Location: Beloit, United States.

Architect: Studio Gang.

The Beloit College Powerhouse project aims to transform a defunct power plant into a center of community and wellness. The project will maintain the original historic façade of the power plant, while much of the defunct equipment will be removed. The interior will feature four interconnected levels, including a 10,000-sf fitness center with a 3-lane track and 8-lane pool, and a 17,000-sf field house. The project presents significant challenges, especially when considering how to efficiently heat and cool a building designed for machines but repurposed for people. Radiant panels integrated into the building’s surfaces are able to cycle cool water from the adjacent Rock River for most of the Powerhouse’s heating and cooling needs, improving comfort within the building and maintaining the highest quality of air, while also significantly minimizing total energy use. With its adaptive reuse, sustainable features, and focus on health and well-being, the Powerhouse serves as a model for the future, showing how building mindfully can support healthy relationships between people and with the environment.