Oak Grove Crematorium: Master's Thesis by Lisa Hartanov

crematorium lisa hartanov comprehensive project 2016

OAK GROVE

crematorium lisa hartanov comprehensive project interior architecture program department of architecture university of oregon, eugene, oregon

submitted for completion of a masters of interior architecture degree june 2016

lisa hartanov

fall term comprehensive project preparation and planning alison snyder winter term studio design alison snyder spring term studio design alison snyder

table of contents

final project 7

fina l p rogra mming & site a na lysis 6 1

abstract comprehensive project statement investigative questions & project intentions final design presentation

final short program final long program program hierarchy diagram adjacency diagram user scenarios site selection & existing conditions

fi n a l t e c h nical d e sign 87

design p rocess 99

code analysis building system approach ff&e specifications

early schematic design first quarter review second quarter review third quarter review

pro je c t re se arch 127 interviews precedent studies bibliography

final project

abstract comprehensive project statement investigative questions & project intentions final design presentation

abstract

“Death is a natural as life.”

- Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher

In a culture that is both “obsessed with and terrified with the prospect of death,” exists a building typology that suffers under a tradition of providing the most mundane and “tragically wasted opportunities” (Heathcote 38). The architecture of death in the United States fails to fully embrace its subject matter and its subsequent rituals due to a broader cultural insecurity. The irony of a culture being so sensitive to death, yet not publicly addressing it in its architecture is a cultural conundrum. As death is an integral termination to life, its’ consequence must be addressed. Oregon state has the second highest cremation rates in the nation at 70%, yet the vast majority of crematories in Oregon are either in the outskirts of town, unidentifiable, or are part of technical complexes. They are too industrial to allow final farewell rituals and therefore do not allow access for next of kin. Cremations occur at unknown times and locations. Urns are picked up with the same fanfare as dry cleaning, an exchange of goods for payment. In an attempt to shield the grieving from the realities of death, these methods of procedure have become inhumane, lack ritual and ceremony, and are insensitive to those left behind. Psychological studies concluded again and again that the more involved the next of kin are in end of life rituals, the better they cope with grief. This is in strong contrast to the death industry, which becomes increasingly more privatized. As a response to the restricted and tired funeral home architecture of the United States, which “sucks the life out of the living” (Interview 134), this project seeks to challenge the existing design within this typology by addressing death in the architecture as a means to assist the living in the grieving process and honor the departed.

This project, Oak Grove Crematorium, was developed and designed to allow for individuals, families, and friends to participate in end of life rituals surrounding cremation, since Oregonians rely heavily on this practice for their end of life care. Through the marriage of sacred space and the crematory in this new architectural adaption, this facility allows ceremony and crematory to be joined, acknowledging and ritualizing cremation in the process. Thus, this project is an investigation of the crematory typology in the United States, challenging its’ solely privatized and industrial precedent. This project explores ritual and ceremony of the grieving through sacred communal space, where mourners can particpate in rituals and ceremony as a means to address and aid their grief. Through the use of sacred path, this project investigates the design of processional linkage spaces used in a variety of ways, including notions of privacy, grief and celebration, poetics, materials and atmosphere, and light to address death. This project addresses grief through the use of daylight and nature as a means to provide a greater perspective beyond death. Finally, the material selection is deeply studied and integrated in this project as a means to acknowledge time and memory. The proposed location for the Oak Grove Crematorium is in Springfield, Oregon in an existing building on a quiet hill near the heart of downtown. This “Any Town, USA” location was chosen as a means to implement this project into any Oregon city, as death is a universal passage that prevails upon us all.

comprehensive project statement

death culture in the united states

a lack of exposure to death

Death is universal and fundamentally part of life, yet today’s Western culture does little to address it. “We sweep any evidence of death under the rug” (Coulehan 2). The larger Western culture in the United States is “obsessed with and terrified with the prospect of death” (Heathcote 38). Popular culture is riddled with its’ subject matter, yet death has little place of acknowledgment outside of the virtual world. “The majority of people still find the subject of death taboo” in the Western world according to the National Council for Palliative Care (Kelly 19). Our fears and desires of the afterlife are rarely spoken of unless required for the procurement of wills or under religious council (Coulehan 2). Death is a passage that prevails upon us all. “The manner in which much of contemporary society deals with death not only reflects current discomfort with death as part of life but helps perpetuate the myth that mortality is an event which human beings do not need to confront, attempt to own, nor live life within its framework” (Kelly 19). Our own fears, angst, and grief both keep us from addressing death, yet also reveals just how sensitive and important the subject matter actually is to us.

The death and medical industry both contribute to our larger cultural taboos on death. Both industries have removed death from the public eye. “Death has become increasingly privatized and sanitized; an event which occurs at arms length and out of sight of the majority” (Kelly 19). Through industry standards, “death is an event we experience second hand on screen or in newspapers” (Kelly 19). Aseptic hospice care and nursing homes funnel the dying out of the hospitals, allowing dying to even be “taboo” in a hospital setting (Kelly 21). The funeral industry shields next of kin from “any aspect of death that might potentially offend them” (Doughty 60). Bodies are immediately whisked away before being seen by next of kin. Families can only view the deceased after a string of expensive procedures is performed on them in order to for them to appear as naturally alive as possible. Cremations occur in private industrial facilities. Burials also no longer allow witnesses to the process. Instead AstroTurf conceals the dirt around the casket, which remains above ground until after attendees have left (Doughty 60). The latest development in privatized death services is direct cremation, where cremation services can be requested and purchased online, with the remains delivered to your door in a matter of weeks (Doughty 100-101). This process allows the option for no human interaction, alienating the bereaved from any public acknowledgment of death. This privatized method of death and dying has further removed the public from the reality and acknowledgment of death in society. Even in the both religious and funerary rituals, there has been a strong emphasis on life rather than death that “dumbs down the reality and finality of death” (Kelly 2). Caskets and urns have been removed from death ceremonies, and instead celebrations of life services and memorials have taken over. In particular, in mainstream Christian culture, Celebration of Life services are devoid of the physical or symbolic presence of death in favor of “worshiping God rather than a corpse” (Hoy 116). Grief specialist Kenneth J. Doka concludes that the “simple phraseology of “celebration” attempts to give the loss a positive “spin”, but at the same time, potentially disenfranchises the deep impact of grief ” (Hoy 134). These elements have created culture where the public is “cheated out” of death, which reinforces a society unable to come to terms with it (Doughty 114).

In the United States, the death architectural typology emulates the larger cultural attitudes of denial. The majority of the architecture of death in the greater northwest culture does not visually represent the importance of death, and these facilities have little presence in the modern city. Funeral homes have relied on the housing typology to make them palatable, but have also more recently moved into more convenient strip malls. Crematoriums are often not even identified from the street by hiding in nondescript sheds or industrial parks. Mausoleums and cemeteries are pushed to the outskirts of the city, where they will not bother the living. We psychologically process the death of others as a deep and emotional passage, yet its’ architecture would show that we treat death as inconsequential. German philosopher Martin Heidegger pointed out this conundrum, “If it is the awareness of impending death, which makes us truly alive, then the architecture of death should be the most considered and thoughtful aspect of our cities” (Heathcote 72-73). This lackluster architecture points to the cultural norm of disregarding death, even in the built environment. Strangely, this is out of proportion with the weight of the content. Cultural fears have crept into the architecture of death, allowing for this typology of intense emotionality to remain inherently underwhelming and faceless.

why exposure through authentic funerals and rituals matter The consequence of a culture where “death is hidden and denied” is a society where mortality is not confronted and grief is stunted (Doughty 64). Exposure to the deceased and public acknowledgment of death helps provide healing to the grieving. As Caitlin Doughty so bluntly states in her book, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory, “A culture that denies death is a barrier to achieving a good death” (Doughty 232). Extensive research on the effects of death and grieving has generally concluded that those who took an active role in a final ceremony and end of life care “fared better” in the grieving process (Hoy 166). These final ceremonies allow the living to “express gratitude for the ones we have lost and mourn their passing” (Kelly 73). A funeral is an end of life ceremony that is both for the living and the departed, “marking the significance of person’s life and death” (Kelly 74). “Funerals are important since they mark the passing of a human being from the society of the living to the world of the dead. Death is a passage which the funeral formalizes” (Kelly 74). T.A. Rando concluded from a 1984 study that, “funerals fulfill critical psychological and social needs following a death.” (Hoy 21). “Humans have an undeniable need to make sense of death”, and therefore the funeral has been used as a means to accomplish this (Hoy 13). Death makes us more aware of life, which in turn can cause uncertainty. “Rituals provide a sense of order and stability in the midst of chaos (Hoy 10-11). In a 1998 study, Romanoff and Terenzio defined rituals as, “cultural devices that facilitates the preservation of social order and provide way to comprehend the complex and contradictory aspects of human existence within a given societal context” (Romanoff 698). After the death of a loved one, “the need to gather with caring others is intrinsic” (Hoy 61). Therefore funeral rituals allow the larger social order to come to terms with death amongst their community. In his book, Do Funerals Matter?, William G. Hoy identifies the four main values that funerals provide: “making death real, offering people the opportunity to express thoughts and feelings about the deceased, bringing families and other mourners together to support one another, and giving people something to do at a time when so many things may seem out of a person’s control” (Hoy x-xi). These practices, therefore, are mainly a means for the living to come to terms with death. “Rituals exude vital importance to humans in the quest to make sense of the mysteries surrounding death” (Hoy 1). Funerals act as a “highly ritualized metaphor for the transitional bridge” between life and death (Hoy 10).

Against the larger “death-denying” cultural attitudes of North America, funerals and their accompanying facilities “creates a space for death in a society that makes little or no time for death and dying” (Giblin and Hug 16). Through this moratorium ritual, “order and stability are achieved in the midst of chaos” (Hoy 11). Thus, it is vital to address for funerals in our society and built environment based on their essential role of providing a ritual to cope with death within a larger communal network. cremation in the united states Amongst the death ceremonies performed in the United States, the two most common rituals of preparing the departed for their final disposition are either burial or cremation. Though burial has been the most common method of caring for the deceased, national trends have seen a sharp 50% increase in cremation, particularly in the last decade (NFDA Cremation and Burial Report 2015). By the end of 2015, cremation is expected to surpass burial in popularity for the first time in the United States (NFDA Cremation and Burial Report 2015). These increases in cremation rates have been attributed to cost, land waste, environmental concerns, and “a declining sense of connection with ancestry and place” (NFDA Cremation and Burial Report 2015) (Kearl 16). Compared to traditional burial, cremation is considered a more ecologically sustainable option. Though the process does utilize a substantial amount of energy, the process does not require the extensive use of resources in the same manner as traditional burial. For cremation, caskets are often replaced with cardboard substitutes, not requiring the use of precious resources to make the elaborate and expensive caskets of traditional burial. That equates annually to “180,544 pounds of steel for caskets, 540,000 pounds of copper for lining caskets, 30,000,000 board feet of hard woods including tropical woods for caskets, 3,272,000,000 pounds of reinforced concrete for burial vaults, and 28,000,000 pounds of steel for vaults” (Fontana 85). Additionally, traditional burial allows the embalmed corpses to slowly leak chemicals into the ground. The 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid that are used annually in the United States do not make contact with the ground when cremation is chosen (Fontana 85). Burial and cremation differ in popularity regionally, with burial being the most common method in the Southeast and cremation being the most popular method in the Northwest, for example. In the state of Oregon, the cremation rate is

