I'm sorry, but I don't think there's any way this side of Orion's Belt that building is going to look homey. In fact, I'm wondering how a building with so few windows could be any kind of residence at all.

On the other hand, it is a gorgeous building.

It seems your short term plan is to keep it for sorority use. What is the long-term plan?

Thanks, Rina -that was sort of what I feared, but was hoping that somebody had a brilliant, out of the box idea to change that! The house will be a sorority as long as there is a need for that, so I don't anticipate that changing anytime soon. There is a huge skylight on the roof, letting in a lot of light. The bedrooms are around the exterior of the upper floors (each with a long, skinny window pictured) and the center room has windows into the hallway adding more light. The house very comfortably sleeps 40+ people, so the scale is quite large.

The building reminds me of a university library or classroom building. It would be a huge mistake to try to make this place look "homey". Embrace the architecture for what it is. Simplify and modernize the landscaping -- replace the funky curved retaining walls with walls of an aesthetic equal to the building with straight lines and quality materials. Think interesting foliage, but not the current hodge-podge -- simplify, use repetition. Be sure the lighting fixtures are top quality mid-century modern (safely bolted into place to prevent theft), and plenty of them for safety. Remove oversize shrubs flanking the steps to open the view to the entry (and correspondingly the view from inside toward the street).

If you have oodles of money, commission a mural or some metal exterior wall sculpture to liven up the blank brick "canvas". (Edit: I should add, that might lower the value of the property if not done really really well.)

Nancy, band staining the brick is a brilliant idea! It really makes a huge difference.

I think it's a kinda nice formal Brutalist building.

Is it in the budget to replace the windows and doors? Better quality, well-designed windows with black mullions, and glass spandrels would be an improvement.

A lot could be accomplished with more modern landscaping as suggested above. To begin, lose the Techno-Bloc retaining walls next to the front steps.

It is what it is and short of spending $$$ there's not much you can do to this hulking mass of a building. You can stain the brick white or start ivy growing over the building.

Remove the meatballs and amateur garden center retaining walls in favor of one single low horizontal retaining wall. Pick a material that relates to the exterior choices. Matching brick if you could. Cot-ten steel possibly.

The wall should have a decent horizontal space between it and the street where some larger scaled pots and concrete jigsaw puzzle blocking “garden” with some heavy “sculptures” can shine. Look at the standard blockade pot planting’s meant to keep vehicles from ramming public buildings. You will need an expert to design this, and implement it. Maybe Phase 1 is Design, and Phase 2 is Implement.

The smaller space between the top of the wall and building can be actual planting’s, but mostly drought resistant grasses and maybe some very low growing junipers.

The building is a STAR, and needs to be more revealed than hidden by landscaping.

Also think about a rooftop terrace and garden if it’s flat. Would be cool to see a hint of green in the sky peeking over like a secret paradise.

Cor-ten sadly stains sidewalks. :((((

Statues, no matter how heavy or anchored, are just too great a temptation for pranks on campus.

I would add a wrap around screened in porch, black trim on the top and bottom, stain the concrete, paint the side windows, add some hydrangea, and a front door.

I am now every modernist landscape architect since 2005...

Make the front lawn perfectly flat with a retaining wall on either side of the walkway.

Install a grass lawn. Plant it with a small grouping of river birch in center of each, centered on the blank walls on either side.

On the right, plant a big block of Muhly grass to the street corner. On the far left, put in a sculptural group that includes seating on white gravel, but it must be incredibly pretentious.

That will be $500k for the design.

Lol.