The landmark Power House building—the new home for the firm’s St. Louis regional offices—was awarded LEED® Gold Status by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). “This award represents the final feather in the cap for the Power House project team,” notes Thomas Bergmann, AIA, LEED AP, project principal. “LEED® Gold certification was one of the key goals when we began this project.”
Built in 1928, the Power House, an original part of the Municipal Service Building complex, still occupies an entire block of downtown St. Louis. Until the 1980’s, the Power House component of the complex provided coal-fired steam heat to a dozen downtown buildings. After standing vacant for nearly 30 years, Cannon Design purchased the historic Power House in 2007, providing all design, development and construction management services for the project. Every component of the building’s interior is new and designed both to current life-safety codes as well as the USGBC’s standards for environmental sustainability. Designated as a landmark by the National Historic Register, the “Revival style” exterior has been fully restored.
Having a relatively small “foot print” but a massive volume offered the opportunity for the addition of new floors necessary to accommodate continuing growth in St. Louis. The concept of “mezzanines” has preserved the signature arched windows on the north and east elevations and provided wonderful gallery and exhibit space for the firm and the community. Additional external modifications include the creation of a 3,500 sf urban garden. The interior, which was essentially an empty shell, was completely rehabilitated, with installation of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical infrastructure.
