ALCATRAZ, SAN FRANSICO, CALIFORNIA

 Located off the shores of San Francisco, Alcatraz Penitentiary once housed America’s most dangerous criminals and today stands as a reminder of the flaws in the American prison system. This comprehensive conceptual design plan is a proposal to transform the standing cell house from a high-security prison into a reformation facility for America’s most disadvantaged inmates.

Although the building’s location makes for an architecturally challenging space to rework, the reduced stress of preserving the exterior walls and windows allows the design to focus largely on the interior of the main cell house. The design concentrates on the two above-ground levels, redistributing the dormitories from the center of the cell house to the perimeter, and allocates circulation space for classrooms, therapy spaces, and recreational areas in a panoptical layout.

Recreating the sensation of being on a college campus, Alcatraz transforms into a stimulating environment that promotes routine and aids in rehabilitation and reform to prove that color and environment can influence learned behavior.