Shifting Ground by Kaitlin Shealy

SHIFTING GROUND

re-establishing the cemeter y in the realm of urban public space.

Kaitlin Shealy

URBAN AN RB U

NA T URE

E TUR NA

This senior project is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture Degree in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Professor Brian Katen | Program Chairperson

Professor Wendy Jacobson | Project Advisor

Professor Terry Clements | Senior Project Coordinator

table of contents

01.

01 introduction

research

holy rood cemetery 09

context

analysis

design concepts

design development 32

08 detailed designs

conclusion

10 references

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

introduction

Original grid of Holy Rood Cemetery (1931)

s h i f t i n ground

02.

acknowledgements

thank you

is simply not enough to explain the gratitude I have for the endless support from my family, friends, and studio family. Your kind

words, prayers, and encouragement have been crucial these past five years. Travis, Avery, Matt, and Trent-----thank you for your encouragement through this entire process. Wendy, thank you for your patience, understanding, and insight this year. I literally, could not have done this without your guidance. Mom and Dad, thank you so much for giving me the greatest gift in the world, my education. I am forever grateful. Betsy, thank you for your enthusiastic text messages and funny comments. Alan, you have been my rock this past year. Your constant support has meant the world. Above all else, none of this could be possible without my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am truly blessed to have been able to pursue a profession I am so passionate about for the last five years.

03.

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

preface

Cemeteries are some of the most deliberate and fragile cultural landscapes in the world. With the pressure from development and sprawl, green spaces, such as cemeteries are becoming valuable voids in the urban fabric. Although not always recognized as green spaces, cemeteries are poised to become the most valued landscapes in the future. Due to the feelings of attachment and value many people associate with cemeteries, these lands have the opportunity to outlive the parks and greenspaces of today with their history and groundedness.

As values of conservation and reuse take root in our society, landscapes must be recycled. Historic, abandoned cemeteries, rich in culture and memories, present a pertinent, yet unique challenge in their repurpose. Cemeteries leave important psychological and physical traces on the landscape within our cities. Therefore, how can one use design to highlight the history of these forgotten cemeteries, but integrate a new program for cemeteries that blends them into the network of urban public space?

Shifting Ground is an exploration of the afterlife of cemeteries and the role that design can play in re-establishing their relevance in the realm of urban public space. The study focuses on a historic cemetery in the heart of Georgetown, Holy Rood Cemetery. Although once a thriving burial ground for the residents of Georgetown, the cemetery is now almost to capacity. The project explores how Holy Rood Cemetery can be re-designed to better suit the

s h i f t i n ground

changing public space needs of the surrounding neighborhoods.

04.

research

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

family cemetery within mountaintop mining site

05.

research Cemeteries are sacred. As development pressure increases in cities, cemeteries are the only places in the landscape that cannot be touched. Neighborhoods are being built around them. Road expansions are being altered. Even, large- scale mining excavations are responding to these sacred pieces of our landscape. However, instead of leaving these spaces untouched and isolated, how can we incorporate them as important linkages within our public space network? As a landscape architect, I believe forgotten cemeteries provide an important opportunity to enrich the urban public space structure in our cities and neighborhoods with a richness that cannot be found in many other designed parks today.

area of open space provided for recreational use. It can be in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and is set aside for human enjoyment or for the protection of CONNECTING wildlife or natural habitats.

Georgetown University students educational resource

diverse. s h

his

a place where the dead are buried.

CEMETE RY

gate way

grounded.

Georgetown Glover Park families

accumulation.

layered.

NEIGHB OR H

RSITY IVE N

graves families Holy Trinity Church

e bl

accessible.

retreat.

personal.

laye rs.

sacred.

safe.

activity spaces.

rooted.

maintained.

munity gathering com

. pe ca s d lan

memory.

communal.

+ the characteristics of the site and how they lend themselves to the shifted cemetery program

cemetery

s h i f t i n ground

defined.

social.

green.

versatile.

low ma int en an ce .

OD O

context.

+ landscape as the medium for connecting the layers -------visible or invisible

exposin g of

centralized.

APE DSC N LA

+ program development

s u sta ina

informal.

reflection of community.

traditional town used for community gathering.

THE LAYERS

open public space commonly found in the heart of a

stage.

Historic Black Cemetery at highway interchange

park

square

Untouched cemetery site within Olympic Village

. death and life of ion tat en es pr

Family Cemetery within mountaintop mining site

As part of my preliminary research, I began to explore how the cemetery functions as a public space and its qualities, in order to better understand its ability to re-establish itself within the realm of public space in cities. This diagram compares the attributes of the town square, park, and the cemetery to find commonalities among the three. I found the ideas of sacredness, layers, and community reflection to be at the intersection of the three. This simple diagram confirmed the goal of my senior project. The principles found in the diagram propelled me forward into finding the relationship between the role of the landscape and the site users to help develop a preliminary program for Holy Rood Cemetery.