1111

comprehensive project statement

particularly higher than average at 70% (What to Consider 2015). Yet, despite this popularity, regional crematories are often separated from sacred ceremony spaces and are too industrial to allow final farewell ceremonies. Therefore cremations in Oregon occur without the presence of loved ones at unknown times and locations. The subsequent urns are picked up with the same fanfare as dry cleaning: an exchange of goods for payment. Though cremation is a modern mechanized process it is also a sacred transformation. It takes a corpse that is doomed to rot, and purifies the body into its’ final physical form. Cremation allows the deceased to be both transformed and reunited with the living. The United States has yet to ritualize the cremation process in the same manner given to burial (Prothero 3). It has been a ritual largely hidden away due to its frightening use of fire in a culture largely associating the combination of death and fire with hell. This task to acknowledge and ritualize the cremation process is not unprecedented. It is no surprise that humanistic crematories and subsequent rituals have developed most successfully in countries that have a healthier cultural acceptance of death, such as Scandinavia, where Sweden and Denmark share similar cremation rates to Oregon at 70% and 76% respectively (List of Countries by Cremation Rate 2016). the project - Oak Grove Crematorium As ritual and acknowledgment of death are critical to repairing the social order and assisting the living with coming to terms with death, reform is required in the death industry and its’ architecture. Its’ mundane appearances and “commercialized ‘American’ way of death”, where mourners are ushered in as “passive consumers”, leave much to be desired in providing authentic and meaningful closure (Weiss, 1995). Oregonians are choosing cremation for their final disposition, yet despite this, facilities in Oregon State that provide this service and ritual are dreadfully underwhelming, faceless, and privatized. The resultant concerns with this uninspiring architecture typology are facilities that do not hold the proper tone reserved for the importance of death as well as a stunted grieving process. Our Western culture’s unwillingness to acknowledge the fundamental and solemn requirements of the architecture of death leaves this building typology in shambles. The architecture of death suffers under a tradition of providing the most mundane and “tragically wasted opportunities” due to a broader cultural insecurity (Heathcote 38). Though

death facilities will never be desirable places to attend, this does not mean they can commonly remain uninspiring and uninhabitable. This project challenges and critiques the limited and lackluster examples of the crematorium typology in the United States, where cremation is almost exclusively separated from public ceremony and next of kin and often occurs in privatized industrial parks. This project tackles how the act of cremation can be publicly addressed in both ritual and procedure through the design of an adaptive reuse building, since Oregonians rely heavily on this practice for their end of life care. Thus, this project is an investigation of the crematory typology in the United States, challenging its’ solely privatized and industrial precedent. This project explores ritual and ceremony of the grieving through sacred communal space, where mourners can participate in rituals and ceremony as a means to address and aid their grief. Through the use of sacred path, this project investigates the design of processional linkage spaces used in a variety of ways, including notions of privacy, grief and celebration, poetics, materials and atmosphere, and light to address death. This project addresses grief through the use of daylight and nature as a means to provide a greater perspective beyond death. Finally, the material selection is deeply studied and integrated in this project as a means to acknowledge time and memory. The proposed location for the Oak Grove Crematorium is in Springfield, Oregon in an existing building on a quiet hill near the heart of downtown. This adaptive reuse building is located next to an existing cemetery, separated by mature oak groves. This “Any Town, USA” location was chosen as a means to implement this project into any Oregon city, as death is a universal passage that prevails upon us all.

investigative questions & project intentions

investigation typology: crematorium

This project challenges the limited and lackluster examples of the crematorium typology in the United States, where cremation is almost exclusively separated from public ceremony and next of kin and often occurs in privatized industrial parks. Design Issue: address cremation as part of a common death ritual in the state of Oregon Design Issue: elevate process of cremation towards public ritual and away from an industrial process Design Issue: tactfully acknowledge the cremation process within the facility Design Issue: accommodate caring for the departed for services, cremation, and/or burial

investigation sacred space: funerary practice

investigation a greater perspective

This project explores the symbolic and programmatic requirements for sacred spaces necessary for funerary practice.

This project attempts to alleviate and acknowledge the distress of grief and mourning caused by a death.

Design Issue: accommodate a variety of funeral customs and traditions within the facility

Design Issue: acknowledge the physical and social divide caused by death

Design Issue: delineate a sacred zone within the facility

Design Issue: provide opportunities for mourners to process death through reflection & ritual

Design Issue: create sacred language without reliance on sacred doctrine Design Issue: accommodate different sized communal groups

Design Issue: provide connection to nature to allow mourners to reflect on the natural order Design Issue: utilize daylighting methods as a means to acknowledge something larger than death

investigation sacred path

investigation time and memory through material

This project investigates the linkage space between the facility requirements as a means to provide an intentional and elevated experience.

This project explores symbolic themes of time and memory through material selection.

Design Issue: provide a processional in the facility Design Issue: demarcate a sacred path within the facility Design Issue: choreograph a journey through the facility

Design Issue: use materials that remain untouched by time to represent stability and timelessness Design Issue: use materials affected by time to represent the passage of time.

Design Issue: expose visitors to the crematory with preparation of the experience

Design Issue: use materials that show human trace to highlight the commonality of the larger social order coming together to mourn the departed through the ages

Design Issue: provide clear understanding of facility organization for the distressed state of mourning

Design Issue: provide visual memorial of the departed in the facility

final design presentation - display

final design presentation - full presentation

oak grove c r e m a t o r i u m

Li s a Ha r t a n ov C o m p re h e n s ive Pro j e c t 2 0 1 6 In t e r io r Arc h it e c t u re Pro f e s s o r Al i s o n Sn yd e r

Li s a Ha r t a n ov C o m p re h e n s i ve Pro j e c t 2 0 1 6 In t e r i o r Arc h i t e c t u re Pro f e s s o r Al i s o n Sn yd e r

springfield, oregon

upper level entrance

organization through diagrams

the project Oregon has the second highest cremation rate in the nation at 70%.

abstract

investigations

In a culture that is both “obsessed with and terrified with the prospect of death”, exists a building typology that suffers under a tradition of providing the most mundane and “tragically wasted opportunities”.

t typology critique: crematorium and funerary practice t ritual and ceremony of the grieving through sacred space t sacred paths t addressing grief through nature and a greater perspective t acknowledgment of time and memory through material

This project seeks to provide a place for families to say goodbye to their deceased loved ones and participate in the end of life process to the extent that they desire. As a response to the tired funeral home architecture of the United States, which “sucks the life out of the living”, this project seeks to challenge this typology by addressing death in the architecture as a means to assist the living in the grieving process and provide a more authentic experience. Over the last century cremation has gained in popularity for its’ hygienic methods of tending to the departed, particularly in Oregon, where the cremation rates are the second highest in the nation at 70%. Yet despite this popularity, regional crematories are often separated from sacred spaces and are too industrial to allow final farewell rituals. Therefore cremations occur at unknown times and locations, without the presence of loved ones. This project tackles how the act of cremation can be publicly addressed in both ritual and procedure, since Oregonians rely heavily on this practice for their end of life care.

program

services provided

Ceremony

Vestibules, Reflection, Circulation

40%

20% 10%

large chapel

spatial organization C

horizontal organization

vertical organization

crematory placement

Programmatic requirements for the living occur on the west side of the building. Programmatic requirements for the departed occur on the east side of the building.

Ceremonies and cremation occur at the upper level. Arrangements and delivery of the deceased occur at the lower level.

Cremation services are located at the furthest point from the entrance requiring substantial preparation before access.

parti

mourners’ path: preparation through progression The living progress through a series of thresholds allowing pause and preparation before each emotional step in the processional. The centrally located sacred zone is the departure point for the next of kin to proceed on. Crossing over into the realm of the departed, this journey culminates at the crematory for the final send off. Once physically transformed, the departed are reunited with the mourners back in the realm of the living in the urn presentation room.

facility user group

PROGRAM

t arrangement of cremation / funeral t funerals, end of life ceremonies t final send off ceremonies t cremation t urn presentation t anniversary memorials

processional

upper level lobby

t next of kin t family of deceased t community of deceased t funerary advisors t religious or spiritual counselors t crematory operators

Arrangements

20%

sacred path

sacred zone

axis of fire, axis of water

The funerary procession divides the building North and South. The apex of the processional is the crematory as a means to acknowledge the process.

The central core of the building is flanked with the scared chapels used for honoring the departed in end of life rituals.

The processional, representational of an axis of fire, leading up to the crematory is juxtaposed by an axis of water of reflecting pools aligned at the threshold of the crematory.

10% Operations Lisa Hartanov Comprehensive Project 2016

Crematory

OAK GROVE CREMATORIUM

site and existing building

existing conditions - site information

CEMETERY

Just a turn off of main street, the Timber Products Company main headquarters is the axial summit at a dead end road. Surrounded by established oak groves and a gate, the building sits privately and quietly on the edge of a hill, with a neighboring cemetery park and adjacent residences. Burrowed into the hillside, the dynamic topography of the site allows for points of access at multiple levels.

city location: near downtown

springfield, oregon

private location surrounded by trees

upper level floor plan

existing conditions - building information parcel size: location: existing owner:

1/8” = 1’

1.41 acres

0’

.5 miles from downtown Springfield

4’

8’

16’

Timber Products Company

gross square footage: 20,961 sf ground floor area: 9,476 sf no. of floors: 3 third floor: second floor: first floor: site plan 0’

16’

1,253 sf 10,232 sf 9,476 sf

west facade

lower level entrance

upper level entrance

1/32” = 1’

32’

64’

west elevation - site entry 1/8” = 1’

0’

4’

8’

16’

lower level floor plan n 1/8” = 1’ 0’

south elevation - upper level entry 1/8” = 1’

0’

4’

8’

16’

South Elevation 1/8" = 1'-0"

16'

32'

4’

8’

16’

oak grove c r e m a t o r i u m

Lis a Ha r t a n ov Compre h e nsi ve Proje ct 2016 Inte ri or Arch i te cture Profe ssor Aliso n Sn yder

Lisa Har tan ov Co m prehen sive Pro j ect 2016 In terio r Architecture Pro fesso r Aliso n Sn yder

springfield, oregon

small chapel

springfield, oregon

antechamber

crematory

time and memory

urn presentation

a greater perspective

enduring materials

legacy materials

daylighting strategies

This project investigates the use of natural materials that show an initial connection to the earth, but then remain untouched by time. These luxurious, everlasting materials transcend time and mortality. They do not exist in the confines of life and death. Instead, they speak to an enduring, timeless connection to the earth. They remain strong, solemn, and constant in a life of change.

In direction opposition to the use of enduring materials, legacy materials are placed to show the passage of time through both patina and wear. This is a visual reminder that death and change comes to us all and is our natural state. Additionally, these materials are placed where they will come into contact with the users, leaving a visible legacy of human trace. The patina of metal hardware and the scratches of wood reflect the tradition of the larger social order gathering together to mourn the departed. This trace provides comfort to the grieving on those that have come before.

side lighting

top lighting

reinforced in light - sacred text

mahler’s 2nd symphony - 5th movement

The facility utilizes a controlled use of daylight to provide maximum impact. The processional begins and ends in a flood of light. In the sacred zone the large chapel provides a burst of daylight from the orderly rhythm created by the building structure. The small chapel disrupts this same rhythm of life with a distortion of the building’s forms, causing a light leak to omit from an unknown source. Both chapels allow the mourners to sit in the shadows and reflect on the light. This rupture represents how a death disrupts the social order to those left behind, but also uses this daylight penetration to illuminate the caskets and symbolically represent something larger beyond death.

The daylighting strategies utilize light to both comfort the griever but also control the light to provide a sense of something larger than death. The processional path starts in well lit lobby but then becomes insular, more focused, as the mourner enters a series of chambers utilized only skylights washing the wall of each room. These beacons bring the mourner to the sacred chapels and ultimate crematory, where they are faced with a different lighting condition.

Placed underneath the guiding skylights, the 8 stanzas from Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 reinforces a tone of solemnity in the facility. These requiem like poetic stanzas meet the mourners at the entry and culminate in the crematory. Etched into the limestone, these illustrious texts crescendo into the building, echoing both the hope and despair that death brings to light.

1 Rise again, yes, rise again, Will you My dust, After a brief rest! Immortal life! Immortal life Will He who called you, give you.

4 O believe, You were not born for nothing! Have not for nothing, lived, suffered!

8 Die shall I in order to live. Rise again, yes, rise again, Will you, my heart, in an instant! That for which you suffered, To God shall it carry you!

6 O Pain, You piercer of all things, From you, I have been wrested! O Death, You conqueror of all things, Now, are you conquered!

3 O believe, my heart, O believe: Nothing to you is lost! Yours is, yes yours, is what you desired Yours, what you have loved What you have fought for!

7 With wings which I have won for myself, In love’s fierce striving, I shall soar upwards To the light which no eye has penetrated!

5 What was created Must perish, What perished, rise again! Cease from trembling! Prepare yourself to live!

2 To bloom again were you sown! The Lord of the harvest goes And gathers in, like sheaves, Us together, who died.

processional path and crematory

sacred chapels and reflective spaces

The processional path and the final destination of the crematory utilize enduring materials as a anchor of certainty to the grieving in time when they have been unsettled by death. These materials of frozen time honor the departed as well as the spiritual passage of the mourners’ processional. This sacred path utilizes travertine walls and marble floors, materials whose luxury balances a culture afraid of addressing their own mortality.

