The massive brick building at 931 S. Homan Ave. once housed a power plant to provide electricity and heat for the adjacent Sears & Roebuck headquarters. Now the building powers the minds of young people in Chicago.
In September, Henry Ford Power House Charter High School opened its doors.
Power House High is located inside of the Charles H. Shaw Technology and Learning Center. The public charter school is the result of a $40 million rehabilitation and the adaptive reuse of the Sears power plant. The project was funded by tax credits for historic buildings and new market tax credits, according to Kristen Dean, executive director of the Homan Square Community Center Foundation, which owns the building.
“Our school is part of a historical site,” said Power House principal Kophyn Alexander. “We are a green school, one of the few in the city of Chicago.”
Throughout the school building, the team of architects implemented energy-saving features including geothermal walls and retrofitted historic windows. The school also includes a planted “green” roof, low-flow toilets, solar-powered sinks and energy-efficient skylights.
“Power House High is designed to be a LEED Gold, highly energy efficient building,” said Dean. The foundation partnered with the Henry Ford Learning Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating public schools in public spaces. Their goal was to design an exemplary school that prepares students for college and careers.
The school is home to 260 freshmen and sophomores, 30 more than originally planned, according to Alexander. The plan is to add another grade each year until Power House High is a four-year institution. The school is open to all Chicago students, selected by lottery if there are more applicants than seats. Applications for freshmen, sophomores and juniors for the 2010-2011 year are now available in the office.
“I think that my school is special because it used to be a part of a very important industry,” said Power House sophomore Regan Taylor. “Sears is still around but I know it was even popular when my parents were my age.”
The project began in January 2007. The process of renovating a 100 year-old power generating station into a contemporary, LEED-certified high school had its difficulties. However, the developers were “undaunted,” according to the project website.
Power House High’s design was based on the award-winning Henry Ford Learning Institute located in Dearborn, Mich., a national cultural attraction founded in 1997. Now, a Chicago school shares the same mission to educate students academically and prepare them for the global community of the 21st century.
“It was a complex process to see what use that type of building could serve to the North Lawndale community,” said Rose Grayson, an associate at FARR Associates, the principal designers of the project.
The building was set up for every room to tell a different story. The Great Hall, an area for both students and other members of the community, still houses the original 40-ton gantry crane and rail system from the original power house.
A project that started off as a mission to put an empty building to use turned into a recovery of a place that now contributes to North Lawndale’s youth and their futures.
“Power House High School is truly a power in the community,” said Alexander. “It provides collaboration with teachers, students and the community. It’s a place where everyone can benefit.”