Studio Gang has retained reimagined a former coal-burning power plant as a Student Union Building focused on health and wellness for Wisconsin’s Beloit College. Situated between the College’s campus and the Rock River, the design transforms a symbol of a now outdated source of electricity into a wellspring of sustainable technology that includes a radiant heating and cooling system that draws from the River itself.
The programme for the Student Union is highly ambitious and includes 10,000 square foot fitness centre and 17,000 square foot recreational gym with a 3-lane track and an 8-lane competition swimming pool. Additional amenities include a coffee shop, student lounges, club rooms, conference centre, lecture hall/theatre and places for collaboration and study.
The transformation of a hundred-year-old coal-burning plant posed several challenges, including the heating and cooling of the substantial recreation spaces. Buildings typically use mechanical ventilation (air) for heating and cooling, however, water is considerably more efficient. As such, radiant panels are integrated into the building’s surfaces. Using water from the nearby river, a network of tubes run through the panels, resulting in a radiant surface that maintains a constant temperature. The panels can deliver most of the building’s heating and cooling needs. The use of radiant technology not only provides a high air quality but also reduces total energy use.
While introducing new sustainable technology throughout, the design nevertheless maintains the architectural integrity of the former industrial building. Existing coal bunkers and steel tubing have been kept in place with suspended track weaving together the different structures of the existing plant.
“Our hope is that by reclaiming the Beloit waterfront for people, our project will inspire other communities around the globe to see human well-being as vitally interconnected with a healthy and clean environment,” says Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang.
