Interactive Resources, Inc. is the architect and structural engineer for Rehabilitation and Seismic Upgrade on the Historic Campus Powerhouse (Substation 8) at the University of California, Berkeley. The project is the recipient of a 2026 California Preservation Award from the California Preservation Foundation.
This prestigious award recognizes outstanding achievements in historic preservation and celebrates projects that thoughtfully restore and revitalize California’s architectural heritage. The Substation 8 project exemplifies Interactive Resources’ integrated approach to architecture, structural engineering, and historic preservation, which brings new life to a significant campus landmark while supporting critical infrastructure improvements.
Other key team members include the general contractor, Webcor and the electrical design prime P2S. The historic evaluation was performed by Architectural Resources Group.
As part of UC Berkeley’s campus-wide electrification initiative, Interactive Resources was engaged to provide architectural, historic preservation, and structural engineering services for a new high-voltage switch station. When choosing a new site for the facility proved challenging, the team proposed an innovative solution: the adaptive reuse of a nearby 1904 powerhouse building, originally designed by renowned campus architect John Galen Howard.
Previously red-tagged due to seismic risk, the building, also known as the Old Art Gallery, underwent a comprehensive feasibility assessment before UC Berkeley advanced the project. The result is a restoration that returns the structure to its original purpose as a power station, now serving as Switch Station #8.
