Calvin College - Campus

Campus

Calvin acquired the 166-acre (0.67 km2) property in the mid-1950s and began a process of turning a biologically diverse farm into a center for Christian higher education. The master plan for the site was developed by William Beye Fyfe, an adherent of the Prairie School of architecture. Working with President Spoelhof, Fyfe came up with a set of design principles for the campus aimed to both symbolically represent and physically promote such ideals as the integration of faith and learning; integration of administration, faculty, and students; and the inter-relatedness of all the disciplines. The integration of knowledge was symbolized in the arrangement of the academic buildings. Unlike many college campuses which feature an impressive structure at the center of the campus, such as a chapel or administrative hall, Calvin has no such building. The major buildings on campus are all in a great circle around the Commons Lawn. The lawn was intended and serves as the common point of interaction between faculty, students, and administration. Following the ideal of an integrated community, all of the buildings are intended serve a variety of purposes. Administration is mixed with classrooms, faculty offices and lecture halls. The departments are not sequestered apart from other departments by residing in separate buildings, but many departments share facilities to encourage the solidarity of purpose and unity contributing to a strong inter-departmental character and stronger Christian community.