Beloit College announced that it has selected Studio Gang Architects to lead the conversion of a century-old power plant along the Rock River riverfront in Wisconsin.
The school’s board of trustees approved the selection on Saturday after a series of updates regarding the power plant’s sale from Alliant Energy to the college. If all goes well, the school said in a release that Alliant Energy would formalize a transition of the property in 2016.
The release reveals that a “selection committee comprised of Beloit trustees, staff, faculty, and students selected Studio Gang for their creativity, talent, vision, and care, but most of all—their enthusiasm for approaching this project as both collaborator and partner, learner and leader.”
According to designboom, the power plant will be converted into a recreation facility with a coffee shop, lounges, club rooms, a conference center, lecture hall, and theater.
In addition, a sporting facility will also be housed in the building, equipped with a three-lane track, eight-lane competition swimming pool with seating for 250 spectators, a 10,000-sf fitness center, and a 17,000-sf gymnasium.
Alliant Energy's Blackhawk Generating Station, here flanked (left) by Beloit College's Aldrich Residence Hall and Center for the Sciences (right). The cupola of the college's Middle College administration building is visible to the far right. Photo credit: Trevor Johnson.
Related Stories
Building Team | Jun 17, 2022
Data analytics in design and construction: from confusion to clarity and the data-driven future
Data helps virtual design and construction (VDC) teams predict project risks and navigate change, which is especially vital in today’s fluctuating construction environment.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jun 17, 2022
U. of Georgia football facility expansion provides three floors for high-performance training
A major expansion of the University of Georgia’s football training facility has been completed.
Building Team | Jun 16, 2022
Hybrid work expected to reduce office demand by 9%
Businesses are slowly but consistently transitioning to a permanent hybrid work environment, according to a senior economist at Econometric Advisors.
Building Team | Jun 16, 2022
USGBC announces more than 23 million square feet of LEED certified net zero space
Today, the U.S. Green Building Council announced nearly 100 net zero certifications earned under the LEED Zero program, representing more than 23 million square feet of space.
AEC Business Innovation | Jun 15, 2022
Cognitive health takes center stage in the AEC industry
Two prominent architecture firms are looking to build on the industry’s knowledge base on design’s impact on building occupant health and performance with new research efforts.
Market Data | Jun 15, 2022
ABC’s construction backlog rises in May; contractor confidence falters
Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to nine months in May from 8.8 months in April, according to an ABC member survey conducted May 17 to June 3. The reading is up one month from May 2021.
Codes and Standards | Jun 15, 2022
Waived tariffs on solar panels expected to boost solar power
The Biden Administration recently waived tariffs on solar panels from four countries in a move advocates say will accelerate the clean energy transition and benefit national security.
Cultural Facilities | Jun 15, 2022
Gehry-designed Children’s Institute aims to foster community outreach in L.A.’s Watts neighborhood
The Children’s Institute (CII) in Los Angeles will open a 200,000-sf campus designed by Frank Gehry this summer.
Building Team | Jun 14, 2022
Thinking beyond the stadium: the future of district development
Traditional sports and entertainment venues are fading as teams and entertainment entities strive to move toward more diversified entertainment districts.
Codes and Standards | Jun 14, 2022
Hospitals’ fossil fuel use trending downward, but electricity use isn’t declining as much
The 2021 Hospital Energy and Water Benchmarking Survey by Grumman|Butkus Associates found that U.S. hospitals’ use of fossil fuels is declining since the inception of the annual survey 25 years ago, but electricity use is dipping more slowly.