Cemetery Design

Cemetery Design is a complex process that requires the proper planning and forethought. From the layout of the property to the signage, good cemetery design is essential.

A cemetery should be designed to be both beautiful and functional. A well-planned cemetery will result in less maintenance and a more attractive landscape.

Site Analysis

In the site analysis phase, architects gather and review available information on the property. This can include maps, plans, and any documentation on the site.

This includes analyzing zoning regulations, current restrictions, and opportunities that can influence design. It also considers the surrounding neighborhood and its existing aesthetic and historical essence.

It looks at the micro and macro environmental aspects to ensure future buildings fit into their surroundings rather than alienate them. This includes assessing the weather patterns, topography, local flora and fauna, and other geographical features.

Master Plan

Cemetery design is a complex balance of a variety of factors, including urbanization, sanitation concerns and evolving cultural attitudes toward death. This is why a professional approach to planning is essential for success.

Involving the community in the progression of cemetery master planning helps them feel valued and supported. It also fosters a long-term connection with the cemetery and its future. Proper grading and drainage systems are vital to keeping water away from gravesites and buildings. It’s important to consider the flow and aesthetic of the cemetery as well.

Theme

Cemetery design focuses on providing space efficiency for ground burial and cremation interments. It also focuses on creating a meaningful place for people to visit and pay their respects.

It’s important for a cemetery project to be unique and stand out from the crowd. Too often we see developments that are generic and resemble every other cemetery along the highway. A unique cemetery site has a high level of acceptance by the public and can attract more preneed sales.

Layout

The layout phase of cemetery design requires an understanding of the property’s layout and structure. The goal of this process is to ensure that visitors can easily find grave sites, monuments, and other memorials.

In national cemeteries, rows of standardized white marble headstones evoke feelings of reverence, remembrance, and transcendence. They reflect societal attitudes toward mortality and aesthetic trends of their time.

Historically, cemetery maps and accompanying records have been kept on paper. But now, cloud-based software is a great option for digitizing these manual processes and facilitating accurate cemetery mapping.

Landscaping

Graveyard landscaping can be a way for family and friends to demonstrate their love and care for their deceased loved ones. This can include perennials, shrubbery, or cut flowers.

Drainage is also a crucial aspect of cemetery design. Erosion can cause damage to headstones and monuments. Providing proper drainage solutions through subsoil drains, reed beds, and surface water and catch all systems can help mitigate erosion in cemeteries.

Investing in sustainable design can save cities money in the long run. Switching to permeable pavements can reduce mowing expenses, and planting native grasses can decrease chemical runoff that damages gravestones.

Lighting

Lighting at gravesites is a tradition that has many different meanings and reasons behind it. It can be a sign of remembrance, provide practical lighting, serve religious or spiritual beliefs, or just be a way for families to express their love and respect for their departed loved ones.

Columbarium walls use less space in a cemetery than a single burial plot, and the use of niches allows for more efficient layouts of the cemetery grounds. Often separate columbarium walls are created for particular religions or war veterans.

Signage

Cemeteries are complex spatial environments that evoke feelings of reverence, remembrance and transcendence. They are also architectural expressions of societal attitudes toward death and life.

Upright monuments (also called gravestones) are found throughout a cemetery and come in many shapes and sizes. They usually include the person’s name, dates of birth and death and a message.

A wheel symbol reflects eternity or divine providence, while a draped urn symbolizes the body’s return to dust. Hands carved on a monument can signify many things, including blessing, clasping, pointing and praying.

Drainage

Cemeteries need to have a drainage plan to protect the gravesites and groundwater. CDS has extensive experience in designing bespoke surface and groundwater management systems for cemetery sites. Test pits should be dug to determine soil overlay maps and ensure that the site has good surface drainage.

Cemetery landscape design should consider how the cemetery will be used. For example, ponds and other natural or man-made water features provide beauty and wildlife habitat while addressing drainage issues.

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