Title

Author(s)

Lisandra Perez Zayas

Rafael Vargas Correa

Affiliation

University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras Campus

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/LSSA6030

Keywords

Digital Fabrication, Plastic Recycling, Prototyping

PP

748-755

How to Cite

Perez Zayas, Lisandra, Rafael Vargas Correa. “Waste to Opportunity Reusing an Abandoned Storage Building in Puerto Rico.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 748–755. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

In Puerto Rico, the intersection of environmental vulnerability and decaying historic infrastructure presents an urgent opportunity for adaptive reuse. This design research focuses on the transformation of an abandoned food-storage warehouse located within San Juan’s former “Sanitary City”, an early 20th century historic complex originally comprising hospitals and penitentiaries. One of them being the Río Piedras State Prison, known as “Oso Blanco”—one of the first reinforced concrete buildings on the island, demolished in 2015. The site is now part of the proposed Science City masterplan, a government-led initiative focused on converting the former penitentiary site into a campus centered on laboratories and scientific innovation. The derelict warehouse structure is reimagined with the intent of being a part of the Science City’s larger urban initiative responding to Puerto Rico’s ongoing waste crisis, where 17 of the 28 existing landfills are noncompliant with U.S. EPA standards. The project explores the potential of upcycled single-use plastics as a viable construction material. By leveraging algorithmic modeling and digital fabrication methods such as additive manufacturing, the proposal generates modular architectural components—including green wall panels, partitions, and breeze blocks—tailored to be integrated to the existing building’s structural frame. The repurposed warehouse is envisioned as a hybrid space: a digital fabrication lab and a plastic recycling hub that not only aligns with Science City’s goals but also engages the surrounding community in sustainable practices. This case study offers a replicable model for transforming underutilized structures through the convergence of material innovation, environmental responsibility, and advanced design technologies. By acknowledging the site’s symbolic complexity and layered past, the project reflects on how adaptive reuse can navigate the tension between preservation and progress, demonstrating how digital tools can bridge an abandoned building revitalization with inclusive, future-oriented urban regeneration.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.