The Beloit College Powerhouse, the school’s new student union, combines a group of historic buildings that made up the Blackhawk Generating Station (originally built between 1908 and 1947) along with a new field house addition. The design retains architectural features and industrial equipment from the original structures while also incorporating new sustainable practices and gathering spaces.
New insulation regulates heat flow in the historic portions of the building while the polycarbonate facade of the new field house provides advanced thermal insulation and abundant natural light throughout the day. A radiant panel and slab system harnesses energy from the Rock River and uses it for most of the Powerhouse’s heating and cooling needs.
A new pedestrian bridge and publicly-accessible elevator connect the Beloit College campus with the Powerhouse and the adjacent riverside paths and parks at ground level. Inside, a suspended three-lane track runs through all portions of the Powerhouse. The facility also includes a fitness center and recreational gym, an eight-lane competition pool, an indoor turf field house, a coffee shop, student lounges, club rooms, a conference center, and a 164-seat auditorium. Additional spaces for collaboration, conversation, and study are also located throughout the building.
The build team also included Angus Young Associates (associate architect, electrical engineer, plumbing engineer, fire protection engineer, structural engineer), R.H. Batterman & Co. (civil engineer), and Applied Ecological Services (landscape architect).
Related Stories
University Buildings | Nov 28, 2017
FXFOWLE and CO Architects collaborate on Columbia University School of Nursing building
The building has a ‘collaboration ribbon’ that runs throughout the building.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Nov 27, 2017
The University of Memphis unveils the new home of the men’s basketball program
The Laurie-Walton Family Basketball Center will provide a strong commitment to donor and VIP cultivation.
Adaptive Reuse | Nov 10, 2017
Austin’s first indoor shopping mall becomes Austin Community College’s new digital media center
Renovation of the defunct mall represents Phase 2 of ACC’s $100 million adaptive reuse project.
University Buildings | Nov 6, 2017
A reconstructed building sets the standard for future rehabs at Cornell
Early AE collaboration played a major role in moving this project forward efficiently.
University Buildings | Oct 13, 2017
The University of Oklahoma receives its first residential colleges
The residential communities were designed by KWK Architects and combine living and learning amenities.
University Buildings | Oct 12, 2017
USC to debut new bioscience center next month
The building is designed to maximize recruitment and interaction of scientists and researchers.
University Buildings | Oct 12, 2017
The Center for Wounded Veterans is a first for a university campus
The Chez Family Foundation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education is the first building of its kind on a U.S. college campus.
University Buildings | Oct 10, 2017
A 1920s cheese factory is now a university science building
Almost 15,000 sf of space was added to the original, four-story building.
Sustainability | Oct 9, 2017
New Arizona State University building will reach triple net-zero performance
The science and research complex will include an atrium biome filled with plants and water.
Higher Education | Sep 18, 2017
Campus landscape planning of the future: A University of Wisconsin-Madison case study
Recognizing that the future health of the campus and lake are interdependent, this innovative approach will achieve significant improvements in stormwater management and water quality within the university’s restored, more connected network of historic and culturally rich landscapes.