06.

research 1

Matrix

Additionally, I examined numerous case studies regarding revitalized cemeteries, contemporary cemeteries, and cemetery memorials. By creating a matrix, the key components and concepts of each project became evident, establishing a set of strong criteria to propel the preliminary design forward.

Case Study Matrix name.

location. 2

Congressional Cemetery (1807)

Cedar Hill Cemetery (1864)

Bryant Park (1823)

use.

August Allebéplein Cemetery (competition entry)

location.

Southeastern Washington, DC (30 ac)

Hartford, CT (270 ac)

Manhattan, NY (9.6 ac)

Amsterdam, Netherlands

along the Anacostia River in Washington, DC; adjacent to residential townhomes and main highways

residential area with adjacent woodlands and playground area

New York Public Library facilities adjacent and underneath the park; Midtown Manhattan commercial buildings

neighborhood with mix of corner stores and small businesses and high density housing

Belvedere Gardens (2004)

Salem, VA

located within a greater park cemetery, Sherwood Memorial Park, on the downtown perimeter

Lone Fir Cemetery (1855)

Portland, OR (30.5 ac)

located in neighborhood within southeastern region of Portland; single family housing and neighborhood commercial

Stockholm, Sweden (250+ ac)

adjacent to railroad and residential housing; no access from housing

absence. 4

context.

status.

historic, but active

former burial ground, now privatelyowned public park

competition entry (hypothetical)

contemporary active within historic active

historic, but active

Evergreen Cemetery (1855)

Portland, ME (236 ac)

African Burial Ground National Monument (2007)

New York, NY (.35 ac)

Dublin Grounds of Remembrance (2009)

07. topography.

walking tours, private dogwalking club, socials, concerts, benefit races

aesthetic. traditional cemetery with gridded layout; perimeter brick wall/cast iron fence with gated entrance, open with various mature trees

wildlife preservation area, historic tree collection, bird walks, concerts, movie nights, educational resource

rural, rolling, natural landscape with winding paths and numerous mature trees

public park used as lunch area for workers, summer film festival, season ice skating rink, open-air reading room

three acre open lawn, tree-covered perimeter, movable seating and tables, food and activity kiosks

“Below the surface the graveyard is the common field for the acknowledgment of the idea of community, a place of silence and shared memories being the base and formal motivation for the surface of discussion, confrontation and action that is the square.”

addition is part of a cemetery that has a recreational use, but project is a contemplative place that responds to its context within the Shenandoah Valley

historic guided tours; walking; pioneer rose garden; Block 14: forgotten burial ground to be redesigned to celebrate the history of the site and the Chinese culture

context.

a hard cut in the surface of the public space which reveals a sunken cemetery as the vault for the memories and activities that happen in the space above

natural. 8

the mausoleum is composed of three gardens with each precinct separated from the other through transitional spaces as a way to keep the outside world from the sacred space within; these transitional spaces allow for compression of space which, during later moments when the landscape opens back up to the sky and mountains, encourages a new awareness of the local and extended site; materials are tactile and visual and relate to the context of the site

Mature, wooded parklike cemetery with a uniform grid of paths and a contemporary memorial garden at the entrance

network. The Stockholm Woodland Cemetery (1920)

part of a citywide trail network; adjacent neighborhood residential and large greenspace

historic, but active

foundation. 5

use(s).

Dublin, OH (1 ac)

downtown fabric of Manhattan

node along local Indian River Run Park, historic district of Dublin

national monument

contemporary memorial to respond to 1840s town cemetery

UNESCO world heritage site (guided tours); recreation; sound art exhibition

primordial urban forest, hiking, walking, running, biking, picnicking, crosscountry skiing, and snow-shoeing. The warbler migration in May brings millions of exotic birds and thousands of passionate watchers

preserves a site containing the remains of more than 400 Africans buried during the late 17th and 18th centuries in a portion of what was the largest colonial-era cemetery for people of African descent, some free, most enslaved.

define the limits of the cemetery and guide movement through the site on days of significance, including Memorial Day and Veterans Day, as well as for everyday visits

Wooded, forested areas with graves and paths that wind among the trees; wide green expanses with five chapels

large mature trees, winding paths through a park cemetery setting which transitions into a natural forest environment with hiking trails

granite wall compresses into a symbolic gathering space with a water feature; ancestral chamber

trace. 10

gathering space framed by the Loggia, a sloped grassy Grove of Sycamores, a bench-high inscribed stone wall where wreaths can be laid, and a flagpole. The Loggia is a ceremonial backdrop and shelter for this collective pause – it is a panoramic window into this special site from the Road.

form.

