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 | Dec 5, 2022
Florida Polytechnic University unveils its Applied Research Center, furthering its mission to provide STEM education
In Lakeland, Fla., located between Orlando and Tampa, Florida Polytechnic University unveiled its new Applied Research Center (ARC). Designed by HOK and built by Skanska, the 90,000-sf academic building houses research and teaching laboratories, student design spaces, conference rooms, and faculty offices—furthering the school’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) mission.
Education Facilities | Nov 30, 2022
10 ways to achieve therapeutic learning environments
Today’s school should be much more than a place to learn—it should be a nurturing setting that celebrates achievements and responds to the challenges of many different users.
University Buildings | Nov 13, 2022
University of Washington opens mass timber business school building
Founders Hall at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, the first mass timber building at Seattle campus of Univ. of Washington, was recently completed. The 84,800-sf building creates a new hub for community, entrepreneurship, and innovation, according the project’s design architect LMN Architects.
University Buildings | Nov 3, 2022
New College of Medicine debuts on University of Houston’s campus
It's part of a planned medical district.
University Buildings | Nov 2, 2022
New Univ. of Calif. Riverside business school building will support hybrid learning
A design-build partnership of Moore Ruble Yudell and McCarthy Building Companies will collaborate on a new business school building at the University of California at Riverside.
School Construction | Oct 31, 2022
Claremont McKenna College science center will foster integrated disciplinary research
The design of the Robert Day Sciences Center at Claremont McKenna College will support “a powerful, multi-disciplinary, computational approach to the grand socio-scientific challenges and opportunities of our time—gene, brain, and climate,” says Hiram E. Chodosh, college president.
University Buildings | Oct 27, 2022
The Collaboratory Building will expand the University of Florida’s School of Design, Construction, and Planning
Design firm Brooks + Scarpa recently broke ground on a new addition to the University of Florida’s School of Design, Construction, and Planning (DCP).
Higher Education | Oct 24, 2022
Wellesley College science complex modernizes facility while preserving architectural heritage
A recently completed expansion and renovation of Wellesley College’s science complex yielded a modernized structure for 21st century STEM education while preserving important historical features.
BAS and Security | Oct 19, 2022
The biggest cybersecurity threats in commercial real estate, and how to mitigate them
Coleman Wolf, Senior Security Systems Consultant with global engineering firm ESD, outlines the top-three cybersecurity threats to commercial and institutional building owners and property managers, and offers advice on how to deter and defend against hackers.
University Buildings | Oct 18, 2022
A carbon-neutral-ready university campus opens in Hong Kong
In early September, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) officially opened its new, KPF-designed campus in Nansha, Guangzhou (GZ).
