fern patch
Cemetery to the Unknown, Japan
cracked glass
T
h e forms a n d mat e rials used in this design reflect the site’s connection with the urban forms that currently surround it—such as the grid of urban streets and the straight architectural lines of modern buildings—as well as the past industrial uses of the site. Hard lines and sharp points, patterns that recall shattered glass or shards of ice, have an edge of devastation that might reflect the grief associated with death. At the same time, vertical elements in the landscape draw the eye upward, toward the sky, while reflecting pools draw the eye downward and turn the mind inward.
Urban Ground: An Urban Natural Burial Guide & Site Suitability Study
Bordeaux Botanical Gardens, France (Kathryn Gustafson)
Salk Institute, CA (Louis Kahn)
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Sky Pesher (James Turrell)
air
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Na t u ra l Bu r i a l Fe a s i b i l
winter
The red-pine stands are managed to produce timber. This act of urban forestry represents an investment in future generations. The trees become a resource to be harvested and a kind of gift from those who have come before. Each red pine is originally planted to mark a burial, but the patches of pine are periodically thinned out as saplings grow larger. This management strategy eventually creates stands of healthy, mature trees. Throughout this process, there is a recognition of the individual’s contribution to the larger community—the body of the individual becomes a necessary element in a process of transformation that transcends its parts and supports the good of the whole.
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pine stand blueberry patch
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Mature Growth
Photos: Internet sources
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The harsh lines in this landscape are softened by patches of vegetation that create a sense of quiet and stillness. Stands of tall, straight red pine create strong vertical lines, while below, pine needles blanket the ground plane. These pine-needle beds are surrounded by patches of low-bush blueberry and scattered fern drifts. The soft textures of the vegetation, combined with the strong sense of shelter provided by the red-pine canopy, suffuse the site with a hushed calm. In the winter, certain areas are left open with pre-dug graves so that burials may take place even when the ground is frozen.
reflection: components
15/23