In contrast to the austere and cold material delineation of the processional and crematory, the sacred chapels and reflective gathering spaces utilize warmer, legacy materials. Ample use of woods, wool carpets, and soft merino wool upholstery work together to comfort the griever through warmth and touch. These materials provide space for quiet reflection or gathered memorial.

9' - 0" AFF

13' - 0" AFF

10' - 0" AFF

A tumbled travertino of an off-white, honed finish allows the space beyond the crematory doors to appear both brighter and lighter than the segmented chambers of the processional. This tumbled travertino of pocked and flaked imperfection appropriately hints at the function of the crematory, providing a visceral response of ashes and bones.

9' - 0" AFF

8' - 0" AFF

Reminiscent of an Oregon forest, the chapels hint to the adjacent tall woods anchoring the mourners on both sides with natural familiarity. This is complimented by a starry night sky of rich grey blues and brass elements reflecting on the ceiling. Verde marble is again used to delineate the sacred zone. Inside the chapel, this is the main altar point of the space, providing a backdrop for the casket or urn placed at the front.

The use of verde marble provides a contrasting, but subtle, demarcation of the sacred entrances to the chapels. This provides a clear delineation of a sacred marker in a processional of uniformity.

16' - 6" AFF

ceiling elements reinforcing the processional path 10' - 0" AFF

9' - 0" AFF

10' - 0" AFF

10' - 6" AFF

14' - 0" AFF

8' - 0" AFF

In juxtaposition to the controlled and quiet walls and floors of the processional path, the ceiling bravely reinforces the processional path from entry to crematory through the use of small polished brass discs. Caught in the up lighting of the torches and daylight, these animated forms sparkle in the light, catching the eye and reinforcing the mourner to look up, as greater gesture to consider something larger, beyond death. Pulling the mourner forwards, these metal discs crescendo in the crematory where an expansive brass wrap embraces the mourner at the pivotal point of the processional. Due to the extensive intervention of this design element, these individual discs could be used as legacy commemoratives, allowing the departed to be symbolically memorialized within the facility.

18' - 0" AFF

20' - 0" AFF

10' - 0" AFF

19' - 0" AFF 9' - 0" AFF 9' - 0" AFF

ALUMINUM BRONZE

torch

legend

Oak Grove Torch Wall Sconce

HVAC Diffuser

Eureka Voxel Ceiling Mount

Sprinkler

Eureka Voxel Hanging Pendant

Emergency Exit Signage

2” Round Brass Disc

Smoke Detector

DIODE LED STRIP IN CAVITY

ø 0' - 0 3/4" 2" BRONZE TUBE STEEL, BRONZE FINISH

RECEIVER PLATE SCREW BASE

oak grove candle stand - plan, section 3” - 1’, 1” = 1’

9' - 0"

reflected ceiling plan 1/8” = 1’

1' - 6"

ø 0' - 0 3/4"

RECEIVER PLATE

The custom wall sconce mimics a torch featuring a large basin to SCREW push the light upward. As triumphant pairs, these fixtures guide BASE the mourner through the processional, providing ample lighting to bounce off the ceiling. The bronze fixture features a brass interior bowl, allowing the light to reflect off it a shiny surface onto a ceiling of brass discs. The armature of the fixture also uses the same elegant pose as the door hardware and candle stand.

11' - 6" AFF

Brass hardware and signage was elected for a similar strategy. In addition to its luster and sparkle, brass also reveals human touch and patina over time. This desire to show wear is a reminder to the grieving of the legacy of those that have gathered together before to mourn the departed and ultimately remind the living that death is a condition mourned through the ages.

1 1/4"

1' - 10"

9' - 0" AFF

1 1/4"

As fire is an direct connection to cremation, two custom fixtures used metaphoric and miniature representation to reinforce this primal use of light. Candle stands were designed with ritual in mind, for those passing to light a candle, as a symbolic gesture. This also hearkens back to an eternal flame, a timeless guide to those in dark. These simple fixtures utilized the same elegant, but mournful pose as the door hardware in bronze. Placed in groups, these candle stands use repetition to reinforce the axis of fire throughout the facility.

4' - 0"

ALUMINUM BRONZE

candle stand

9' - 0" AFF

4' - 0"

9' - 0" AFF

Sacred spaces substitute soft upholstery for wood, allowing the ceremonies to command upright reality, particularity since the majority of ceremonies are of short duration. These slab and block style shapes in the large chapel and urn presentation room are a means to show little manipulation to the true material as well as highlight the heavy weight of grief. The small chapel instead relies on stacked seating to allow for a variety of seating configurations and room functions in addition to funerals, such as wakes. Yet, these Carl Hansen elbow chairs sill utilize wood for the same reasons. Wood was also selected for the pulpit, urn pedestal, and catafalque due to its ability to show human trace through scratches, scrapes and patina as well as its familiar and natural semiotics.

CANDLE RECEPTACLE

custom fixtures

9' - 0" AFF

10' - 0" AFF

8’

16’

THING GAUGE BRONZE BASIN

1' - 10"

4’

1' - 6"

0’

DIODE LED STRIP IN CAVITY 2" BRONZE ANGLED SUPPORT

2" BRONZE TUBE STEEL, BRONZE FINISH

3' - 0"

9' - 0"

sacred door elevation 3/4"

1 9/16"

1 1/2"

10"

3/4"

5/16"

5 1/4"

5 1/4" 6"

1/4" 1 9/16"

5/16" 2' - 8 1/2"

1 1/2"

1 3/8"

1 9/16"

3/4"

LINEAR SKYLIGHT

1/4"

9/16"

3 3/8"

3” = 1’

2 1/2"

5 1/4"

3 3/8"

9/16"

1 1/8"

non - sacred hardware elevation 1” = 1’

sacred hardware elevation

Crematory Entrance - The form of the sacred entrance hardware is elongated and stretched to cover the entire door, offering a cumulative expression and providing dignity to the cremation process.

water 3/4"

5/16"

3 3/8"

1" 1 1/8"

Sacred Entrance - The dramatic but subtle handles of the sacred doors call attention to these doorways as set apart. 6"

3/4"

5/16"

5 1/4"

9/16"

1 9/16"

Non-sacred Entrance - a square handle trimmed in the soften right angle mirrors the sacred doors in minor scale. 9/16"

2' - 8 1/2"

1/4" 1 1/8"

9/16"

1 9/16"

2' - 8 1/2"

3 3/8"

9/16"

1 1/8"

the sacred and profane

1/4"

1 1/8"

9/16"

sacred hardware profile 1 1/8"

5 1/4"

1/2” = 1’

3” = 1’

1 1/2"

3 3/8"

9/16"

non - sacred hardware profile

1 3/8"

9/16"

3/4"

5/16"

5/16" 6"

9" 9"

2' - 8 1/2"

9/16"

1 9/16"

1 9/16" 2 1/2"

9/16"

2' - 8 1/2"

5 1/4"

BRONZE DOORS crematory door elevation 1 3/8"

5 1/4"

1/4"

5/16"

9/16"

1/4"

2' - 8 1/2"

1 1/2"

BRONZE DOORS

2 1/2"

1/2” = 1’

2" BRONZE ANGLED SUPPORT

nature Views of nature have been poignantly placed in the more stressful room of the facility. The arrangement room, urn presentation, entrances, and informal gathering spaces all look out towards private courtyards. As a calming method, these views allow mourners to reflect on the natural order.

1 1/2"

1 3/8"

1/2” =1 1’3/8"

3/4"

9' - 0"

4" non - sacred door elevation 2 1/2"

1' - 2 7/8"

9' - 0"

fire At the heart of the facility on the lower level, a vigil room is placed symbolically at the threshold with the departed programmatic zone of the building. As apex of the axis on the lower level, mourners can pass by after arranging a service or picking up the urn of their loved one and light a candle in their honor.

POLISHED BRASS HARDWARE 2 1/2"

POLISHED BRASS HARDWARE

2 1/2"

THING GAUGE BRONZE BASIN

7' - 0"

9' - 0"

BRONZE DOORS

9/16"

9' - 0"

reflection and ritual

POLISHED BRASS HARDWARE

2 1/2"

1 3/8"

9/16"

10"

oak grove torch sconce - elevation, section 2.25” = 1’

3' - 0"

BRONZE DOORS

1 3/8"

3' - 0"

3' - 0" POLISHED BRASS HARDWARE

human connection - hardware Heavy satin bronze doors in a deep rich brown are paired with polished brass hardware that is selected to show human trace and wear over the ages. As a reminder of those who came before, the door hardware is a location most visitors will come into contact with, leaving their legacy of honoring the departed through the patina of human touch. The form of the hardware is mirrored of itself, representational of the divide between life and death, chosen in a soften, but mournful pose of three variations. The scale of the hardware changes with importance. The standard hardware is the smallest, the sacred hardware is the most graceful, followed by the elongated and dramatic hardware of the crematory entrance.

9' - 0"

3' - 0"

An axis of water symbolically breaks through the heart of the facility. A series of reflecting pools are placed outside of the most sacred rooms of Oak Grove. The arrangement office, urn presentation, and each chapel open up to the water. On the lower level, the water is used to reflect light inward. Mourners place stones in the water as a symbolic gesture of farewell.

brass

EXTENDED WOOD WALL, CHERRY ACOUSTIC BACKER

Through the use brass pavers, next of kin are able to commemorate their departed loved ones by replacing a stone in the exterior cobble with a small plaque. These visual legacies mark the entrances in a glistening reminder of those who have come before while also providing honor to the departed.

WOOD, CHERRY 2x4 STUD WALL INSULATED CAVITY 2x4 STUD WALL

1” = 1’

5/8" BACKER BOARD SETTING MATERIAL 5/8" VERDE IMPERIAL TUMBLED MARBLE ETCHED TEXT, 1/4"

wall detail - chapel to processional 1” = 1’

section a - processional

section b - large chapel

section c - both chapels

0’

1/8” = 1’ 4’

8’

16’

1/8” = 1’ 4’

8’

16’

1/8” = 1’ 4’

8’

16’

3' - 0"

leaving legacy

3' - 0" 3' - 0"

1' - 2 7/8"

3' - 0"

final design presentation - perspective walk through

upper level entrance

upper level lobby

final design presentation - perspective walk through

processional

large chapel

final design presentation - perspective walk through

small chapel

antechamber

final design presentation - perspective walk through

crematory

urn presentation

final design presentation - the project

Oregon has the second highest cremation rate in the nation at 70%.

investigations • typology critique: crematorium and funerary practice • ritual and ceremony of the grieving through sacred space • sacred paths • addressing grief through nature and a greater perspective • acknowledgment of time and memory through material

abstract In a culture that is both “obsessed with and terrified with the prospect of death”, exists a building typology that suffers under a tradition of providing the most mundane and “tragically wasted opportunities”. This project seeks to provide a place for families to say goodbye to their deceased loved ones and participate in the end of life process to the extent that they desire. As a response to the tired funeral home architecture of the United States, which “sucks the life out of the living”, this project seeks to challenge this typology by addressing death in the architecture as a means to assist the living in the grieving process and provide a more authentic experience. Over the last century cremation has gained in popularity for its’ hygienic methods of tending to the departed, particularly in Oregon, where the cremation rates are the second highest in the nation at 70%. Yet despite this popularity, regional crematories are often separated from sacred spaces and are too industrial to allow final farewell rituals. Therefore cremations occur at unknown times and locations, without the presence of loved ones. This project tackles how the act of cremation can be publicly addressed in both ritual and procedure, since Oregonians rely heavily on this practice for their end of life care.

services provided program

PROGRAM

Ceremony

Vestibules, Reflection, Circulation

40%

• arrangement of cremation / funeral • funerals, end of life ceremonies • final send off ceremonies • cremation • urn presentation • anniversary memorials

20% 10% Arrangements

20%

facility user group

10% Operations Lisa Hartanov Comprehensive Project 2016

Crematory

OAK GROVE CREMATORIUM

• next of kin • family of deceased • community of deceased • funerary advisors • religious or spiritual counselors • crematory operators

final design presentation - organization through diagrams

horizontal organization Programmatic requirements for the living occur on the west side of the building. Programmatic requirements for the departed occur on the east side of the building.

parti

mournersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; path: preparation through progression The living progress through a series of thresholds, allowing pause and preparation before each emotional step in the processional. The centrally located sacred zone is the departure point for the next of kin to proceed on. Crossing over into the realm of the departed, this journey culminates at the crematory for the final send off. Once physically transformed, the departed are reunited with the mourners back in the realm of the living in the urn presentation room.

vertical organization Ceremonies and cremation occur at the upper level. Arrangements and delivery of the deceased occur at the lower level.

crematory placement Cremation services are located at the furthest point from the entrance requiring substantial preparation before access.

sacred zone The central core of the building is flanked with the scared chapels used for honoring the departed in end of life rituals.

sacred path The funerary procession divides the building North and South. The apex of the processional is the crematory as a means to acknowledge the process.

axis of fire, axis of water The processional, representational of an axis of fire, leading up to the crematory is juxtaposed by an axis of water of reflecting pools aligned at the threshold of the crematory.

final design presentation - site and existing building

cemetery

s. c street

s. 4th street

site plan 0’

16’

n 32’

64’

Site plan developed with Landscape Architect, James Voelckers.

existing conditions - site Just a turn off of main street, the Timber Products Company main headquarters is the axial summit at a dead end road. Surrounded by established oak groves and a gate, the building sits privately and quietly on the edge of a hill, with a neighboring cemetery park and adjacent residences. Burrowed into the hillside, the dynamic topography of the site allows for points of access at multiple levels.

