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 Bartlett Reflection Center provides a place for individual and group reflections in a quiet, natural setting. The two buildings are joined by a series of waterfalls and streams of water. The Reflection Center complements the Institute by offering a space conducive to meditation and contemplation.

Facilities at The Prindle Institute include:

Public spaces:

  • - Prindle Auditorium with seating for 113
  • - Great Room with conversational areas, arranged around a large fireplace, designed for relaxed discussion and conversation (Great Room may also be used for meals, with a seating capacity of 96.)
  • - Two conference rooms with chairs around a large table, seating 20 each
  • - Additional spaces for study, small group discussion, and informal interactions
  • - Kitchen facilities

Administrative and Office area:

  • - Offices for Director and Assistant Director as well as Faculty Coordinator.
  • - Eight offices for visiting scholars and DePauw faculty members. Click here for Guidelines for
      Office Availability.
  • - Library, including a sampling of books written by Prindle scholars and visitors, as well as ethics-related works by DePauw faculty members and Institute publications

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. In May of 2008 the Prindle Institue became the first building in Indiana to receive a Gold rating for energy efficiency and environmental design from the U.S. Green Building Council. Its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices.

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