


As a retreat center in the Nature Park near the main DePauw campus, The Prindle Institute provides a much-needed place where students and faculty members can get away from their busy daily lives on campus to concentrate and reflect deeply on ethical issues. Within the Institute are a series of flexible and inspirational meeting spaces that open to the lush wooded surroundings. Outdoor areas provide places for more informal gatherings, conversations and events. A large lecture hall, library and dedicated space for DePauw faculty members and visiting scholars support the research, lectures, seminars, and lectures that are hosted at the Institute. Cascading water at the entry welcomes participants and invites them to enter a place dedicated to reflection and thoughtfulness.
Adjacent to The Prindle Institute for Ethics, the Reflection Center will provide a place for individual and group reflections in a quiet, natural setting. The two buildings will be joined by a series of waterfalls and streams of water. The Reflection Center, opening in the summer of 2008, will complement the Institute by offering a space conducive to meditation and contemplation.
Facilities at The Prindle Institute include:
Public spaces:
Administrative and Office area:
Meeting space capacity:
Conference Room - South: 20
Conference Room - North: 20
Auditorium: 113
Dining space capacity:
Private Dining: 20
Private Dining: 20
Great Room: 96 (8-top round tables)
Design of the Institute
Designed by Lake Flato Architects, leaders in green architecture, the Institute is LEED certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) using cutting-edge green building practices that meet DePauw’s commitment to sustainability. The architects carefully considered how to minimize the impact on the site’s natural environment and use of natural resources while creating a stunning experiential learning environment. Locally-quarried limestone and regionally-harvested woods, used for both exterior and interior finishes, provide color and texture that both blend with the surrounding context of the old quarry site and meet the rigorous standards of the USGBC. The configuration of the buildings around a landscaped courtyard brings in natural daylight to increase the quality of the interior space while decreasing the building’s energy use.
The Prindle Institute Design & Construction Team
Design Architect: Lake/Flato Architects
Architect of Record: CSO Architects
Structural Engineer: Lynch, Harrison & Brumleve
Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Engineers: L'Acquis Consulting Engineers
Civil Engineer: The Schneider Corporation
Native Planting Consultant: J.F. New
LEED Consultant: The Architectural Energy Corporation
General Contractor: Shiel Sexton, Co. Inc.
HVAC Contractor: AA Huber & Sons
Electrical Contractor: Miller Eades