CEMETERY

city location: near downtown

springfield, oregon

private location surrounded by trees

existing conditions - building parcel size: 1.41 acres location: .5 miles from downtown existing owner: Timber Products Co. gross square footage: 20,961 sf ground floor area: 9,476 sf no. of floors: 3 third floor: 1,253 sf second floor: 10,232 sf first floor: 9,476 sf

west facade

lower level entrance

upper level entrance

final design presentation - entry elevations

west elevation - site entry 0’ 4’ 8’

16’

south elevation - upper level entry 0’ 4’ 8’ 1

South Elevation 1/8" = 1'-0"

16’ 8'

16'

32'

final design presentation - spatial organization

upper level floor plan n 0’ 4’

8’

16’

lower level floor plan n 0’ 4’

8’

16’

final design presentation - sections

section a - processional 0’ 4’

8’

16’

section b - large chapel 0’ 4’

8’

16’

section c - both chapels 0’ 4’

8’

16’

section d - entry 0’ 4’

8’

16’

final design presentation - a greater perspective

daylighting strategies

side lighting The facility utilizes a controlled use of daylight to provide maximum impact. The processional begins and ends in a flood of light. In the sacred zone the large chapel provides a burst of daylight from the orderly rhythm created by the building structure. The small chapel disrupts this same rhythm of life with a distortion of the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forms, causing a light leak to omit from an unknown source. Both chapels allow the mourners to sit in the shadows and reflect on the light. This rupture represents how a death disrupts the social order to those left behind, but also uses this daylight penetration to illuminate the caskets and symbolically represent something larger beyond death.

top lighting The daylighting strategies utilize light to both comfort the griever but also control the light to provide a sense of something larger than death. The processional path starts in well lit lobby but then becomes insular, more focused, as the mourner enters a series of chambers utilizing only skylights that wash the wall of each room. These beacons bring the mourner to the sacred chapels and ultimate crematory, where they are faced with different lighting conditions.

reinforced in light - sacred text Placed underneath the guiding skylights, the 8 stanzas from Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 reinforces a tone of solemnity in the facility. These requiem-like poetic stanzas meet the mourners at the entry and culminate in the crematory. Etched into the limestone, these illustrious texts crescendo into the building, echoing both the hope and despair that death brings to light.

4 3

7 8

2 1

mahler’s 2nd symphony - 5th movement 1 Rise again, yes, rise again, Will you My dust, After a brief rest! Immortal life! Immortal life Will He who called you, give you. 2 To bloom again were you sown! The Lord of the harvest goes And gathers in, like sheaves, Us together, who died. 3 O believe, my heart, O believe: Nothing to you is lost! Yours is, yes yours, is what you desired Yours, what you have loved What you have fought for!

4 O believe, You were not born for nothing! Have not for nothing, lived, suffered! 5 What was created Must perish, What perished, rise again! Cease from trembling! Prepare yourself to live! 6 O Pain, You piercer of all things, From you, I have been wrested! O Death, You conqueror of all things, Now, are you conquered!

7 With wings which I have won for myself, In love’s fierce striving, I shall soar upwards To the light which no eye has penetrated! 8 Die shall I in order to live. Rise again, yes, rise again, Will you, my heart, in an instant! That for which you suffered, To God shall it carry you!

final design presentation - a greater perspective

ceiling elements

9' - 0" AFF

13' - 0" AFF

16' - 6" AFF 10' - 0" AFF

9' - 0" AFF

8' - 0" AFF

10' - 0" AFF

9' - 0" AFF

10' - 0" AFF

10' - 6" AFF

14' - 0" AFF

8' - 0" AFF

18' - 0" AFF

20' - 0" AFF

10' - 0" AFF

19' - 0" AFF 9' - 0" AFF 9' - 0" AFF

9' - 0" AFF

10' - 0" AFF

9' - 0" AFF

11' - 6" AFF

reflected ceiling plan n 0’ 4’

8’

16’

legend Oak Grove Torch Wall Sconce

HVAC Diffuser

Eureka Voxel Ceiling Mount

Sprinkler

Eureka Voxel Hanging Pendant

Emergency Exit Signage

2” Round Brass Disc

Smoke Detector

reinforcing the processional path In juxtaposition to the controlled and quiet walls and floors of the processional path, the ceiling bravely reinforces the processional path from entry to crematory through the use of small polished brass discs. Caught in the up lighting of the torches and daylight, these animated forms sparkle in the light, catching the eye and reinforcing the mourner to look up, as greater gesture to consider something larger, beyond death. Pulling the mourner forwards, these metal discs crescendo in the crematory where an expansive brass wrap embraces the mourner at the pivotal point of the processional. Due to the extensive intervention of this design element, these individual discs could be used as legacy commemoratives, allowing the departed to be symbolically memorialized within the facility.

final design presentation - custom fixtures

1' - 6"

THING GAUGE BRONZE BASIN

1' - 10"

DIODE LED STRIP IN CAVITY 2" BRONZE ANGLED SUPPORT

1' - 2 7/8"

2" BRONZE TUBE STEEL, BRONZE FINISH

9' - 0"

NG GAUGE ONZE BASIN

oak grove torch sconce - elevation, section 2" BRONZE ANGLED SUPPORT

The custom wall sconce mimics a torch featuring a large basin to push the light upward. As triumphant pairs, these fixtures guide the mourner through the processional, providing ample lighting to bounce off the ceiling. The bronze fixture features a brass interior bowl, allowing the light to reflect off itsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shiny surface onto a ceiling1"of brass discs. The armature of the fixture also uses the same elegant pose as the door hardware and candle stand.

1' - 2 7/8"

torch

10"

DLE EPTACLE

CANDLE RECEPTACLE

MINUM NZE

ALUMINUM BRONZE

4' - 0"

1 1/4"

Ă¸ 0' - 0 3/4"

CEIVER ATE

RECEIVER PLATE

REW SE

SCREW BASE

oak grove candle stand - plan, section

candle stand As fire is a direct connection to cremation, two custom fixtures used metaphoric and miniature representation to reinforce this primal use of light. Candle stands were designed with ritual in mind, for those passing to light a candle, as a symbolic gesture. This also hearkens back to an eternal flame, a timeless guide to those in dark. These simple fixtures utilized the same elegant, but mournful pose as the door hardware in bronze. Placed in groups, these candle stands use repetition to reinforce the axis of fire throughout the facility.

final design presentation - ritual and reflection

fire At the heart of the facility on the lower level, a vigil room is placed symbolically at the threshold of the departed programmatic zone of the building. As the apex of the lower level, mourners can pass by after arranging a service or picking up the urn of their loved one and light a candle in their honor.

water An axis of water symbolically breaks through the heart of the facility. A series of reflecting pools are placed outside of the most sacred rooms of Oak Grove. The arrangement office, urn presentation, and each chapel open up to the water. On the lower level, the water is used to reflect light inward. Mourners place stones in the water as a symbolic gesture of farewell.

brass Through the use brass pavers, next of kin are able to commemorate their departed loved ones by replacing a stone in the exterior cobble with a small plaque. These visual legacies mark the entrances in a glistening reminder of those who have come before while also providing honor to the departed.

final design presentation - time and memory

materials and finish strategy

enduring materials This project investigates the use of natural materials that show an initial connection to the earth, but then remain untouched by time. These luxurious, everlasting materials transcend time and mortality. They do not exist in the confines of life and death. Instead, they speak to an enduring, timeless connection to the earth. They remain strong, solemn, and constant in a life of change.

legacy materials In direction opposition to the use of enduring materials, legacy materials are placed to show the passage of time through both patina and wear. This is a visual reminder that death and change comes to us all and is our natural state. Additionally, these materials are placed where they will come into contact with the users, leaving a visible legacy of human trace. The patina of metal hardware and the scratches of wood reflect the tradition of the larger social order gathering together to mourn the departed. This trace provides comfort to the grieving on those that have come before.

final design presentation - time and memory

processional path and crematory The processional path and the final destination of the crematory utilize enduring materials as a anchor of certainty to the grieving in time when they have been unsettled by death. These materials of frozen time honor the departed as well as the spiritual passage of the mournersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; processional. This sacred path utilizes travertine walls and marble floors, materials whose luxury balances a culture afraid of addressing their own mortality.

The use of verde marble provides a contrasting, but subtle, demarcation of the sacred entrances to the chapels. This provides a clear delineation of a sacred marker in a processional of uniformity. A tumbled travertino of an off-white, honed finish allows the space beyond the crematory doors to appear both brighter and lighter than the segmented chambers of the processional. This tumbled travertino of pocked and flaked imperfection appropriately hints at the function of the crematory, providing a visceral response of ashes and bones.

final design presentation - time and memory

sacred chapels and reflective spaces In contrast to the austere and cold material delineation of the processional and crematory, the sacred chapels and reflective gathering spaces utilize warmer, legacy materials. Ample use of woods, wool carpets, and soft merino wool upholstery work together to comfort the griever through warmth and touch. These materials provide space for quiet reflection or gathered memorial.

final design presentation - time and memory

furniture, finishes, and equipment This facility requires minimal, but particular, furnishings. Knoll chairs and sofas have been selected due to their orderly and elegant method of blending into the background, for example. Yet, the FF&E pieces that were chosen as features must also find a delicate balance between semiotics of grief and celebration. They must not force an emotion nor act utilitarian, but set the tone of the facility as a place to acknowledge death that is respectful of the departed. As a method to show care, intentionality, and honor, selection has strategized lush, real materials. Leather, mohair, wood, and brass have been particularly selected as materials that come into contact with guests on the seating and hardware. Rooms of informal and reflective function utilize seating of exuberant mohair of a comforting and rich nature. Sacred spaces substitute soft upholstery for wood, allowing the ceremonies to command upright reality, particularity since the majority of ceremonies are of short duration. These slab and block style shapes in the large chapel and urn presentation room are a means to show little manipulation to the true material as well as highlight the heavy weight of grief.

The small chapel instead relies on stacked seating to allow for a variety of seating configurations and room functions in addition to funerals, such as wakes. Yet, these Carl Hansen elbow chairs sill utilize wood for the same reasons. Wood was also selected for the pulpit, urn pedestal, and catafalque due to its ability to show human trace through scratches, scrapes and patina, as well as its familiar and natural semiotics. Brass hardware and signage was elected for a similar strategy. In addition to its luster and sparkle, brass also reveals human touch and patina over time. This desire to show wear is a reminder to the grieving of the legacy of those that have gathered together before to mourn the departed, and ultimately remind the living that death is a condition mourned through the ages.

final design presentation - leaving legacy

human connection - hardware Heavy satin bronze doors in a deep rich brown are paired with polished brass hardware that is selected to show human trace and wear over the ages. As a reminder of those who came before, the door hardware is a location most visitors will come into contact with, leaving their legacy of honoring the departed through the patina of human touch. The form of the hardware is mirrored of itself, representational of the divide between life and death, chosen in a soften, but mournful pose of three variations. The scale of the hardware changes with importance. The standard hardware is the smallest, the sacred hardware is more graceful, followed by the elongated and dramatic hardware of the crematory entrance.

