The front of Butler University’s newest dorm, Irvington House, which sits on Hampton Drive. Photo by Emma Laux.
EMMA LAUX | STAFF REPORTER | elaux@butler.edu
The empty rooms in Irvington House were brought to life for the first time Aug. 19 as students moved into their new home. Students from the Class of 2022 have now officially become the first residents of Butler University’s newest housing facility.
Butler, in partnership with American Campus Communities, debuted Irvington, a suite-style building holds 647-beds that will be comprised of first year students.
A standard suite in Irvington consists of two double rooms connected by a shared bathroom. Each double room has a half wall, a unique architectural feature which offers residents increased privacy while maintaining the intimacy of the living space.
First-year finance major Skyler Spetter said Irvington was “nicer than any other building he had ever seen” and that it seems like a hotel.
Irvington has a laundry room on every floor, a cardio fitness room, a recreation center and social lounge as well as an indoor bike rack.
The recreation center and social lounge, located on the first level, is intended to cultivate community and connectedness. A pool table, ping pong and arcade games are all included in the space.
“I am excited about hanging out here the most,” Spetter said. “The arcade games are really cool.”
Study lounges, both inside and outside, offer various settings for academic endeavors. Whether students prefer a small, quiet study area to work on a paper alone or need a large, versatile space to meet with study groups, Irvington has many options for new students.
Irvington is the second of two new residential facilities on campus. Fairview House, completed in the fall of 2016, predominantly houses sophomores.
This means that by the time students enter their junior year, most will have had experienced living in a newly renovated building outfitted with numerous amenities.
Other housing facilities on campus, particularly apartments intended for upperclassmen, become modest in comparison to the grandeur of Irvington and Fairview.
As the interim executive director of student living and learning, Kathy Shellogg said, “Irvington casts an even bigger shadow on other buildings.”
The projects that may have taken a back burner during the construction of Irvington and Fairview are now even more prominent and necessary.
“We’ve got these two stunning buildings that were built by a company that has been charged with keeping them up-to-date,” Shellogg said. “And then we have the buildings we’ve left and haven’t kept probably up-to-date as well. University Terrace is on that list.”
University Terrace, the upperclassmen apartment building located on the corner of 52nd street and Westfield Boulevard, is in need of new carpets and windows.
Other buildings on campus, such as the C units in CTS Apartments, were “not in a condition the students or families would expect,” Shellogg said. “I don’t think that would have been an issue had we not had an Irvington and a Fairview.”
The completion of Irvington has undoubtedly altered Butler’s campus in a physical way. However, for some, the influence of the building transcends its tangible walls.
Courtney Sweeney, senior human communication and organizational leadership and marketing major, said, “This is kind of how Butler needs to stay competitive and relevant. I think it is a positive thing.”
Sweeney was one of the last residents in Schwitzer Hall, the housing facility that once stood in the same location as Irvington.
“We’re getting to be a force to be reckoned with,” Sweeney said. “I think it was inevitable. I’m excited to see what this looks like in five, 10 and 20 years.”
