This is a copy of my master's thesis from the Unitec Institute of Technology on the adaptive reuse of Kingseat Hospital, Karaka, New Zealand. The thesis discusses the rich history of asylum history, architecture and how most asylums have been discontinued. These buildings still have much life in them. The asylums were meant to isolate a person from society into a restricted space. The adaptive reuse of the asylum hostel into a community centre could bring the community into this former asylum nurse hostel.