3' - 0" 3' - 0"

3' - 0"

7' - 0"

ASS HARDWARE 3' - 0"

9' - 0"

3' - 0"

9' - 0"

3' - 0"

POLISHED BRASS HARDWARE

2 1/2"

1 3/8" 1 1/2"

5 1/4"

3/4"

5/16"

1 9/16"

2' - 83/4" 1/2"

5 1/4"

1/4" POLISHED BRASS HARDWARE 1/4"

9/16"

1 9/16"

3/4"

2' - 8 1/2"

5 1/4"

3/4"

5/16"

5/16" 2' - 8 1/2"

BRONZE DOORS

5/16"

2 1/2"

1/4"

crematory door elevation 1 3/8"

BRONZE DOORS

9' - 0"

POLISHED BRASS HARDWARE

sacred door elevation

1 1/2"

non - sacred door elevation 1 1/2"

1 3/8"

9/16"

2 1/2"

5 1/4"

BRONZE DOORS

sacred hardware profile

non - sacred hardware profile

9/16"

3 3/8"

9/16"

2 1/2"

1 1/8"

1 3/8" 1 1/2" 3/4"

5/16"

non-sacred entrance - a square handle trimmed in the soften right angle mirrors the sacred doors in minor scale.

5 1/4"

subtle handles of the sacred doors call attention to these doorways as set apart. 9"

crematory entrance - The form of the 9/16"

3 3/8"

non - sacred hardware elevation 1 1/8"

sacred hardware elevation

sacred entrance hardware is elongated and stretched to cover the entire door, offering a cumulative expression and providing dignity to the cremation process.

1 9/16"

sacred entrance - The dramatic but

2' - 8 1/2"

9/16"

1 9/16"

1/4"

9/16"

3 3/8"

1 1/8"

final design presentation - assembly

the sacred and profane

LINEAR SKYLIGHT

EXTENDED WOOD WALL, CHERRY ACOUSTIC BACKER WOOD, CHERRY 2x4 STUD WALL INSULATED CAVITY 2x4 STUD WALL 5/8" BACKER BOARD SETTING MATERIAL 5/8" VERDE IMPERIAL TUMBLED MARBLE ETCHED TEXT, 1/4"

wall detail - chapel to processional

site model

section slice - both chapels

final programming & site analysis

final short program final long program program hierarchy diagram adajcency diagram user scenarios site selection existing conditions

final short program

room type Ceremony Spaces Upper Level Entrance Large Chapel Small Chapel Processional Informal Family Room Urn Presentation Vigil Coat Room

quantity

square footage

646

100

Processional, Restrooms, Coat Room

1680

100

Processional, Informal, Small Chapel

900

Processional, Informal, Large Chapel

3,500

200

Upper Level Entrance, Crematory

800

Chapels, Processional

400

Chapels, Processional

384

Processional, Vigil

144

Processional, Urn Presentation

416

Informal

480

Informal

520

Lower Level Entrance

646

100

Processional

568

Processional

1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1

total occupancy

adjacencies

Upper Level Entrance

Arrangements Lower Level Entrance Arrangement Room Office Withdrawing Restrooms (x4) Maintenance Rm. Crematory Antechamber Crematory Control Room Storage Receiving Hall Preparation Room Break Room Mechanical Room Ventilation Shaft

1 1 1 1 5 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

646

100

Crematory, Processional

1800

Antechamber

224

Crematory

216

Processional

1600

Preparation Room

280

Receiving Hall

240

Receiving Hall

416

Ventilation Shaft

320

Mechanical Room

Total Square Footage

17,000

Gross Available Square Footage

20,961

lighting

furniture, fixtures, & equipment

activities

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Benches, Signage, Display Case

Arrival point for ceremonies

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Benches, Pulpit, Catafalque, Pedestal

Ceremonies, services, wakes

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Benches, Pulpit, Catafalque, Pedestal

Ceremonies, services, wakes

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Benches, Signage

Processional to chapels and crematory

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Benches, Drinking Fountain, Casework

Informal gathering before and after events

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Sofa, Chairs, Table, Casework

Private room for family before ceremonies

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Benches, Pedestal

Receiving the urn

Ambient, Electric

Candle Holders

Lighting a candle in honor of the departed

Ambient, Electric

Coat Hangers, Closet Rod

Storing coats for guests

Daylight, Electric, Task

Umbrella Stand, Signage, Display Case

Check in with reception for services

Daylight, Electric, Task

Chairs, Tables, Sofas, Casework

Arranging a ceremony or cremation

Daylight, Electric, Task

Task Chairs, Desks, Casework

Managerial tasks

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Sofas

Quiet informal sitting area

Ambient, Electric

Water Closets, Urinals, Sinks, etc.

Restrooms

Electric

Shelves, Mop Sink

Maintenance storage

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Benches

Entrance threshold for crematory

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Retorts, Conveyor, Rakes, Cremulator

Final send off ceremony, cremation

Ambient, Electric, Task

Casework, Task Chairs, Tech. Equipment

Monitoring retorts

Ambient, Electric

Shelves

Storing facility supplies

Daylight, Ambient, Electric

Wide Exterior Doors, Gurneys, Coolers

Receiving & storing departed

Daylight, Electric, Task

Stainless Steel Table, Sink, Casework

Preparing the body for viewing & cremation

Electric

Crematory & Cooler Mechanical Equip.

Facility heating and cooling

Electric

Crematory Ventilation Equipment

Facility ventilation

final long program

upper level entrance

large chapel

Square Footage: 650

Square Footage: 1700

Occupancy: 100

Adjacencies: Processional, Restrooms, Coat Room

Adjacencies: Processional, Informal, Small Chapel

Activities: Upon entering the facility, the lobby greets the attendee for various ceremonies. From this entrance they will be able to use restrooms, find stairs and the elevator, greet other attendees, sit and wait, and move forward towards the chapels.

Activities: Mourners will gather in this sacred space for funerals, ceremonies, wakes, reflection, sitting, singing, watching, listening, and speaking.

Aesthetics Characteristics: This entry is meant to be bright, solemn, rhythmic, and orderly.

Aesthetics Characteristics: This sacred place appears visually different from the rest of the facilities to set it apart. The chapel is reflective, peaceful, solemn, hopeful, with a controlled color palette.

Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Benches, signage, display case.

Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: fixed pews, pulpit, catafalque, urn stand, wreath stand, and hooks.

Illumination and View: Compared to the rest of the processional, the ceremony entrance has an abundance of windows and sidelighting, pointed towards the oak groves on the property. The space is intended to be flooded with light. Wall sconces decorate the columns and produce a rhythm shining upward on the ceiling where reflective metal discs guide the way towards the chapels. Exterior shading devices are required over the western facing windows.

Illumination and View: Daylight is desired to be particularly controlled in order to provide maximum sacred impact. Compared to the internal processional, the 4â&#x20AC;&#x2122; rhythm of the building is broken by a pop out of glazing at the front of the chapel, illuminating the catafalque and pulpit. Fixed wall sconces are rhythmically placed on the protruding columns to emphasize this rhythm. Ceiling mounted fixtures are sporadically placed for added illumination. Polished brass discs placed on the ceiling catch the light and add sparkle to the chapel.

Health, Safety, and Security: As the entrance to the upper level, this space requires locking door hardware for the exterior. Acoustics: As the point of entry and the furthest point from the chapels, the acoustics are not as critical in this room as in others. Finishes Requirements: As the start of the processional, the materials are to be enduring materials, those that are unaffected by time, such as marble and travertine. The uniformity of the space is meant to show little hierarchy to one area. The flooring requires ample slip resistance and durability. The benches require high durability rub count.

Health, Safety, and Security: This chapel requires two exits for the occupancy size. This space is semi-private requiring locking hardware. Acoustics: This chapel is to remain undisturbed from outside noise due to the sacred nature of the facility. High acoustic treatment is required in both ceiling and wall paneling. Finishes Requirements: As a sacred space, this chapel requires high end materials. The front altar wall requires a material marking it as a sacred zone. A high amount of wood is desired in the chapel to reference nature. The surfaces that come into contact with people - benches, catafalque, pulpit - require a material that will show legacy and human trace through scratches, patina, and chipping.

small chapel

processional

Square Footage: 900

Square Footage: 3,500

Occupancy: 49

Occupancy: 150

Adjacencies: Processional, Informal, Large Chapel

Adjacencies: Processional to chapels and crematory

Activities: Mourners will gather in this sacred space for funerals, ceremonies, wakes, reflection, sitting, singing, watching, listening, and speaking.

Activities: This processional path guides the mourner from the entrance to the major functions of the building, culminating in either the crematory on the upper level or the vigil on the lower level. The path is intended to be methodical, contemplative on the journey forward as well as function as informal gathering before a ceremony.

Aesthetics Characteristics: This sacred place will appear visually different from the rest of the facilities to set it apart. The chapel is reflective, peaceful, solemn, hopeful, with a controlled color palette. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: stackable chairs, pulpit, catafalque, urn stand, wreath stand and hooks. Illumination and View: Daylight is desired to be particularly controlled in order to provide maximum sacred impact. In this chapel the rhythm of the building becomes distorted, encasing it into a curved form, which is broken by a hidden light source pouring daylight into the central space illuminating the catafalque and pulpit. Fixed wall sconces are rhythmically placed on the protruding columns. Ceiling mounted fixtures are sporadically placed for added illumination. Polished metal discs placed on the ceiling catch the light and add sparkle to the chapel. Health, Safety, and Security: requiring locking hardware.

This chapel is semi-private,

Acoustics: This chapel is to remain undisturbed from outside noise due to the sacred nature of the facility. High acoustic treatment is required in both ceiling and wall paneling. Finishes Requirements: As a sacred space, this chapel requires high end materials. The front altar wall requires a material marking it as a sacred zone. A high amount of wood is desired in the chapel to reference nature. The surfaces that come into contact with people - benches, catafalque, pulpit - require a material that will show legacy and human trace through scratches, patina, and chipping.

Aesthetics Characteristics: As the guiding and methodical path, this space is intended to be solemn, but anticipating, using daylight in the form of skylights as a beacon. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: benches, signage, wreath hooks. Illumination and View: In comparison to the light filled entrance, the processional has no side daylighting, but instead top lighting placed over etched quotes in the travertine in each chamber. Each threshold of the processional is flagged with wall sconces, reflecting upward to the metallic details of the ceiling pointing the way towards the crematory. Health, Safety, and Security: Floor material requires a high coefficient of friction, adequate lighting, and navigational signage. Acoustics: This processional is the threshold before the poignant spaces in the facility and therefore must attempt to have acoustical considerations through thickened walls. Finishes Requirements: The processional requires enduring materials, those that are unaffected by time, such as marble and travertine. The uniformity of the space is meant to show little hierarchy to one area unless it is marking a sacred zone in a different material. The flooring requires ample slip resistance and durability.

final long program

informal room (2)

family room (2)

Square Footage: 800-1000

Square Footage: 400

Occupancy: 30

Occupancy: 20

Adjacencies: Chapels, Processional

Adjacencies: Chapels, Processional, Away from entrances

Activities: The informal rooms are provided for gatherings that occur before or after a ceremony. The lower level also is used for guests waiting for an arranging appointment or urn presentation and is therefore larger to accommodate more guests.

Activities: This room is a quiet respite for next of kin to use before and after a funeral, when then need privacy and peace from the events. Staff will greet family at the entrance prior to the funeral and usher them to this room. Family will then be ushered to the ceremony and to their seats at the start of the ceremony. There is also a second version of this room on the ground floor available during overflow as well as those needing to collect themselves in private.

Aesthetics Characteristics: Both of these spaces allow for seating and a small cabinet for light fare. Views outside to nature are the highlight. These rooms are intended to be comfortable and informal in use, and also a place for children to feel more at ease. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: The upper level room has a handful of upholstered benches, drinking fountain, and casework. The lower level room mimics this but with upholstered chairs. Illumination and View: As the highlight of the space, both of these rooms face the internal courtyard with ample windows and views of nature as a comforting and orienting method. Health, Safety, and Security: This spaces require no doors to access it, as monitoring is required. The lower level has a door with access to the interior courtyard where a few benches are located outside for a quiet retreat. Acoustics: As this space is an overflow from the more formal spaces, the reception rooms do not require ample amounts of acoustical interventions, though this will be applied to the wall paneling to minimize the noise traveling to the adjacent sacred spaces. Finishes Requirements: To distinguish these rooms from the processional path, they will require different materials, including more comforting legacy materials such as woods and very lush upholstery. The upholstery must have high wearability and feel luxurious to the touch. The views of the greenscape must also be clear and radiant.

