THE MOURNING AFTER How does death influence life?
Sussie Addo Advisor: Don Jones Senior Project 2020-2021
SITE Due to an incredibly dense urban capital, a location in the outskirts of the city of Accra, near the border of the Volta Region, provides ample space for a building development. Tranquil and quiet, this location overlooks the Volta River from atop a mountain range and bodes a fairly tropical climate. Africa Population 31,072,940
Accra
~60 ACRES
Size 92,497 mi2
Ghana 55
Religion 71.2 % Christianity 17.6% Islam 6.2 % Traditional faiths
Site
Volta Region
MI
THESIS STATEMENT Funeral Service Disposition
Dining
Problem - Capital is too
dense to
build in - Cemeteries in the capital are at max capacity - Families are overwhelmed hosting the event and housing visiting relatives
Dancing
Mission
Goals
- Create space for burials and celebrations of life - Create cemetery that has room to expand and grow
- Strengthen the culture’s cyclical relationship with life and death - Celebrate deceased individuals who lost the chance to be properly buried
CASE STUDIES
Haduwa Stage
Chapel of the Earth
Kura Kura Badminton Courts
Structure
Experience
Form
The relationship with the ground in this case study was used to shape the experience users would have when transitioning between the grade level and the colombarium below.
The intricate composition of the structure in this precedent was referenced to better understand how to express the structure of the project and form its connection to the ground.
Apam, Ghana
This precedent was used to determine what the vernacular structure of the area was as well as what specific details were needed to build with this type of material.
Chicxulub, Mexico
Indonesia
INSPIRATION Mom & Dad
One of my biggest inspirations for doing this topic was to learn more about my parents’ culture and heritage. I wanted to understand what they encountered back when they lived in Ghana and what parts of their background shaped them. I interviewed them both about the burial and funeral process in Ghana and it was a great opportunity to learn more about not only the country but them as well. They had much to share which helped me develop crucial parts of my project.
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PROCESS
Plan Layouts & Diagrams
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PROCESS Sketches & Study Model
DESIGN REVIEW Funeral Service Disposition
Dining Dancing
Wake Room
Cemetery
Kitchen
Dance Floor
Chapel
Columbarium
Self-Serve
Performance Space
Admin
Green Space
Seating
Seating
Standing Room
Standing Room
Chapel
Prayer Hall Burial COVID Memorial
Self-Serve Lounge
Dining Hall
Kitchen
Dancing Hall
Topography Changes
Prior Design Concepts
Cemetery Masterplan
Roadways Tunnel Pedestrian Walkways
DESIGN REVIEW
KEY Viewing Rooms Chapel Prayer Hall Workshop Kitchen Casket Showroom Events Center Bathrooms Lodging Entrance
N
Ground Floor Plan
Longitudinal Section
South Elevation
TECHNICAL REVIEW Exploded Axon
ETFE Tensile
- Has high corrosion resistance - Strong over wide range of temperature - Helps shed water away from inner roof
Bamboo
- Native plant in the region - Versatile building structure
Rammed Earth
- Helps cool interior spaces - Low cost - Locally resourced
TECHNICAL REVIEW
Temperate outside air travels through an opening in the wall, approximately 50’ feet below grade
Cooled air then travels up through vents into the space above while hot air leaves it, thus cooling the space
Earth Cooling Diagram
The air is cooled by the consistently chill temperature of the earth
Bioswales on the outskirts of the canopy profile to collect rainfall the falls off roof
Bio-Swale Diagram
Wall Section
Roof runoff travels down the sides, into the bioswales, and over time, is diverted to the West side of the mountain
FINAL REVIEW Site Plan
FINAL REVIEW Ground Level Plan
Funeral Service
1
Disposition
Dining
2
3
Dancing
4
3
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Casket Showroom
1
Viewing Rooms Chapel Events Center Bathroom Service
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2
FINAL REVIEW Second & Lower Level Plan and Aerial Axon
Morgue Cremetory Admin. Office
Bathroom
Bathroom
Service
Service
FINAL REVIEW Elevations
NORTH ELEVATION
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SOUTH ELEVATION
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FINAL REVIEW Vignettes
Complex Entrance HEADER Funeral Service
Viewing Room
Subheader
Arch 494 Sussie Addo
Funeral Service
Chapel
Section Perspective
Disposition
Columbarium
Dining
Events Space
Dancing
FINAL REVIEW Vignettes
Second Floor Catwalk
Columbarium Entrance
Observations Circulation and Sequence - Are there different paths for users to take in the space? The connecting hallway is also a very important space, an imperative connective tissue that binds the building together - how can it be bettered programmed? The Columbarium - This space around the central tower is the heart of the project. It has room for growth and possibility. “Lets understand our relationship with the ground.” - Ian Smith Find a way to pull natural light into other parts of the columbarium. The Hallway - The hallway is a very important space, it is the connective tissue of the procession. How could this space be better programmed?
Reflection I feel these were fair critiques of my project and points I wish I had thought of during the design process. Yet, I learned this year that you could be given all the suggestions in the world but there’s no feasible way you can address them all. Pick your battles wisely and pace yourself, Also, TRY to sleep, eat, and breathe.