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This thesis intends to explore the idea of transforming unused lifeless space which is surplus and old into a holistic mental healthcare space. The world has never been the same since the pandemic and one of the major trends that have been seen post-pandemic is the work from home culture, Major companies have chosen this model and not planning to turn back, this has led to the decline in use of office spaces. Most of the office buildings now are seeing a sharp decline in occupancy, this has led to question the usage of such unused workspaces. There have been projects in the recent years where such conversions have taken place such as the 1633 Broadway by SOM. The design takes an intentional approach of carving out a monolith mass which had more than 50-feet of depth strategically to create floor plates appropriate to a residential use case. This also allowed the transformed building to access natural light. Mental health can play a crucial role for the coming generations and the overall health of the city. It is time that we look for spaces which can be converted to facilities which not only provide traditional mental health clinics but also green public spaces which contribute in lowering the mental stress. To cater to mental healthcare on a larger scale it important to have access to green spaces, a space where a person can go and have lunch, a space where a person can enjoy their walks or just take a break. Even though New York has green spaces such as Central Park, Bryant Park, Washington Square park, high line and much more it is not enough for the everyday local to access them based on their location of work and stay. New York has a couple of mini parks sprinkled across the city such as Paley Park, Green-acre Park. These parks are a breath of fresh air for people living nearby as they have their own private space in this chaotic city. Being mindful of such strategies can prove useful while designing the building for mental health care not just for the people using the building but also for the people of New York living in and around the building. Some neighborhoods in Manhattan have ample of green spaces as well as spaces where they have good views from their apartments while some neighborhoods lack access to such spaces. In order to be efficient and right in choosing the site, it is important to map such factors which will guide the site selection process. It has been observed that more expensive neighborhoods such as Hudson Yards, Tribe-ca, So-Ho already do have access to green spaces and places which contribute to mental well being of a person. People staying near the Central park have access to such a large green space and hence those areas were not considered while selecting the site. The intervention makes more sense if it happens on a site which falls on the areas which are deserted of green spaces. Hence, Midtown-West was looked at after studying various neighborhoods in and around Manhattan. The design follows an adaptive reuse approach where the heritage building is sensitvely altered to create spaces which contribute towards the program of the building. Voids are carefully sculpted out of the existing facade while keeping the essence of the building intact.The proposed design intends to make the visitor aware about themselves through architectural features that engage the five human senses. Variations and randomness found in nature is also mimicked in the space which generates curiosity for the person experiencing the same. The orderly and monotonous spaces are avoided by adding natural features and elements such as plants and shrubs. Uses of natural materials such as wood and stone create a sense of warmth and do contribute in create an atmosphere where a person can connect with themselves. Natural light is invited into the space through large openings and cut outs in the slab. The proposed structure is set in from the primary façade to create an in-between space which acts like a buffer space between the external world and the structure. The façade acts like a horizon which a person can use to orient themselves with respect to the building. All these design gestures contribute towards a person's mental awareness and thus making a person to be in the moment. Being aware of the impact that built spaces can have over a person's mental health, the design takes an approach which focuses on how a person feels in a space. The architecture and the user do have a conversation through light, materials, wind and sound to achieve a space which positively impacts a person's mental health. / Master of Architecture / Architecture is capable of and responsible for providing opportunities which positively affect our mental health, and this thesis explores how this can be achieved within the constraints of the existing infrastructure in the city. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, apart from increasing vacant office spaces, cases of mental health issues have been on the rise. In a recent survey involving people living across all 5 boroughs, it was found that 2 out of 3 people experienced some form of mental health issue during the past year. There has been an increase in the intake of medication such as Antidepressants, Anti-anxiety medications, Anti-insomnia medications. More than 50% believe that they are not receiving enough mental health care and the biggest barriers to access treatment were finding clinics, cost of treatment, time-consuming. We spend around 86% of our lives indoors and the built environment around us has the ability to affect our mood, understanding this the thesis approaches designing spaces for mental healthcare with a focus on making people aware of themselves and their surroundings by stimulating the five human senses. This approach helps the person to be in the present and be more conscious of their feelings and thoughts, patients visiting the space experience touch, sound, sight, taste and smell through various architectural gestures in the building. The journey of the patient focuses on a person feeling safe, comfortable and yet allowing them to interact with the community through social spaces. The intent of the thesis is to have a positive impact on a person's mental health, and while doing that also be conscious of the existing footprint of the building. Being aware of the impact that built spaces can have over a person's mental health, the design takes an approach which focuses on how a person feels in a space. The architecture and the user do have a conversation through light, materials, wind and sound to achieve a space which positively impacts a person's mental health.

