates. It also sits on the site of our original chapter house which was torn down in 2006 to make way for this new structure.
The chapter house has been built with a 300 year lifespan in mind and features all brick and poured concrete construction. It is literally sound proof inside and floor to floor. There is more than 15,000 square feet of living and recreation space including housing for 31 with a mix of 17 single rooms, 6 doubles, a presidents suite and a first floor suite for the House Mother. The second and third floors are all housing and rooms feature at a minimum ten foot ceiling heights on the second floor and vaulted ceilings on the 3rd floor. The main floor consists of our dining area, the A.C. "Pete" Nelson Library, the House Mother suite and the two story Chapter Room, modeled after the one in our original building. The basement features a full recreational space including the original Chapter Pool Table (restored). a beverage service area donated by the father of undergraduate Chad Gallion, four flat screen TV's and an assortment of couches and vending machines. There are also laundry facilities that the brothers can use at no charge. The chapter house is also completely modern from a fire safety perspective.
One of the biggest changes in the new chapter house is that it was turned with the front facing east, which created a large, private front year that is the envy of every Fraternity on campus. Any nice day finds brothers and guests soaking up the sun, playing football, whiffle ball or any number of other activities. Every Friday afternoon the chapter hosts Front Porch Fridays, firing up the grill and hanging out through dinner time.
A tour of chapter house pictures is available on the home page. Items to note in the new design of the chapter house:
1. The original cornerstones featuring our letters and address were saved and incorporated into the new design of the front of the house. Thank you Brother Steven Haynes for making this happen.
2. The door to the AC "Pete" Nelson Library has a stained glass element featuring the elements from the shield of the Coat of Arms which also are the key logos of the Lambda Chi Alpha True Brother Initiative.
3. The Chapter room features a built in Coat of Arms over the fireplace that is back lit. By day it looks like a piece of artwork, but at night it can be lit up to add great ambiance to the room. This was donated by alumni brothers Tracy Forst, Drew Hunter and Mike Smith. It was designed by alumni Jason Wedekind, the brother who painted the large coat of arms above the fireplace in the original chapter house. It is also lit with LED lighting so it is very energy efficient. On either side of the fireplace are two of the original sconces restored from the old chapter room as well. They also provide lighting to the room.
The Undergraduate Chapter is very thankful to the more than 150 alumni and parents who contributed to the effort to rebuild our chapter house and to The University of Denver for investing in our future! Alumni, parents and friends of Lambda Chi Alpha are always encouraged to drop by and see the new house in person!