As part of UC Berkeley’s campus-wide electrification initiative, working with P2S Engineers, the electrical project lead, Interactive Resources provided architectural, structural engineering, and historic preservation services for the new Substation 8 high-voltage switch station. Identifying a suitable location for the facility presented significant challenges, leading our team to propose adaptive reuse of the nearby 1904 Powerhouse Building (formerly the Old Art Gallery and original campus power plant), which was previously red-tagged due to seismic collapse concerns.

Following an extensive feasibility study led by Interactive Resources, UC Berkeley selected the historic structure for rehabilitation and conversion into the switch station. Interactive Resources coordinated closely with historic preservation consultants and the engineering team to develop a comprehensive rehabilitation strategy. The project included restoration of the exterior brick masonry, historic clay tile roof and terra cotta roof restoration, seismic strengthening through new steel-reinforced shotcrete walls and an interior steel truss, and meticulous restoration of the roof monitor skylights. The restored historic WPA era mosaic tile murals at the east façade were protected in place during construction. The Old Art Gallery mosaics were composed of four Byzantine-style mosaic murals that allude to different art forms such as music, sculpture, and dance. The mosaics were built with an assortment of different type of tiles, including regular smalti tiles, and pieces of glazed and un-glazed ceramic tiles.

The successful transformation of the historic Powerhouse Building into a critical piece of campus infrastructure earned the project a 2026 California Preservation Foundation Award. The award honors projects that demonstrate excellence in historic preservation through the careful rehabilitation, stewardship, and continued use of historic resources while maintaining their architectural and cultural significance. The project showcases Interactive Resources’ multidisciplinary expertise, integrating architecture, structural engineering, and historic preservation to create a resilient facility that supports UC Berkeley’s long-term sustainability and electrification goals.