The adaptive reuse of an architectural artifact : Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital

The idea of preservation is fast becoming synonymous with sustainability and more precisely how existing structures can serve a new function through adaptive reuse. This thesis discusses how obsolete insane asylums from the nineteenth century known as Kirkbride asylums can serve a new function while at the same time overcoming the negative stigma that naturally resonates from pop culture to the controversial history within the field of psychiatry. The philosophy of moral treatment that were principle to the design of these institutions such as serene setting and natural light and ventilation are paramount in fulfilling the needs of today's society in the hopes of combating suburban sprawl. Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital will serve as a case study to outline this potential.