Page 185 - Beyond Decommissioning

166 Beyond Decommissioning

The company had served Burbank for over 100 years, but with age came high oper-
ating costs and a lack of communal green spaces. The landscape architecture studio
AHBE created one of the longest green streets in Southern California. Using five
different types of sustainable water management technologies—infiltration, flow-
through, detention, tree root cells, and rainwater capture—the green street works basi-
cally as a filter before runoff enters the storm-water system. While local laws prescribe
that projects must mitigate runoff, in fact this project is a zero-runoff site. A staggering
feature of the new campus is the Centennial Courtyard, a green space located within
the footprint of a decommissioned electrical substation. A portion of the industrial
structure still stands, a large latticework that merges industry with nature.
In the early 1900s a number of electrical substation buildings were built across Chi-
cago, IL, USA. These purpose-built structures were designed to be assets to the com-
munities nearby and to present the utility (Commonwealth Edison) in a favorable
light: therefore, they were constructed to be beautiful, and adhered to various
architectural styles, including Prairie School, Art Deco, and Classical Revival. These
substations were designed to house heavy electrical equipment and were constructed
of durable materials. They represent now a unique heritage.
However, while many Chicago electrical substations operate in conditions ranging
from good to poor, others are vacant and in disrepair. One substation, in particular,
faces a threat of demolition by neglect. The Washington Park Substation at 6141
S. Prairie Avenue is an outstanding example of the many substations constructed
across Chicago. This substation is larger than most as it was meant to distribute higher
voltages to other substations. Constructed between 1928 and 1939, it features unique
power-related ornament, including carved limestone light bulbs on its facade.
Preservation Chicago recommends that the City of Chicago seek a Landmark Des-
ignation for significant substations. The best examples of different periods and styles
should be identified and protected. Also, the city and utility company should strive to
find adaptive reuses for substation buildings that are obsolete or unused.
As one reuse example, the von Holst substation located at 924 N. Clark Street in
Gold Coast was beautifully renovated and converted into a single family home and
was on sale for $13.9 million in 2014 (Preservation Chicago, n.d.). However, this pro-
2
ject can be controversial. This 1400 m luxury home was constructed utilizing the
facade of the old electrical substation, but all the rest is new. Inside, the finishes
are clearly top-notch, and the home features a fitness space, huge wine storage room,
a four car garage and a rooftop greenhouse. There is also an outdoor space that features
a slim grassy lawn and a pool. One wonders whether this is a case of “facadism” rebut-
ted in Section 2.3 (Curbed, 2014)

6.2.2 Nonpower plants
This section deals with buildings that did not originally belong to power plants
(although some of their features can be found in a number of power plants). Many
industrial buildings of this type are eligible for conversion to residential units. The
conversion of abandoned industrial buildings into dwellings is only effective when
the outcome meets the needs of potential users. To evaluate the suitability of the