Blending naratives: exploring design strategies that reflect the evolving role of buildings in contemporary landscapes

When buildings are first constructed, they have an intended purpose for which they are designed. Over time, however, needs change and the building must evolve to serve a new purpose. This cycle repeats itself until the building reaches the end of its life. With each new purpose, a dialogue is built between the old and the new, weaving a palimpsest of the building’s story. As the building changes, physical traces are left behind of its former uses, creating a unique blend of history and contemporary design. Blending Narratives focuses on exploring how a building’s story, the dialogue between a series of old uses and a new condition, can be the focus of a design agenda. This project uses Madison State Hospital and Madison Women’s Correctional Facility to examine how the building’s past narrative can interact with present use and future narratives to create a cohesive design experience. This building originally served to treat people considered insane, later transforming into a correctional institution that confined people for similar reasons. In contrast, this design aims to support an agenda of rehabilitation by providing spaces for support and healing, intentionally creating a counternarrative to a domineering past.