Aesthetics Characteristics: These rooms are intended to be comforting, soft, and informal. The use of soft materials and views outside are used to gain comfort to the guest. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Upholstered chairs and sofa, table, counter cabinet. Illumination and View: As a method of comfort, these rooms feature a rhythm of glazing looking outward to a private courtyard of lush greenery. Health, Safety, and Security: For those requiring mourning with more privacy, these rooms allow the grieving to spend time in undisturbed peace. Acoustics: Thickened walls and acoustical panels will prevent noise transfer from one room to the next. Finishes Requirements: These rooms require finishes that are universally comforting through the use of upholstery that has high wearability and is lush. Additionally wood walls and furniture will accompany this.

urn presentation

vigil

Square Footage: 400

Square Footage: 144

Occupancy: 49

Occupancy: 5

Adjacencies: Processional, Vigil

Adjacencies: Lower Processional

Activities: This room allows next of kin to receive the ashes of their loved one after cremation. The urn presentation room is a small sacred room for next of kin to have a quiet moment after this transition. Staff will place the urn on the pedestal before ushering the family to the room. This room could also be used for very small and extremely private funerals, wakes, and death anniversary memorials.

Activities: As a place of ritual, the vigil room allows the visitor to light a candle in honor of their departed loved one. As a ritual experience between events, before a ceremony, or a upon departing the facility, this room allows the mourner to contribute to the wall of light or admire it as the apex view of the lower processional.

Aesthetics Characteristics: As a place of reflection and honor, the character of this space highlights daylight, the natural world, and a mix of legacy and enduring materials. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Urn pedestal, benches. Illumination and View: As a poignant sacred space in the facility, the daylighting intervention must be powerful in this room, hearkening death back to something greater; the light. A pop out window interrupts the rhythm of wood paneling along the wall, causing a disruption of light and views overlooking a water feature and nature. This light then shines forward onto the urn pedestal, highlighting the object next of kin are reunited with. Health, Safety, and Security: Required door. Locking hardware not required. Acoustics: This scared space requires acoustical privacy from adjacent rooms. Finishes Requirements: This sacred place requires a refined and high end material palette and a means to show respect to the departed. The apex will requires a marking in the sacred material, which can also reflect the daylight. The benches and pedestal of wood are chosen to provide human trace and legacy to the act of the next of kin receiving the deceased in their final state.

Aesthetics Characteristics: This room is open from three sides, making its visibly high. This room will mimic the processional in appearance, with carved out niches to hold candles. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: candles, matches, feature lighting. Illumination and View: This rooms requires lower illumination levels and no daylight to allow the burning candles to be highly visible throughout various times of day. Health, Safety, and Security: Candles must be placed in high candle holders and only burn for a few hours before self extinguishing. A built in fire extinguisher must be placed in visible proximity to this room along with sprinklers as per the rest of the facility. Acoustics: This room is open to the rest of the processional, giving it little need for acoustical privacy. Finishes Requirements: In finish, this room should act as a visible extension to the processional in use of enduring materials such as marble and travertine. A low coefficient of friction is required for the floor. Low placed niches are also desired for ADA accessible heights.

final long program

coat room

lower level entrance

Square Footage: 64

Square Footage: 416

Occupancy: NA

Occupancy: 30

Adjacencies: Upper Level Entrance, Restrooms

Adjacencies: Informal Room, Lower Processional

Activities: The coat room holds personal belongings of the mourners while they are in various ceremonies. Due to the Springfield rainy climate, a place to store wet coats allows water to stay off of the floor and seats.

Activities: The lower level entrance greets visitors at a reception desk and either directs them to a scheduled ceremony or to the informal room to wait for an arrangement meeting.

Aesthetics Characteristics: The coat room is an extension of the processional in quality and character. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: coat hangers, closet rod, umbrella stand. Illumination and View: Ambient and utilitarian lighting are required for this room to provide strong relational in the daylighting of the adjacent processional. Health, Safety, and Security: Visibility from the upper level entrance is required. Acoustics: This room does not require acoustical separation or privacy since it does not contain occupants. Finishes Requirements: The coat room is an extension of the processional in quality and character.

Aesthetics Characteristics: The lower level entrance is the first impression into the lower part of the facility, marking the entrance into the lower processional through the use of enduring materials. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Reception desk at ADA heights, task chair, signage. Illumination and View: This lower level arrangement entrance features views of the oak groves with daylight from two sides. Health, Safety, and Security: For security, views of parking lot are required for this entrance. Locking door hardware and camera security is also required. Acoustics: The acoustics of this space are not as pertinent as other rooms of the facility. Finishes Requirements: This room is meant to be an extension of the processional in appearance and finishes. A low coefficient of friction is required on the flooring.

arrangement room

office

Square Footage: 480

Square Footage: 520

Occupancy: 20

Occupancy: 12

Adjacencies: Informal Room, Lower Processional

Adjacencies: Arrangement Rooms, Informal Room, Lower Processional

Activities: This room is designated for next of kin to arrange ceremony and/or cremation services with a staff member. This could include deciding on the type of ceremony and ceremony space as well as selecting an urn. The room is exclusively used for these meetings and not an office.

Activities: The day to day operations occurs in this office for staff members, including coordinating pick up of the deceased and flowers, confirming urn pick up, and other event coordination.

Aesthetics Characteristics: The room is meant to be transparent, but private, with soft upholstery and views of nature. This space is to be as comfortable as possible for a meeting.

Aesthetics Characteristics: This rooms is similar in character to the reception and the arrangement room with use of woods and a rhythm of window.

Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: upholstered chairs, coffee table.

Table, guest chairs,

Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Desks, task chairs, shelves, file cabinets, guest chairs, task lamps.

Illumination and View: As a means of comforting the grieving, this space utilizes ample daylighting and poignant views of nature. Mimicking the sacred spaces in the facility, this room also features a pop out window placed immediately below a pool of water.

Illumination and View: This room repeats the rhythm of windows used elsewhere in the facility providing ample daylighting into this work zone.

Health, Safety, and Security: The adjacent office allows staff to easily access the arrangement room when they meet with guests. Acoustics: As this room is particularly stressful part of the facility, this room requires ample acoustical privacy from the neighboring office and processional.

Health, Safety, and Security: As the office is private and does not require guest entry, doors will require locking hardware. Acoustics: Acoustical privacy is required in the adjacent rooms, allowing this room to need to acoustical separation. Finishes Requirements: The office requires ergonomic work chairs for the employees.

Finishes Requirements: Mimicking the sacred spaces in the facility, this room utilizes wood as well and lush upholstery.

final long program

withdrawing room

restrooms (m/w/staff)

Square Footage: 650

Square Footage: 570

Occupancy: 30

Occupancy: 4 units of 3 stalls each, 1 staff water closet.

Adjacencies: Away from the entrance and main facility functions.

Adjacencies: Processionals, vertical circulation, away from sacred spaces

Activities: This room is an out of the way open living room with cozy seating in an informal setting. To accommodate the grieving who prefer to sit away from main crowd of gathering, but may not be next of kin to be allowed access to the family room, this open room allows a place of respite and overflow.

Activities: Rest

Aesthetics Characteristics: This room is an extension of the processional and requires high end, timeless, and durable materials. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: comfy chairs and sofas in lush upholsteries. Illumination and View: Limited daylight allows this room to appear visibly different than the other informal sitting areas. Health, Safety, and Security: This room does not have doors and therefore remains visible to the rest of the facility. Acoustics: As this room is tucked away from the heart of the facility, acoustical separation and privacy are not a high concern. Finishes Requirements: Like the rest of the processional, high end materials are required for this space along with a high rub count on the upholstery.

Aesthetics Characteristics: high end finishes, efficient. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Water closets, sinks, towel dispensers, mirrors, grab bars, bathroom stalls, etc. Illumination and View: As a juxtaposition to the day lit processionals, the restrooms do not require daylight and rely on electric lighting. Health, Safety, and Security: ADA compliant fixtures, slip resistance flooring. Acoustics: The bathrooms are to be located away from the sacred zones so the noise of flushing water closets is not a concern. Finishes Requirements: High end finishes reflecting the spirit of the facility are required.

antechamber

crematory

Square Footage: 646

Square Footage: 1800

Occupancy: 50

Adjacencies: Crematory, Processional

Adjacencies: Antechamber, control room

Activities: : As the apex of the processional, the antechamber is a light-filled threshold before the crematory. This room allows next of kin a calming moment on the other side of the doors before confronting cremation.

Activities: The crematory is both a place of industrial process and ceremony. The deceased are either brought to the crematory by elevator or through the processional hall. They are carefully loaded into the retort through conveyor. Depending on the involvement of the next of kin, there may be a final send off ceremony to begin the cremation process. After the process has begun, next of kin will depart. Crematory operators then monitor and complete the process.

Aesthetics Characteristics: As a bridge between cremation and processional, this room seeks to mimic the finishes of the Upper Level Entrance, but brighter and more monumental. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Benches. Illumination and View: This room features a rhythm of windows at monumental heights, allowing the juxtaposition between the processional and this room to be in stark contrast and surprising light as the mourners draws closer to the crematory. Health, Safety, and Security: Flooring will require slip resistance. The door to this room requires soft automatic close hinges and is locked unless a final send off cremation ritual is scheduled. Acoustics: The wall and heavy door separation will contribute to sound travel. Finishes Requirements: Slip resistant flooring as well as high end durable materials are required as an extension of the processional.

Aesthetics Characteristics: As the final chamber of the processional, the crematory is treated with a shock of light and reflection. Though industrial in process, this room requires ample daylighting and durable but high end materiality, mimicking some of the qualities in the rest of the facility. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: crematory retorts, conveyors, rakes, cremulators, trays, casework, utility sink. Illumination and View: The crematory is bathed in a shocking rhythm of daylight flooding the chamber. The retorts are wrapped in a brass screen, reflecting overhead from the daylight. Starry lights twinkle above. Exterior fins are required on the eastern facing windows. Health, Safety, and Security: Due to the industrial process, this room requires two exit doors, extensive ventilation, and an emergency shutoff station. Acoustics: The acoustics for this room are of high priority due to the industrial nature of the cremation process. The retorts have sound dampening mechanical trunks. Further wall acoustical panels on the west wall area also required. Finishes Requirements: Slip resistant flooring as well as high end durable materials are required.

final long program

control room

receiving hall

Square Footage: 224

Square Footage: 1600

Occupancy: 12

Occupancy: 20

Adjacencies: Antechamber, Crematory

Adjacencies: Preparation Room

Activities: The control room faces the openings of the crematory retorts, allowing operators to monitor the cremation process.

Activities: The receiving hall is the first point of entry for staff who have collected the departed for cremation or ceremony. The departed are unloaded from vehicle transport and brought into the facility to be checked in. Directly following, the departed are moved to the coolers until ceremony or cremation. Additionally, flowers that are delivered to the facility are kept here prior to ceremony.

Aesthetics Characteristics: The control room is a utilitarian space, with interior windows that face the antechamber and crematory. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Task chairs, desk, mechanical equipment, AV equipment, viewing window, countertop. Illumination and View: No daylight is placed in this room due to the focused nature of the function. The interior window in the space catches light from the antechamber it looks out towards. Health, Safety, and Security: Due to precautionary measures, an emergency shutoff station for the retorts is required in this room. Acoustics: The acoustics in this room are low priority due to the size and function of the room. Finishes Requirements: A slip resistant floor is required along with ergonomic task chairs for long durations of sitting.

Aesthetics Characteristics: This space is clean, airy, open, and utilitarian, yet not to feel as though downgraded from the rest of the facility. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: wide swing doors, coolers, gurney Illumination & Views: The exterior glass doors allow light to assist in illuminating the space. This also allows the back of house to have transparency and dignity. Health, Safety, and Security: Locking door hardware Acoustics: The acoustics in this room are low priority due to the privacy of this room from the public side of the facility. Finishes Requirements: Slip resistant flooring, easy to clean hygienic surfaces.

preparation room

break room

Square Footage: 280

Square Footage: 240

Occupancy: 12

Adjacencies: Receiving Hall, Elevator to Crematory

Adjacencies: Restroom, Exterior Entrance

Activities: The preparation room serves as a medical lab to prepare the departed for either viewing or cremation. The body may be washed and dressed as well as small procedures to keep the eyes and mouth closed. In certain instances, pacemakers will need to be removed prior to cremation.

Activities: The break room is a location for staff to have their appointed breaks and also another point of entrance into the facility for staff.

Aesthetics Characteristics: Due to its function, this room requires medical supplies and subsequent characteristics for hygienic purposes.

Aesthetics Characteristics: The break room utilizes wood and utilitarian finishes similar to the office and entrances. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Dining chairs, tables, fridge, oven, microwave, sink.

Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Stainless steel table, sink, casework, storage.

Illumination and View: Windows from two sides allows views outward to the trees and the grounds.

