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Beloit College Powerhouse

Beloit College Powerhouse

Beloit, WI, United States

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Beloit College Powerhouse

Beloit, WI, United States

Firm

Studio Gang

Type

Educational › University

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2020

SIZE

100,000 sqft - 300,000 sqft

Photos

Tom Harris (12)

Looking to enhance the student experience and help revitalize the local riverfront, Beloit College partnered with Studio Gang to reinvent a former coal-burning power plant as a student union centered on recreation and wellness.

Located along the Rock River, adjacent to the College’s campus and close to downtown Beloit, the Powerhouse project combines an assemblage of historic buildings that made up the Blackhawk Generating Station (constructed between 1908–1947) along with a new field house addition. 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 mix with each other and the larger Beloit community.

A suspended, three-lane track runs through all portions of the building, which houses a fitness center and recreational gym, eight-lane competition swimming pool, and the indoor turf field house, as well as spaces for conversation, collaboration, and study. Additional amenities include a coffee shop, student lounges, club rooms, conference center, and a 164-seat auditorium.

Transforming the hundred-year-old structure presented significant challenges, especially to efficient energy use. New insulation regulates heat flow in the historic portions of the building, while the polycarbonate façade of the new field house 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, improving comfort within the building and maintaining the highest air quality, while also minimizing total energy use.

A new pedestrian bridge and publicly-accessible elevator connect the Beloit College campus, which sits on a hill, with the Powerhouse and the adjacent riverside paths and parks at ground level. Forming these new links between town, gown, and river, the former power plant is now generating a more energetic and vibrant community life.

Product Spec Sheet

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Collaborating Firms

SPAN

signage, wayfinding consultant

Applied Ecological Services

landscape architect

Threshold Acoustics, LLC

acoustics and A/V consultant

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Team

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Beloit College Powerhouse

Beloit, WI, United States

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Beloit College Powerhouse

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Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

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Beloit College Powerhouse

Beloit, WI, United States

Other Projects by Studio Gang

Q Residences

Kresge College Expansion at the University of California, Santa Cruz

Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

One Delisle

Assemble Chicago

Rescue Company 2

Solar Carve (40 Tenth Ave)

Beloit College Powerhouse

Solstice on the Park

University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris

MIRA

Tom Lee Park

11 Hoyt

Memphis Riverfront Concept

One Hundred

Hive

Eleanor Boathouse at Park 571

Civic Commons

Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation

Workspace 1212

Beloit College Powerhouse

Beloit, WI, United States

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team