By Melissa Keeley

Guest Writer

It is easy to miss the subtleties of Calvin's campus. Often as students we rush between classes barely taking notice of the large buildings that we are entering. In the quick glance we take before rushing into the door we may see nothing more than a large building with no defining characteristics and little personality. Once inside, the hallways seem standard and the classrooms appear typical. However, if one takes a longer look at the buildings, the beauty of their detail and subtle nature becomes apparent.

The buildings exemplify a theory of design, which deliberately creates structures that nurture security, community and an appearance of naturalness. However, the newly constructed buildings on the east campus embrace a different concept of design, which is aggressive, determined and outward looking. While these characteristics are found in the more modern styles of architecture, they conflict with our existing structures and blatantly contradict the original intentions when the campus was designed.

When William Fife designed the old campus, he followed four basic design principles. First, he sought to create a unity of knowledge. This was accomplished by connecting the academic buildings together. Physically they are connected with basement level hallways between the buildings. Aesthetically they are united together by similar facades and their placement within the natural flow of the land while centering on the common axis of the Campus Green.

The buildings reflect and embrace the existing landscape. Instead of destroying the natural plants and curves of the land, Fife designed the structures with respect to their environment. The buildings appear to almost grow out of the ground and their gently sloping roofs reflect the slopes of the hills. In fact, the planned space for Spoelhof Center was actually shifted several feet to accommodate the growing roots of the pre-existing oak tree that now towers over the building.

Several of the buildings use ribbon windows. These windows expose the definite structure of the building while allowing interplay between the inside and the outside of the structure. This is exemplified in the library where all four floors have ribbon windows allowing people walking on the paths to see in, while keeping those inside connected to the outside - a constant interplay creating a fluid movement. This flow back and forth is characteristic of the prairie style perfected by Frank Lloyd Wright. By uniting the outdoors with the indoor, a new environment of learning was created.

This environment was anti-authoritarian and was based on Fife's second principle of design: the community of scholars. By centering all the buildings on the Commons green, the buildings represented a community coming together and looking inward. The campus was a cloistered environment closed off from its surroundings. The buildings fostered this sense of community and security. The entrances to buildings are somewhat hidden and one must enter an enclosed area to reach the doorway. This design, prominent in Hiemenga Hall, gives the visitor the sense that they are entering a shelter, and the overhangs give a feeling of protection.

Once inside, hallways are small, enticing students to enter classrooms or offices and to engage within the community of scholars. The Fine Arts Center exemplifies this design. In the basement of Spoelhof the brick pillars scattered along the hallway and the lowered ceilings directly in front of doors affirm this sense of security. Wood railings and brass doorknobs give the impression of warmth and comfort within the buildings.

The community was connected through solidarity of purpose; they sought to create a Christian community in which faith was integrated with all subject matters. This integration represented the third principle of design: faith and learning. The connected buildings showed the connected focus of academics and religion. The influence of eastern architecture on the buildings' design resulted in an atmosphere of contemplation and meditation, encouraging both learning and spiritual reflection.

The fourth principle of design is to create multi-use buildings. Administrative offices are next to faculty offices, all of which are placed amongst classrooms. There is no separation amongst the community; just as faith and learning are integrated, so are the different people at Calvin.

The new buildings being built across the Beltline do not foster this sense of community, they are aggressive, determined, and they look outward into the larger world rather than inward. Calvin has decided that the new buildings should no longer close Calvin off into a cloistered environment, but open Calvin up to the outside world.

While it was necessary for Calvin to expand and open up to the larger community, there is a large price to pay for this move. The continuity of the campus will be lost, the buildings will no longer all be interconnected, they will differ stylistically and they will no longer center around the axis of the Commons green. The greatest loss is that the subtle beauty of the existing campus will be dwarfed by the massive structures being built across the Beltline.

The architecture of the new buildings reflects a very western view where the emphasis is on grandeur and impressive appearances. The new buildings are massive in size and completely overshadow the environment around them. There is no interplay between nature and man-made structure, but buildings that stand as monoliths. The new buildings close people off from the natural environment. This is exemplified in the large wall of windows that stand at the entrance of the Prince Conference Center. While these windows show the impressive nature of the building's modern architecture to the outside word - those traveling on the Beltline - those within the building have a bleak view of moving cars.

The east campus expansion was necessary. The architectural design of the new buildings by themselves is good. However, the style of the new buildings overpowers and destroys the architectural intentions of the original campus. The outward- looking buildings will impede the feeling of community and the full integration of students, faculty and staff.

As a college we must now work harder to continue these original goals of the campus in our on-campus activities and academic pursuits. As the new buildings welcome new people to the campus, we must give substance to the grandeur of their design by exemplifying the Christian community the original campus sought to create.