Illumination and View: Daylight is positioned high on the wall to allow light, but provide privacy for the departed.

Health, Safety, and Security: A locking exterior door is required for this space.

Health, Safety, and Security: Anti-microbial surfaces, such as stainless steel are recommended. Proper medical disposal bins are necessary. Ample sink space is also required. A double door is required to allow ease of using a gurney into the room.

Acoustics: The acoustics for this space are low priority due to the protected nature of this room from the public part of the facility.

Acoustics: The acoustics for this space are low priority due to the protected nature of this room from the public part of the facility as well as the function.

Finishes Requirements: Slip resistance flooring, durable surfaces.

Finishes Requirements: Slip resistant floors, hygienic surfaces, durable easy to clean floors.

final long program

mechanical room

ventilation shaft

Square Footage: 416

Square Footage: 320

Occupancy: NA

Adjacencies: Crematory, Coolers

Adjacencies: Crematory, Mechanical Room

Activities: The mechanical room not only houses the equipment for the HVAC of the facility, but it also stores the required duct work for the crematory retorts located directly above this room.

Activities: The ventilation shaft releases the exhaust from the crematory retorts. The existing structure of the shaft was once used as large dumbwaiter and now provides the height requirement used for the crematory exhaust equipment.

Aesthetics Characteristics: utilitarian

Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: Mech/HVAC particular to crematory, coolers, and forced air.

Illumination and View: electric

Health, Safety, and Security: door with locking hardware

Acoustics: Noise dampening duct work suggested

Finishes Requirements: low end

program hierarchy diagram

PROGRAM Ceremony

Vestibules, Reflection, Circulation

40%

20% 10% Arrangements

20% 10% Operations Lisa Hartanov Comprehensive Project 2016

Crematory

OAK GROVE CREMATORIUM

adjacency diagram

Next to Near Away From Not necesasary

user scenarios

Mourner: Widower, 68 Fictional

Staff: Female, 40 Fictional

It was a day we never truly planned for, but it came anyway. I was never alone that day, but how could I not feel irrevocably unaccompanied? After forty-two years together, not having her by my side was wretchedly cruel and disorienting. We arrived well before the service and were met at the door by staff. I remember seeing peonies there, her favorite, but it was barely a moment before they ushered us in and led us through the building. It was solemn, quiet, formal, but I finally felt like I was somewhere that was acknowledging what I was going through. The world hadn’t stopped for everyone else, like it had for me. This place knew that. It stopped for me. Could I handle it? We were led to a private room, “just for family” they said. Since Tuesday, people were always around me - patting my back, holding my hand, asking if I need anything. I don’t even know what I need. There were so many questions to be answered and preparations to be had. I wanted to ask them for everything to go back to how it was before Tuesday, before she was gone.

Today was another busy day. There are 3 services planned and two unclaimed transitions. Transition is what we called the cremation process. Each of the departed that enters our facility has a small service, even if no one claims them. To me, it’s sad if no one claims them, if they’ve outlived everyone they knew, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be honored in death. We’ll follow the transition procedure just like we do for regular funerals - the body is cremated and then their urn is placed on display afterwards in the presentation room for 30 minutes even if no one comes. It’s our way of giving everyone dignity that transitions in our facility.

The woman came back for us and led us down the hall. We entered a space that brought me back out of my haze. Something was coming, I realized while walking through the double doors. There she was, or at least what she left behind, the wooden box lying on the platform surrounded by our friends and family. The intensity of the sunlight was bearing down on her, or was it on me? I sat because everyone else sat. I listened. They sang, and then I sang with them. My heart cried out. It was becoming real. This was all for her, but it was really for me, us: the ones she left behind. The peonies were in there too - beautiful, intricately delicate. Then there was polite conversation and embraces, and I did try to smile. Some of those faces had traveled so far, how could I not respond with joy and surprise? We left the bright space and went back to the small room. It was silent, cold, real. I was anxious. What now? The woman came for us again and told us it was time. Our small group proceeded along. She told us to follow the path, and left us. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but I felt myself getting lost in the memory of her. Something was coming ahead, it was partially obstructed, but I could see the glistening light ahead. Around the corner I was met was a sudden array of light from floor to ceiling causing me to look up, almost squint, and then back down to see what was there. Pierced by the daylight was this platform and the urn she had jokingly picked out a few years ago when we forced ourselves to talk about all that. There it was, like a joke, our inside joke, like a message from her. It was final. She had moved on. I had her here, but it was just a container. In that moment, she was gone from me, and I understood.

In addition to those transitions, I have three services to coordinate today. The protocol is simple, we don’t allow services to occur at the same time, and the living enter from a difference part of the building than the departed. I make sure the flowers are delivered and set up for the right service. I coordinate the arrival of the departed around the back of the facility and make sure they are cared for properly until their service. I note if the body, casket, or urn is to be displayed during the service. Today the Martin family has the first service in the chapel. The peonies have already arrived and are in place at the front door and inside the chapel. The Martin family arrives late, but still well before the service. I greet all of the families of the departed before the services and bring them to the family room, where they can wait in privacy. Once the guests have arrived and are seated in the chapel, I come back for the family. I usher them through the sanctuary doors and to their seats at the front. It’s usually upon entering the room that the whole event becomes real for them. The service begins and ends. Each one is a little different. Some want to just share stories and some want a religious service. It’s up to the final wishes, really. Sometimes, no one says anything at all. After the service I lead the family back to their room. Then I’ll head to the control room and notify them we are ready to perform the transition. The casket is then cremated, and the urn is assembled. I bring the urn to the presentation room and place it on the display pedestal. Then I collect the family, and bring them partway to the receiving room, allowing them to collectively make the final part of the journey in private. They receive their loved one after the transition, and then I bring them back to the entrance when they are ready, making sure they’ve collected all their personal belongings.

Undertaker: Male, 50 Fictional

Attendee: Female, 25 Fictional

My role requires a lot of driving. When we are asked to care for the departed, it involves coordination with the hospital and family, followed by a lot of driving around town to carry out the wishes of the family of the deceased. Today I am bringing the deceased from the hospital to Oak Grove. Her memorial service is being held today, so we will transport her to the facility in the morning and coordinate with the staff there. The facility requires a particular drop off point that is separate from the main entrance, but there is always a spot to do so. The building is prominent and bright. As we approach the building, we navigate to the service entrance. I call the office, and someone greets us at the side door. We prop the doors open and carefully bring the departed inside to their cold storage area. Once the deceased is comfortable, we communicate the next steps to the staff. Documents are signed and we chat it up with Wendy, the gal that runs the place. Even the back of house feels classy, like it’s for the general public, like eyes are watching or something. We head back out to the service entrance and check out the schedule. After this we’ll head back to the hospital and take on our next client.

After knowing her my whole life, I thought it would be important to attend her memorial service. I mean, I didn’t shed any tears over her death, but I was still sad about it. It was unexpected, but she was my mom’s friend and our neighbor growing up. My mom asked me to be there since she couldn’t travel in such short notice. I communicated with work that I would be taking a halfday, and took my time getting there. During my drive there, I was trying to think about her, almost out of guilt, but it was so distracting with all the city noises and people and the rain, of course the rain. I saw the site up ahead and powered through; taking deeper breaths the closer I came to the entrance. Through the double doors, I walked into a foyer that was strangely quiet compared to the outside world. The room opened up into silence except for a few hushed voices. It was calm and stately, and it finally felt like I could prepare for what I was supposed to be there for. I moved inward to find peonies, which I remember she had in her yard while I was growing up. The other attendees had started taking their seats, so I walked into the chapel, suddenly overcome with what was about to happen. The bustling activity of the outside world and what I was trying to decide to eat for lunch that day suddenly seemed silly and inconsequential. Here inside seated among her acquaintances, friends, and family, her death became so much more real and significant. She was no longer with us. People, her husband, for one, were overcome with grief. With the sun pouring through and her casket in front, it all just felt so real. How did I fit in all this? How would I handle my own mother’s death? Life seemed so short and precious and confusing all in that moment. I was glad to be among others, going through this together.

site selection

305 S. 4th street springfield, oregon Just a turn off of main street, the Timber Products Company main headquarters is the axial summit at a dead end road. Surrounded by established oak groves and a gate, the building sits privately and quietly on the edge of a hill, with a neighboring cemetery park and adjacent residences. The location of the cemetery provides an appropriate tone for the nature of the project. Burrowed into the hillside, the dynamic topography of the site allows for points of access at multiple levels, which is advantageous for separating the levels by function. Currently the northwest entry acts as the main entrance, and the south and east entrances are designated for staff. Multiple access points were priorities for this project to allow the living and departed to entry the building separately. The building was originally constructed as an office for a different timber products company in 1950 before it was

purchased by the current owner. With 3 separate additions over the years, and little logic between them, the existing building has mainly expanded on a four foot grid. The structural system also changes for each addition using light wood framing, which is advantageous to allow maximum intervention in this project. The entrance currently expresses an office park semiotics of medium road quality. The existing layout features long linear and compartmentalized spaces through the main building and two wings. At the far east of the building, a three story board formed concrete dumbwaiter of substantial size has been repurposed into rooms, but offers an ample location and material selection for the ventilation requirements for this project.

site entrance

O A K

G R O V E

305 S. 4TH STREET SPRINGFIELD, OREGON

C R E M A T O R I U M existing conditions

VIEW FROM STREET

CEMETERY

building information Hidden on the Hill parcel size: 1.41 acres location: .5 miles from downtown Springfield existing PARCEL SIZE:owner: Timber Products Company LOCATION: gross square footage: 20,961 sf EXISTING OWNER: ground floor area: 9,476 sf GROSS SQUARE FOOTAGE: GROUND FLOOR AREA: no. of floors: 3 No. OF FLOORS: third floor: 1,253 sf THIRD FLOOR SQUARE FOOTAGE: SECOND SQUARE FOOTAGE: secondFLOOR floor: 10,232 sf FIRST FLOOR SQUARE FOOTAGE: first floor: 9,476 sf

Just a turn off of main street, the Timber Products Company main headquarters is the axial summit at a dead end road. Surrounded by established oak trees and a gate, the building sits privately and quietly on the edge of a hill, with a neighboring cemetery park and adjacent residences. Burrowed into the hillside, the dynamic topography of the site allows for points of access at multiple levels. 1.41 acres

1/2 mile from downtown Springﬁeld

Timber Product Company, main ofﬁce 20,961 sf

9,476 sf

1,253 sf

10,232 sf

CEMETERY

9,476 sf

S. C Street

S. 4th Street SITE PLAN N 1/32” = 1’ Summer Solstice 9 AM 0’ 8’ 16’

summer solstice 9 am SUMMER SOLSTICE 9 AM SummerSolstice Solstice99AM AM Summer Summer Stolstice 3 PM

CEMETERY

Summer Solstice 9 AM Summer Solstice 9 AM

Winter Solstice 10 AM Winter Solstice 10 AM Winter Solstice 10 AM ADJACENT FACILITIES

Fall Equinox 4 pm

FallFall Equinox 4 pm Equinox 4 pm

Summer Solstice 9 AM Summer Solstice 9 AM

Winter Solstice 10 AM

Fall Equinox 4 pm

FallFall Equinox 4 pm Equinox 4 pm

summer solstice 3 pm

winter solstice 9 am

Summer Stolstice 3 PM Summer Stolstice 3 PM

WINTER SOLSTICE 9 AM Winter Solstice Solstice 10 10 AM AM Winter Winter Solstice 3 PM

Summer Stolstice 3 PM Summer Stolstice 3 PM

Winter Solstice Solstice 10 10 AM AM Winter Winter Solstice 3 PM

SUMMER SOLSTICE 3 PM

Existing Conditions SummerSolstice Solstice99AM AM Summer Summer Stolstice 3 PM

UNDERTAKER

CEMETERY

32’

Summer Solstice 9 AM

FUNERAL HOME

Winter Solstice 10 AM Winter Solstice 10 AM

winter solstice 3 pm

spring equinox 3 pm

Winter Solstice 3 PM Winter Solstice 3 PM

SPRING EQUINOX 3 PM Fall Equinox Equinox 44 pm pm Spring Equinox 9 AM

Spring Equinox 9 AM Spring Equinox 9 AM

Winter Solstice 3 PM Winter Solstice 3 PM

Fall Equinox Equinox 44 pm pm Spring Equinox 9 AM

Spring Equinox 9 AM Spring Equinox 9 AM

WINTER SOLSTICE 3 PM

LISA HARTANOV + COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT 2016

O A K

G R O V E

C R E M A T O R I U M

THIRD FLOOR 1/16” = 1’ 0’

