Sussie Addo

THE MOURNING AFTER How does death influence life?

Sussie Addo Advisor: Don Jones Senior Project 2020-2021

SITE Due to an incredibly dense urban capital, a location in the outskirts of the city of Accra, near the border of the Volta Region, provides ample space for a building development.

Tranquil and quiet, this location overlooks the Volta River from atop a mountain range and bodes a fairly tropical climate.

Africa Population 31,072,940

Accra

~60 ACRES

Size 92,497 mi2

Ghana 55

Religion 71.2 % Christianity 17.6% Islam 6.2 % Traditional faiths

Site

Volta Region

MI

THESIS STATEMENT Funeral Service Disposition

Dining

Problem - Capital is too

dense to

build in - Cemeteries in the capital are at max capacity - Families are overwhelmed hosting the event and housing visiting relatives

Dancing

Mission

Goals

- Create space for burials and celebrations of life - Create cemetery that has room to expand and grow

- Strengthen the culture’s cyclical relationship with life and death - Celebrate deceased individuals who lost the chance to be properly buried

CASE STUDIES

Haduwa Stage

Chapel of the Earth

Kura Kura Badminton Courts

Structure

Experience

Form

The relationship with the ground in this case study was used to shape the experience users would have when transitioning between the grade level and the colombarium below.

The intricate composition of the structure in this precedent was referenced to better understand how to express the structure of the project and form its connection to the ground.

Apam, Ghana

This precedent was used to determine what the vernacular structure of the area was as well as what specific details were needed to build with this type of material.

Chicxulub, Mexico

Indonesia

INSPIRATION Mom & Dad

One of my biggest inspirations for doing this topic was to learn more about my parents’ culture and heritage. I wanted to understand what they encountered back when they lived in Ghana and what parts of their background shaped them.

I interviewed them both about the burial and funeral process in Ghana and it was a great opportunity to learn more about not only the country but them as well. They had much to share which helped me develop crucial parts of my project.

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PROCESS

Plan Layouts & Diagrams

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PROCESS Sketches & Study Model

DESIGN REVIEW Funeral Service Disposition

Dining Dancing

Wake Room

Cemetery

Kitchen

Dance Floor

Chapel

Columbarium

Self-Serve

Performance Space

Admin

Green Space

Seating

Seating

Standing Room

Standing Room

Chapel

Prayer Hall Burial COVID Memorial

Self-Serve Lounge

Dining Hall

Kitchen

Dancing Hall

Topography Changes

Prior Design Concepts

Cemetery Masterplan

Roadways Tunnel Pedestrian Walkways

DESIGN REVIEW

KEY Viewing Rooms Chapel Prayer Hall Workshop Kitchen Casket Showroom Events Center Bathrooms Lodging Entrance

N

Ground Floor Plan

Longitudinal Section

South Elevation

TECHNICAL REVIEW Exploded Axon

ETFE Tensile

- Has high corrosion resistance - Strong over wide range of temperature - Helps shed water away from inner roof

Bamboo

- Native plant in the region - Versatile building structure

Rammed Earth

- Helps cool interior spaces - Low cost - Locally resourced

TECHNICAL REVIEW

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Temperate outside air travels through an opening in the wall, approximately 50’ feet below grade

Cooled air then travels up through vents into the space above while hot air leaves it, thus cooling the space

Earth Cooling Diagram

The air is cooled by the consistently chill temperature of the earth

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Bioswales on the outskirts of the canopy profile to collect rainfall the falls off roof

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Bio-Swale Diagram 

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Wall Section

Roof runoff travels down the sides, into the bioswales, and over time, is diverted to the West side of the mountain

FINAL REVIEW Site Plan

FINAL REVIEW Ground Level Plan

Funeral Service

1

Disposition

Dining

2

3

Dancing

4

3

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Casket Showroom

1

Viewing Rooms Chapel Events Center Bathroom Service

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FINAL REVIEW Second & Lower Level Plan and Aerial Axon

Morgue Cremetory Admin. Office

Bathroom

Bathroom

Service

Service

FINAL REVIEW Elevations

NORTH ELEVATION

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SOUTH ELEVATION

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FINAL REVIEW Vignettes

Complex Entrance HEADER Funeral Service

Viewing Room

Subheader

Arch 494 Sussie Addo

Funeral Service

Chapel

Section Perspective

Disposition

Columbarium

Dining

Events Space

Dancing

FINAL REVIEW Vignettes

Second Floor Catwalk

Columbarium Entrance

Observations Circulation and Sequence - Are there different paths for users to take in the space? The connecting hallway is also a very important space, an imperative connective tissue that binds the building together - how can it be bettered programmed?

The Columbarium - This space around the central tower is the heart of the project. It has room for growth and possibility.

“Lets understand our relationship with the ground.” - Ian Smith Find a way to pull natural light into other parts of the columbarium.

The Hallway - The hallway is a very important space, it is the connective tissue of the procession. How could this space be better programmed?

Reflection I feel these were fair critiques of my project and points I wish I had thought of during the design process.

Yet, I learned this year that you could be given all the suggestions in the world but there’s no feasible way you can address them all. Pick your battles wisely and pace yourself, Also, TRY to sleep, eat, and breathe.