The house was not renovated sooner due to the frugality of previous chancellors, he added. These alternatives, Hamilton said, ranged from selling the property and building a house on university property to completely renovating the original house. Ralls noted that the design of the house was made largely with the needs of the university and future chancellors in mind. Hamilton agreed, noting the simple design of the house. Clayton Halliday, assistant director of Architects and Engineers, said the style of the house, with its gabled entryways and colored concrete floors, is the architectural firm's signature.
Simple detail is kind of their pallet.
The public areas of the residence include a large living room as well as a dining room that can accommodate up to 12 people, Halliday said. Also included in the residence is a large guest suite with a private bathroom and sitting room, which Ralls said was included to replace a guest house that was part of the original residence. It's part of the 'homey' feel of the campus for the chancellor to be able to have different guests stay at the residence. Another central feature of the house is the large kitchen area, which will better serve the needs of caterers, something which Ralls said the former residence was unable to do adequately. The public areas of the residence also include a large special events area that can hold up to 50 people and allows for direct access for caterers, a study, a house manager's office and eight bathrooms.