8’

16’

305 S. 4TH STREET SPRINGFIELD, OREGON

N 32’

E N

S W

Structural Organization & History 1950 - FIRST, SECOND, THIRD FLOOR: SECOND FLOOR 1/16” = 1’ 0’

8’

FOUNDATION: Slab on grade COLUMNS: 4x6 timber posts @ 12’ O.C. BEAMS: W10x26 I-beams with 2x6 cap JOISTS: 4x12 @ 4’ O.C., 4x6 in hallways @ 4’ O.C. DECKING: 2x6 wood decking VAULT: Board formed reinforced concrete

16’

32’

1987 ADDITION - FIRST FLOOR:

FOUNDATION: Concrete footings COLUMNS: 3x3 steel posts @ 16’ O.C. BEAMS: W10x26 I-beams with 2x6 cap running JOISTS: 5x12 glulam beams @ 4’ O.C., 4x6 in hallways @ 4’ O.C. DECKING: 2x6 wood decking

16' - 0"

93' - 0"

12' - 0"

1989 ADDITION - SECOND FLOOR: FOUNDATION: Existing ﬁrst ﬂoor COLUMNS: 3x3 steel posts @ 16’ O.C. BEAMS: 6.75x12 glulam beams JOISTS: 14” d TJI @ 16” O.C. north, 4x12 @ 4’ O.C. south. DECKING: 2x6 wood decking

1994 ADDITION - FIRST, SECOND FLOOR:

FOUNDATION: Concrete footings COLUMNS: 3x3 steel posts @ 16’ O.C. or 12’ O.C., location dependent. BEAMS: mimics established structure, location dependent. JOISTS: mimics established structure, location dependent. DECKING: 2x6 wood decking

156' - 0"

FIRST FLOOR 1/16” = 1’ 0’

WEST FACADE

8’

16’

N 32’

west facade

NORTHWEST ENTRANCE

lower entry

Existing Conditions

NORTH FACADE

north facade

SOUTHWEST ENTRANCE

upper entry

southeast

SOUTHEAST ENTRANCE

LISA HARTANOV + COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT 2016 83

O A K

G R O V E

C R E M A T O R I U M

305 S. 4TH STREET SPRINGFIELD, OREGON

existing conditions

WEST ELEVATION 1/16” = 1’ 0’

ST ELEVATION (ENTRY) 0' 8' 16' 6" = 1'-0"

8’

NORTH ELEVATION 1/16” = 1’

16’

32’

1 32'

North Elevation 1/16" = 1'-0"

0’ 0'

16'

EAST ELEVATION 1/16” = 1’ 0’

EAST ELEVATION 0' 1/16" = 1'-0"

16'

16’

32’

SOUTH ELEVATION 1/16” = 1’

16’

32’

0’

8’

16’

32’

32'

South Elevation 1/16" = 1'-0"

16'

32'

32' - 6"

I2' - 2"

I0' - 0"

I0' - 2"

8’

8’ 32'

TRANSVERSE SECTION 1/16” = 1’ 0’

Transverse Section 0' 1/16" = 1'-0"

8’

16'

16’

LONGITUDINAL SECTION 1/16” = 1’ 32’

0’

lower level

lobby LOBBY

8’

16’

32’

32'

FIRST FLOOR

Existing Conditions

upper level SECOND FLOOR

south elevation SOUTH ELEVATION

west entry ENTRY AT WEST ELEVATION

LISA HARTANOV + COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT 2016

final technical design

code analysis building system approach ff&e specifications

code analysis

zoning

(springfield-oregon.gov) Main Zones and Base Zones: Community Commercial (CC) Permitted Uses in the Zone(s): funeral services

egress and fire rating Construction Type V-A Light wood frame Maximum Travel Distance: 200’ unsprinklered, 250’ sprinklered Machinery rooms shall be within 150 feet of an exit. Dead end corridor limits: No more than 20 feet in length.* * In occupancies in Groups B, E, F, I-1, M, R-1, R-2, R-4, S and U, where the building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, the length of the dead-end corridors shall not exceed 50 feet (15 240 mm).

occupant load and construction Occupancy Classification: Assembly (A-3) - funeral ceremonies Business (B) - cremation services Factory and Industrial (F-1) - crematory Storage (S-2) - urn storage Occupant load per occupancy group: Occupant Load = floor area (SF)/ load factor

Large Chapel: fixed seating, 100 maximum Small Chapel: unfixed seating, 49 maximum Urn Presentation: unfixed seating, 49 maximum

Maximum Mezzanine Area: A mezzanine cannot be more than 1/3 of the area of the floor it is above. This is not applicable to this project. Ceiling Height Minimum: No less than 7’-0”.

Minimum egress corridor width: 36 inches for stairs. 44 inches, unless this is superseded by the occupant load. Minimum number of exits: 2 per story More than one exit required: for more than 49 occupants in assembly states. Two exits are required for machinery rooms. Minimum width for egress doors: 32 inches unless this is superseded by the occupant load. Minimum distance allowed between two exits: 1/2 diagonal rule: one half of the longest diagonal distance within the building 1/3 diagonal rule: if there is an automatic sprinkler system. Two stairs are required. Minimum Stairwell Width: For building with an automated sprinkler system, 44 inches is the required width unless this is superseded by the occupant load. Area of Refuge: Areas of refuge are not required at stairways in buildings equipped throughout by an automatic sprinkler system. This building will have one area of refuge. Compartmentalization: A 1-hour fire-resistance rating is required for smoke barriers. (IBC 709.3) Exit access stairways: For a building with an automated sprinkler system, floor openings between stories create by exit access stairways are not required to be enclosed.

Typical fire-resistant ratings: Enclosed stair: not less than 1 hour where connecting less than four stories.

plumbing

Fireproofing major beams, columns or trusses: Columns, Girders, Trusses, beams, lintels, or other structural members that are required to have a fire resistance rating shall be individually protected on all sides for the full length with materials having the required fire-resistance rating.

No. of water closets: 3 male, 3 female per floor. Total 12. No. of lavatories: 3 per floor. Total 6. No. of drinking fountains: 1 per floor. Total 2.

stairs / ramps / elevators

accessibility

Maximum rise: 7-inches maximum Maximum run: 11-inches minimum Handrail height: 34-38 inches after floor finish Handrail extension: 12 inches past ramp or final tread. Guardrail: 42” high. Nosing: The radius shall be not greater than 9/16 inch Width: 44 inches Stair landings: Required when the stair rises above 12’-0”. Width of stair determines the minimum landing dimension. Head height clearance: minimum 80”

Clear floor space: 32” width and 48” depth of free space at doors/exits

ADA ramp rise to run ratio: 1:12 Elevator Types: freight and passenger Elevator as a means of fire egress: No

Bathroom requirements:

Required clear floor space for door swings: 32 inch with the door open 90 degrees Front approaches: Pull: 18” min, 24” preferred, Push: 12” Hinge side approaches (pull side and push side dimensions): Pull: 36” with 5’ wide corridor, 42” if corridor is 54” Latch side approaches: (pull side and push side dimensions): Pulled: 24”, Push: 24” Requirements for protruding objects: Cannot protrude further than 4” into the space, unless they are mounted above 7’ high. Water fountains, fire extinguishes, ie. Bathroom clear floor space: Requirements for lavatory: 30 inches by 48 inches. Height from floor: 27” clearance below. 34” max height. 8” of knee space. Height from wall and floor: 17-19” Requirements for toilets: 18” on one side, no less than 42” on the other side. 30”x 48” of clear floor space. Requirements for urinals: Rim has a maximum height of 17” above the floor. 30”x 48” of clear floor space.

building system approach mechanical systems The existing conditions of the building for this adaptive reuse project orient the mechanical room on the east side of the lower level, furthest from the entry point. The current location will also be utilized for this project.

heating & cooling

elevator

Using the existing forced air system, the ducting trunk is to travel down the central and main processional corridor of the lower level with the branches extending to the rooms north and south. A ventilation shaft is located next to the public elevator for the ducting to run to the upper level.

Two new elevators have been added to the building for this project of more appropriate size and location. The public elevator has been oriented to allow a place of refuge for the main vertical circulation zone. The other elevator has been selected specifically to accommodate a gurney, as the departed will be required to be moved from one level to the next for ceremony and cremation services.

The ducting will not be exposed in the facility, as a polished and refined presentation is desired for this project.

crematory requirements

structural strategy

Due to the extensive mechanical requirements for the crematory equipment, the mechanical room has been enlarged for this project. As modeled in precedents, the retorts are located directly above the mechanical room, allowing their ventilation ducting to be hidden from view below. This system is then routed to the left of the mechanical room where a former 3 story board formed concrete dumbwaiter acts as the ventilation shaft. This is located furthest from the main entry point.

With 4 independent structural systems, the existing building offers significant challenges on finding cohesion between the additions. Generally, a 4-foot grid was used as a guide between these light wood frame interventions. On the north and south facades, a rhythm of 30â&#x20AC;? windows spaced 4-feet apart acts as one of the few repeating elements on the building. Since the supportive exterior columns rest between these windows, this rhythm and proportion is used and emphasized on this adaptive reuse project.

plumbing The existing conditions of the building, having gone through several expansions, place the plumbing throughout the building, requiring much flexibility to their placement for this project. The main bathrooms have been stacked in identical locations on each floor for both convenience and public wayfinding.

The crematory and chapels both require double height spaces, and therefore new structural requirements will be added to these rooms, following the architectural student handbook for sizing the members based on the existing structure and the new spanning requirements. Based off of the flexibility of light wood framing, some columns have been relocated to account for a more cohesive building rhythm, with additional supports required to account for this.

lighting design approach

material and ff&e approach

The nature of this project requires the lighting and ceiling design to allow functionality without extensive operational visibility. Sprinkler heads, structure, and ductwork, for example, will not be visible. It is not a priority to show how the building functions. To provide a serene and solemn facility where mourners can focus on something larger, these elements must be hidden in the ceiling without calling attention to them. Duct work will be recessed alcove the ceiling in linear diffusers. Sprinklers heads will also be recessed into the ceiling, leaving small round discs only visible. Lighting fixture selection is minimal with the exception of a feature sconce. More of the design approach to the lighting of the facility is featured in the final design presentation of the book.

Oak Grove Crematorium requires minimal, but particular, furnishings. Due to the existential nature of the facility, the objects that are necessary must either make a metaphoric statement or not call attention to themselves. Many Knoll chairs and sofas have been selected due to their orderly and elegant method of blending into the background, for example. Yet, the FF&E pieces that were chosen as features must also find a delicate balance between semiotics of grief and celebration. They must not force an emotion nor act utilitarian, but set the tone of the facility as a place to acknowledge death that is respectful of the departed.

acoustic strategy As the 4-foot grid of the window rhythm and structural system have been referenced in this project, many of the walls emphasize this rhythm by increasing in thickness by 6â&#x20AC;?. This increased thickness offers the opportunity to hide acoustical materials inside these new cavities to provide better sound quality, particular in the sacred rooms and reflective spaces. Additionally, many of the walls have increased in thickness between rooms, allowing more separation between rooms. With the use of many hard surfaces in the processional, such as marble and travertine, this sacred path has the capacity to bounce sound quite easily. Yet, for this application, it is not fully unwelcome. With so few visitors to be in the facility at one time, this processional will provide a lovely reverberation that engages more of the senses during this stressful journey.

As a method to show care, intentionality, and honor, selection has strategized lush, real materials. Leather, mohair, wood, and brass have been particularly selected as materials that come into contact with guests on the seating and hardware. Rooms of informal and reflective function utilize seating of exuberant mohair of a comforting and rich nature. Sacred spaces substitute soft upholstery for wood, allowing the ceremonies to command upright reality, particularity since the majority of ceremonies are of short duration. These slab and block style shapes are a means to show little manipulation to the true material as well as highlight the heavy weight of grief. Wood was also selected for the pulpit, urn pedestal, and catafalque due to its ability to show human trace through scratches, scrapes, and patina. Brass hardware and signage was also selected for a similar strategy. In addition to its luster and sparkle, brass also reveals human touch and patina over time. This desire to show wear is a reminder to the grieving of the legacy of those that have gathered together before to mourn the departed and ultimately remind the living that death is a condition mourned through the ages.

Additionally, the crematory retorts are supplied with built in sound dampeners in their mechanical ducts, providing quiet functionality.

ff&e specifications and schedules