The Powerhouse at Beloit College

Looking to enhance the student experience and help revitalize the local riverfront, Beloit College purchased a former coal-burning power plant with intent to develop it as a student union centered on recreation and wellness.

The design retains architectural features and industrial equipment from the original structures while incorporating new sustainable practices and lively gathering spaces that encourage students to interact with each other and the greater Beloit community.

A suspended, three-lane track runs through all portions of the building, which houses a fitness center, two multipurpose rooms, an eight-lane competition swimming pool, varsity lockers rooms for swimming, all-gender changing rooms, a game area, campus wellness and counseling services facilities and the indoor synthetic turf fieldhouse.

Transforming the hundred-year-old structure presented significant challenges, especially in terms of efficient energy use. New insulation regulates heat flow in the historic portions of the building, while the polycarbonate facade of the new fieldhouse provides advanced thermal insulation and abundant, diffuse natural light throughout the day. In addition, a radiant-panel-and-slab system harnesses energy from the Rock River for most of the Powerhouse’s heating and cooling needs.

ARCHITECT OF RECORD

Studio Gang

Chicago, Ill.

ASSOCIATE ARCHITECT

Angus Young Associates

Madison, Wis.

AQUATIC CONSULTANT/ENGINEER

Ramaker & Associates

Sauk City, Wis.

PROJECT VENDORS