Weightless: The Unbearable Lightness of Captivity

Prisons are designed with a heaviness, whilst punitive measures often wish and even legislate for a reforming lightness. The way these buildings have typically been designed in the past; in terms of aesthetics, planning, and materiality, clearly affect those incarcerated. This thesis takes the position that prisons need rethinking as Rehabilitation Centers; if we can determine a system is outdated, then we can admit to the necessity to re-conceptualize incarceration as an opportunity for growth and change. A weightless punishment? With access to archives and other material from Kingston Penitentiary, research will analyze and question incarceration, leading to an intervention project within the existing fabric that designs to reduce the consequences of the architecture upon mental health, specifically for PTSD. Only then perhaps can we speak of the unbearable lightness of captivity.