Too often buildings around the world are completely demolished or gutted only for another building to take its place less than thirty years later, despite the strength of its original design intent. This human fascination with replacing the old with the new has led to a disastrous climatic situation. According to the EPA, in 2018 more than 90 percent of total construction and demolition debris generation in the U.S. alone came from demolition, and around 145 million tons of it was sent to landfills. Building design and redesign decisions must become even more conscientious when it comes to planning for the future, not only in the materials that are chosen, but how they are connected. Designers must plan on how projects not only get built, but also how they will inevitably be taken apart. / Master of Architecture / Too often buildings around the world are completely demolished or gutted only for another building to take its place less than thirty years later, despite construction standards in place to ensure buildings may withstand a hundred years of use. This human fascination with replacing the old with the new has led to a disastrous climatic situation. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2018 more than 90 percent of total construction and demolition debris generation in the U.S. alone came from demolition, and around 145 million tons of it was sent to landfills. There is only so much land left to bury more trash, and most of it is poisoning the planet's resources, especially thanks to the exorbitant amount of plastic that is continuously created and discarded. This thesis seeks to study an underutilized building within a city, and discover ways to redesign it in a conscientious way that will offer future occupants opportunities to remodel or upgrade the structure with as little waste as possible. This idea of deconstruction is utilized in not only the materials that are chosen, but how they are connected, as well as in how the existing components are discarded or repurposed.

This thesis is an investigation into the role of architecture as a tool for connections. It explores this idea in four scales: the urban scale, the immediate context, the scale of the building and the interpersonal scale. Architecturally, it addresses the complexities of an intervention in an urban fabric and embraces the contextual it is an attempt to reanimate the core of Downtown Roanoke, through the adaptive reuse of an inert built mass by opening it up to put it in conversation with its surroundings. Programmatically, it responds to a collaborative transient workspace catering to individual entrepreneurs or small groups of independent start-up enthusiasts or simply mobile workers. The thesis focuses on connections as the language through which these stories find their expression. / Master of Architecture

Across cities in America and the world old buildings are retired to the fate of demolition. The once glorious piece of architecture are seen as unwanted, eyesores and just not fit for today's needs. This thesis seeks to show that with an adaptive-reuse approach, one can restore the 'lost glory' of such old buildings and even add new undiscovered value to its performance and architectural richness. / Master of Architecture / In the cycle of architecture, old buildings are often demolished while few are reutilized to regain new purpose. The once glorious piece of architecture is seen as insignificant for today's fickle needs as key issues such as population growth and modernization become evident. Developers and key decision-makers understand the parallel connection of population growth and the need for increased structure to supply growth’s demands. In efforts to maximize profits, owners and developers are hasty to demolish buildings without considering the potential of reinvention. Adaptive reuse is the act of reinventing an existing building for a new use and purpose by adding or subtracting from it current state and making it more fitting to serve its new use. This thesis shows the adaptive-reuse approach and illustrates how the restoration of old buildings reveals new value to the building’s performance and architectural richness.

There are many programs throughout the world and in the state of Virginia that have been developed to change the outlook of youth on a broader spectrum. Youth in at risk communities face a different set of parameters and are often mislabeled as "bad kids". Many of these youth simply need an environment filled with positive energy. This redesign will create an environment that guides through intuition and the understanding of angles and markers that are considered universal in all languages. The space will open up a world that is non-institutional and without the normal boundaries and pressures of typical grading system. The education center will cultivate healthy habits for learning that can carry them on to community colleges, universities and the eventually the workforce.

This thesis project explores repurposing a hydroelectric plant along Richmond Virginia's Canal Walk. The building has been redesigned to create a community-oriented space programmed as an indoor park, event venue space, and cafe. Throughout this thesis, it became important to create private niches within a public space while creating a flexible public venue that accommodates a variety of activities. Through a variety of spaces that offer users options, a flexible public venue is creating, yielding a community-oriented environment that reconnects local with the site.

This thesis explores the development of an interdisciplinary design incubator and community business center in Richmond, Virginia through the adaptive reuse of a retired, historic school building. In contrast to the deteriorating conditions of Patrick Henry School, renewed growth abounds in its extraordinary site surroundings—the 105 acres of Forest Hill Park, which serves as the virtual backyard of the school building. This dualism provided a prime opportunity for discovering the design possibilities in connecting a built space to its physical surroundings and for giving meaningful new life to an abandoned space.