Stages of Change
Architecture: MArch
Ian Carter
Year 01
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Project
‘Stages of Change’ is a radical and adaptive reuse of the historic Spilsby Sessions House – a former 19th-century courthouse and prison – into a dual-purpose facility integrating theatre, arts and correctional rehabilitation. Situated in the heart of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, this Grade II listed structure becomes a stage not only for public performance but also for personal transformation, where the architecture seeks to facilitate healing, dignity, and reintegration.
Responding to the outdated notions of punitive incarceration and architectural control, the project dismantles the oppressive spatial narratives of the Panopticon and replaces them with an environment inspired by trust, transparency and therapy.
The original prison is repurposed into backstage zones, therapy rooms, and craft spaces where inmates engage in work-based rehabilitation through theatre production roles – from set carpentry and lighting to administration and performance.
Drawing on successful precedents like Bastøy Prison and HMP Berwyn, the intervention incorporates Cognitive Behavioural Therapy spaces alongside public performance areas – uniting two seemingly disparate worlds under one roof. Locally sourced oak and the process of Yakisugi form a key part of the material strategy, reinforcing themes of resilience and renewal.
