A sustainable space to thrive

While the Powerhouse grand opening was in February 2020, the pandemic has prevented many alumni from experiencing this transformational building in person. The pandemic also upended the magazine’s coverage of the opening. But now? Problem solved. In this photo essay, we show you how students’ return to campus in fall 2020 brought this decommissioned, coal-burning power plant to life as a green student union and recreation and athletic center. 

Sense of place. A large-scale mural of the Rock River Valley, created by Scott Reinhard, greets students after they enter the building through a pedestrian bridge. The mural was a gift of College Trustee Joanna Kutter’95.
Credit: Megan O'Leary

Opening night, Fitzgerald Rec Room, February 2020. The Powerhouse is unique in higher education for weaving together elements of student life instead of compartmentalizing them. In the lower-level rec room, students are surrounded by remnants of the building's past life while playing free billiards, ping pong, and video games. Practice space for baseball and softball with batting cages is right next door. Other fitness areas not shown but interspersed through the building include a yoga/dance studio, a fitness floor with stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical machines, weight-lifting equipment, and the college's Health and Wellness Center.
Credit: Megan O'Leary

To see and be seen. From this perspective, just hours before the 2020 grand opening party, all Powerhouse floors are visible, except for the fourth floor “stack,” where the iconic smokestack connects to the building. On the far right, suspended from the ceiling, is the copper-colored, three-lane, 175-meter running track, which seamlessly traverses the Powerhouse and adjacent Fieldhouse.
Credit: Yusuke Hatano’20

Hamiltons Café, lunchtime, September 2021. Open spaces, high ceilings, and a ventilation system that circulates 100 percent fresh air allows students to maintain social connections in a safe environment. The Powerhouse's 120,000 square feet feature a roomy, contemporary vibe that also preserves the building's past. Hamiltons retains the 1940s terra cotta tile floor, large coal hoppers, and control panels with original dials and levers, one side of which is retrofitted with a water and soda dispenser. The café is named for the Hamilton legacy family that includes matriarch, educator, and former Beloit Trustee Velma Bell Hamilton’30.
Credit: Alex Garcia

Elevated: swimming and diving practice in the Robert G. Nicholls Natatorium. The pool facilities in the Powerhouse significantly upgrade the swimming and diving experience for Beloit athletes and recreational swimmers. The light-filled venue, named for Nicholls, Beloit's beloved former athletic director and multi-sport coach from 1952-1995 known as “Coach Nick,” features an eight-lane competition swimming pool, ADA ramp, one- and three-meter diving boards, and seats for about 250 fans.
Credit: Alex Garcia

Shine on: Afternoon sun permeates the O'Neill Fieldhouse. The genius of the Powerhouse is its reuse of a historic waterfront structure, but its key features further reduce the building's carbon footprint. The light-permeable O'Neill Fieldhouse is one example. Clad with insulated panels that diffuse light, it was added to the north side of the core building and houses a multi-use 40- by 50-yard turf field. Two large overhead doors draw and circulate cool air in summer, eliminating the need for air conditioning. Sinnissippi Cruisers, a student-run bike-sharing enterprise, lends bright yellow bikes from a street-level location.
Credit: Alex Garcia

Tables with a waterfront view. Students enjoy ample gathering spaces on the building's rooftop terrace where they can dine, socialize, and study outdoors. The Matilda Wilson Terrace faces west toward the Rock River and adjacent Riverwalk, which connects two legs of the city's biking and walking trail system. The college and Beloit community partnered to build the Riverwalk.
Credit: Alex Garcia

Coming together at a distance. The Weissberg Auditorium is a versatile space that can accommodate up to 165 people and features a large-screen projection area at the front of the room. During the pandemic, it has served as the perfect location for smaller classes and groups to gather in person while maintaining physical distance.
Credit: Alex Garcia

Recognized for energy efficiency. In September, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, left, presented President Scott Bierman with the 2021 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award. The award singles out projects that commit to reduce waste through energy-saving facility and operations upgrades. The Powerhouse, one of 12 Wisconsin projects to earn this distinction, was recognized for participating in Focus on Energy, a statewide energy efficiency and renewable resources program.
Credit: Megan O'Leary

This diagram illustrates the building's major sustainable elements, including a radiant heating and cooling system that draws water from the Rock River to regulate temperature, air circulation that cools the Fieldhouse in the warmer months, and the century-old structure, formerly the Blackhawk Generating Station. “Sometimes the best new building is the building that already exists,” architect Jeanne Gang told Fast Company magazine in September, referring to the environmental advantages of repurposing structures. Studio Gang received Fast Company's Innovation by Design recognition last fall in coverage that prominently featured the Powerhouse project.
Credit: Studio Gang Architects