A cemetery should serve as a place of remembrance and healing. Cemetery Design involves understanding the market trends, community demographics, and the overall goals of the cemetery.
Good cemetery landscape design increases revenue. Burial plots that are close to park features can command premium prices.
WC Fry Design works with religious cemeteries to create master plans, new sections and renovations.
Master Plan
Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy and it is important that cemetery design supports the grieving process. Having an efficient, user-friendly site layout and providing a wide range of burial options for the community is also essential.
Cemetery master planning is a comprehensive approach to the long-term development of a cemetery. It identifies current and projected maintenance needs, provides options for expansion, and serves as a roadmap for the future of the site.
Burial Sections should generally conform to the existing topography, with final grading achieving a predominant uniform slope. Rising and falling slopes must be avoided to avoid negative drainage impacts. Consideration of sustainable site features such as planting trees and preserving wetlands can help preserve the environment. In a time of limited space, innovative burial methods are being adopted to make the most of every inch.
Site Analysis
Site analysis is a crucial initial step in the architectural design process. It involves visiting the site, observing its unique qualities, and collecting relevant data. This data can include topographic surveys, zoning regulations, weather conditions, soil tests, existing vegetation, and more.
Using this information, architects can develop designs that are responsive to the site’s natural characteristics. They can also utilize this data to create a master plan that optimizes land utilization and integrates the cemetery with its surrounding context. For example, if the cemetery has an existing tree or a wooded hillside that is a distinctive feature of the site, it’s important to work around these features to ensure they stay intact. This will help the cemetery be less disruptive to its natural systems and be more interesting to visit.
Site Layout
While both are used to bury the dead, there is a clear difference between a graveyard and a cemetery. Graveyards are often found within church grounds and tend to be smaller. While cemeteries are independent of churches and are more likely to cater to various cultures, religions and beliefs.
A cemetery is usually broken down into sections, which are then subdivided into lots. The smallest unit of cemetery organization is the grave space or plot. This is mapped with a unique identifier, which can be a combination of letters or alphanumeric numbers.
While Excel offers a basic solution for mapping, it has many limitations and cannot be a full-featured cemetery management tool. This is where specialized software such as Chronicle comes in, offering an advanced and comprehensive platform for cemetery mapping and data management.
Buildings and Structures
Before the 17th century, church-owned graveyards held a monopoly on burials. But as populations grew and church buildings became full, burial grounds were established outside church property.
A cemetery has the responsibility to dig, fill and cover each grave, which requires skilled staff to ensure the grave is dug in the right spot at the correct depth. It also has the responsibility to provide a permanent marker on each grave site.
A mausoleum is an above-ground structure that shelters crypts for caskets. Crypts may be arranged in various ways, including companion crypts that hold two caskets end-to-end to conserve space and make it an ideal choice for married couples. A columbarium is a wall with spaces or niches for urns containing cremated remains. These spaces can be assigned by the cemetery or purchased by individuals.
Signage
Whether visitors are navigating the cemetery’s landscape or visiting the graves of loved ones, it is important that they have clear signage to help them. This can include entrance signs, directional signs and informational maps.
Cemetery signs are an opportunity to reinforce the importance of the site and its role in the community. They can be used to communicate a message of respect and reverence, or even as a tool to encourage participation and involvement with the cemetery.
The entrance area is often the first place that mourners and visitors encounter a national cemetery. This is an opportunity to set a tone for the experience, with thoughtful design and careful placement of signage. This is also a chance to establish a clear communication of the rules and guidelines for the cemetery.