Simpson College - Campus

Campus

The 85-acre (340,000 m2) tree-lined campus is bordered on the north by Buxton Park. Simpson blends tradition with practicality which is reflected in the architecture on campus. Many of the buildings have been renovated in keeping with their historic past, and new buildings blend the traditional look of the campus with an energetic dimension. The theater building, an example of the Brutalist architecture that dominated American campus construction in the 1970s, was renovated and added on to in 2010-11, softening its features, but is a notable exception. The renovation and addition to the theater building is the first of many construction projects that Simpson has planned for the next five years.

Other notable construction includes the building of the brand new Kent Family Campus center, which replaces the old Brenton Student Center as the center of student life. The 55,000-square-foot campus center will house new meeting rooms and offices for student groups, a student activities theatre, comfortable living room settings, a grille and snack bar, a coffee house, a new book store and post office, and new professional space for the Student Development staff.

Simpson also recently renovated their outdoor track and football field. In addition to rebuilding the entrances and fences surrounding Bill Buxton stadium, the school invested in what has been dubbed the most innovative artificial turf system in the world, FieldTurf Revolution, for the fall of 2011 school year. The new-era Beynon BSS 1000 running track, similar to the new tracks installed at the University of Virginia and The University of Iowa, was also installed for the 2011-12 school year. The renovation of Simpson's athletic facilities will continue in the future with a proposed design for a new bi-level weight room in the current pool area and two new classrooms in place of the current weight room. This move was made possible by the construction of a new YMCA on the north side of town that will contain an Olympic-sized pool and will host swimming meets for both Simpson College and the local high school.

Simpson offers a variety of residential housing options, including two freshmen-only residence halls, other traditional residence halls, apartment-style living, theme houses and an active Greek system. All Simpson living facilities include air conditioning, lofted beds, carpet, furniture, social lounges and wireless internet.