Adaptive Reuse of the Athens Lunatic Asylum as a Wellness and Community Center
The project explores the ways in which a storied historic building can be reinterpreted into a contemporary use. The site is the former Athens Lunatic Asylum in Athens Ohio which has sat empty and abandoned for nearly 20 years. The asylum was constructed in the 1860s and the design was influenced by Dr. Thomas Kirkbride, a 19th century physician and mental health reformer. Dr Kirkbride advocated for the construction of well planned out and thoughtfully designed facilities throughout the country. His philosophy was that a patient’s physical environment was of the utmost importance for treatment of mental disabilities. The Athens Lunatic Asylum site embodies Kirkbride’s design philosophies and this project serves as a recommendation for how this fascinating historic site can be reinterpreted into a modern use that would benefit the adaptive reuse of the historic building and the community of Athens, Ohio.
The Kirkbride Wellness and Community Center is a mixed use center for the mind, body, and community. The site includes an affordable hotel, spa, meditation center, and multi story community center with market, classrooms, and event space. Public spaces were reorganized to restore historic circulation paths, while private areas were adapted to meet contemporary accessibility and code requirements. The original patient dormitories were converted into the hotel rooms with the original 20 foot wide hallways retained as the original intention of bringing natural light and social interaction of fellow guests are now reinterpreted. Original Victorian tile floors and plaster detailing were retained and stabilized, complemented by custom millwork inspired by period motifs. Modern Mezzanine balconies were added throughout the interior spaces to accentuate the historical architectural elements such as a span of bay windows to add ample amounts of natural lighting into the spaces. Lighting was used to articulate architectural rhythm rather than overpower it. A restrained palette of warm wood, stone, and muted finishes was selected to echo the building’s original material language while creating a calming environment aligned with contemporary wellness practices. New interventions were designed to be visually distinct yet deferential, ensuring that historic fabric remains legible and prioritized throughout the interior.
The project demonstrates an intersectional approach to preservation in which a little known history and design process can be reinterpreted into a contemporary use that celebrates and utilizes its dynamic history.
