People who live in the United States are blessed with an abundance of space. With over 8 billion people on the planet and roughly 328 million of them residing in the United States, space will soon become a premium. In places such as New York City, San Fransisco, and Chicago this is already a concern.
An unusual place this will impact is the funeral industry mainly because we are running out of space to bury our dead.
The purpose of this study was to understand how emotions can impact design decisions, in this case, grief. It will also focus on the employee who works in the space daily and needs outlets for releasing emotions. Some questions that had been asked and deliberated on while finding a design solution were:
1. How can a space that is solemn in nature be less traumatizing to both employees and bereaved families?
2. How can we solve the issue of where to place departed people in a non denominational facility?
2. How can we solve the issue of where to place departed people in a non denominational facility?
Wanting to take cue from brutalist architecture, simple, blocky forms were selected to create the buildings final shape. By pushing and puling each level, different volumes could be created with ease.
As this building is intended for urban environments, consideration for views was addressed with full glass walls on the side of the reflection gardens. The sun was also considered as the windows are on the North/South exposure, this limits building heat gain as well as takes advantage of softer, diffused sun.
Concrete, ash wood, and matte black metal are utilized through out the space. Concrete has a natural beauty that lends itself to memorial spaces.
