Lawrence Group was recently tasked with reimagining 60-year-old Dunn Library at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, into a modern, state-of-the-art hub for teacher education and academic support services.
Built in 1965, Dunn Library was nearing the end of its serviceable life. For 60 years, Austrian-American Architect Richard Neutra’s modern masterpiece has stood sentinel over the quad at Simpson College, a private Methodist liberal arts college in Indianola, Iowa. Time had taken its toll on the iconic building, which had a leaking roof and obsolete building systems which contributed to a drag on the university’s operating budget.
The renovation would also need to accommodate the library’s extensive collection of historical documents and memorabilia from its founding in 1860, plus a number of archives that include the George Washington Carver Collection and information about the Lane Sisters (four famous 1920s sibling entertainers) from their time at Simpson.
Lawrence Group partnered with Simpson College and general contractor Story Construction to craft a design that preserved significant pieces of Neutra’s design, plus modernized the building’s mechanical systems. Central to the preservation effort was also replication of the library’s curtain wall module and cedar brise soliel (sun shade) on its south façade.
Completed in January 2024, the $10.5 million renovation included a redesign of the library’s first floor to include expanded student study spaces and collaborative workrooms, access to e-books and digital databases, plus dedicated areas for the college’s teacher education program and its prized physical collections.
New finishes, lighting and furniture plus a new outdoor patio were designed to enhance student centric and gathering spaces. Care was also taken on the library’s second floor to preserve its original stacks while threading new systems throughout the building.
