Designer Raymond Lapiejko's innovative vision to transform the historic Hoosac Stores warehouse in Boston into a comprehensive recycling and repair hub has earned second place in the Radical Renewal Competition organized by Dezeen and Bentley. The proposal demonstrates a groundbreaking approach to architectural preservation that challenges conventional demolition practices through a process called "self-spoliation."
The Hoosac Stores building, constructed in 1895 as a wool storage facility, is located within Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard, an area with deep historical roots in shipbuilding, production, and material exchange. Despite currently undergoing demolition, Lapiejko saw an opportunity to showcase how existing structures can be continuously reinvented by taking apart pieces of the building and reusing those same materials to rebuild and transform it.
Lapiejko's ambitious concept envisions converting the warehouse into a multifaceted recycling and repair center that would house an architectural salvage store, repair workshops, do-it-yourself facilities, and dedicated spaces for artists. At its core, the proposal presents a regenerative alternative to the typical cycle of demolition and new construction, aligning architectural renewal with community needs and long-term adaptability.
The designer's approach involves cataloging and repurposing the building's existing materials, including cast iron columns, steel I-beams, timber joists, and brick walls, within a flexible framework capable of supporting changing programs over time. Some materials would retain their original structural roles, while others would be reconfigured into entirely new systems such as responsive facades or modular interior frameworks.
The building's architectural significance lies in its hybrid structure that reflects the industrial values of its era, when function and material durability were closely linked. "Architecturally, it features a hybrid structure: cast iron and timber columns, steel I-beams, timber floor joists and brick load-bearing walls, reflecting a period when industrial function and material durability were tightly related," Lapiejko explained in his proposal.
According to Lapiejko, the design methodology rooted in self-spoliation challenges conventional demolition practices, which typically discard up to 90 percent of building materials into landfills. His approach embeds architectural persistence and material circularity into the core of the intervention, creating an innovative model for sustainable renovation.
The proposal emphasizes that innovation emerges not only through the concept of self-spoliation but also in the hands-on development of a component-based system that can adapt at multiple scales. Steel and timber materials would retain their structural roles, while brick would be reimagined as responsive facade systems designed to remain flexible and serve evolving programmatic functions.
Lapiejko's vision extends beyond mere preservation, treating the building as a living, adaptable structure rather than a frozen heritage object. "Rather than treating the Hoosac Stores building as a frozen heritage object, the project proposes a model of architectural persistence, where meaning is carried through transformation," he stated.
The Radical Renewal Competition represents a global contest seeking bold architectural proposals to modernize historic buildings while preserving their heritage value. The competition received entries from more than 27 countries worldwide, with 15 innovative proposals making it to the shortlist before judges selected the finalists.
The competition coincided with the unveiling of Bentley's new Design Centre, which opened in July in an art deco building originally constructed in 1938 as a reception hub for Bentley's factory in Crewe, United Kingdom. Winners of the competition receive substantial prizes, with the first-place winner receiving $15,000, the second-place recipient earning $10,000, and the third-place finisher receiving $5,000.
Lapiejko's proposal offers a compelling model for how existing buildings can be continuously renewed while minimizing the use of new materials, reducing waste, and localizing material sourcing. His approach provides both a grounded and speculative framework for architectural renewal that could influence future preservation and redevelopment projects across the United States and beyond.