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

research

Case Studies By distilling out key concepts and strategies that were used in the designs, I found five important case studies, which revealed important ideas to help propel me forward in my process.

study diagrams

SEAMLESS CONNECTION g s h i f t i nCongressional Cemetery Washington, DC

+ visual connection

Utilizing strong visual and pedestrian axes to create rooms within a contemporary cemetery found in a Netherlands + low wall cemetery park Park-like connections that link a cemetery to its natural surroundings in Evergreen Cemetery in Portland, ME + entrances only at street intersections An intentional edge condition to define and direct around a historic cemetery while respecting the ground and nr gamovement s h i f t i ng c aexperience s e s t u d y d si hai fgt i the r ms creating a meaningful r s h i f t i ng case study diagrams o u n d

EXPOSING LAYERS Brooklyn Navy Yard Memorial

+ + + +

+ Growth, time, nature changes the order of the landscape + Layers: landscape, cemetery, navy, people + Layers appear depending on season, time of day, position within park

lines up with street grid visual connection low wall entrances only at street intersections

EXPOSING LAYERS Brooklyn Navy Yard Memorial

SPATIAL ORGANIZATION Langedijk Cemetery Amsterdam, Netherlands

s h SPATIAL ORGANIZATION i Langedijk Cemetery Amsterdam, Netherlands f t i n PARK NETWORK g r oEvergreen u n Cemetery d Portland, ME

contemporary cemetery park design that connects to a greater park system through purposeful physical and visual axes that divide the cemetery into “rooms” + grave chambers, unique spaces + connected park network

A plot of land that was once used as the transformed final resting place 2,000 park marines naval shipmen into a for memorial thatand commemorates the history of the connected naval shipmen transformed into a memorial park that commemorates the+history of thepark network site site

SPATIAL ORGANIZATION SPATIAL ORGANIZATION

Evergreen Cemetery Portland, ME park system through contemporary cemetery park design that connects to a greater

PARK NETWORK Evergreen Cemetery

large cemetery of almost 24

+ grave chambers, unique spaces + trails connect neighborhoods to cemetery + connected park network + cemetery is crucial node along public space network

+ trails connect neighborho + cemetery is crucial node

+ Growth, time, nature changes the order of the landscape + Growth, time, nature changes the order of the landscape + Layers: landscape, cemetery, navy, people + Layers: landscape, cemetery, navy, people + Layers appear depending on season, time of day, position within park + Layers appear depending on season, time of day, position within park

EDGES THAT DEFINE/DIRECT Dublin Grounds of Remembrance PARK NETWORK Evergreen Cemetery

EDGES THAT DEFINE Dublin Grounds of Re contemporary installation around a historic town cemetery that preserves the interior Portland, ME

large cemetery of almost 240 acres which incorporates a network of wilderness trails throughout for wildlife viewing, hiking, and walking + trails connect neighborhoods to cemetery + cemetery is crucial node along public space network

Dublin, OH

contemporary installatio and connects the cemetery to the adjacent forested park and town library

and connects the cemet

+ connection to larger trail network + edge serves as the place that directs an experience around the interior burial + connection to larger t ground + edge serves as the pl + permeable edge creates intimate and gathering spaces ground

+ permeable edge crea

08.

large cemetery of almost 240 acres which incorporates a network of wilderness trails throughout for wildlife viewing, hiking, and walking + trails connect neighborhoods to cemetery

SPATIAL ORGANIZATION NETWORK Netherlands Langedijk CemeteryPARK Amsterdam,

contemporary cemetery park design that connects to a greater park system physical through and large cemetery of almost whichinto incorporates purposeful visual axes that divide240 theacres cemetery “rooms” a network of wilderness trails throughout for wildlife purposeful physical and visual axes that divide the cemetery into “rooms” trails throughout for wildlife viewing, hiking, and walking

SEAMLESS CONNECTION EXPOSING LAYERS A plot of land that was once used as the final resting place for 2,000 marines and CONNECTION EXPOSING LAYERS navalSEAMLESS shipmen transformed intoCongressional a memorial park Cemetery that commemorates the history of DC the Washington, Brooklyn Navy Yard Memorial Brooklyn, NY Washington, DCembraced new program of dog walking Brooklyn Navy Yard Memorial Brooklyn, site Congressional Cemetery historic cemetery that has to help revitalize A plot of land that wasNY once used as the final restingchambers, place forunique 2,000spaces marines and + grave

+ visual connection + visual connection + low wall + low wall + entrances only at street intersections + entrances only at street intersections

o u n d

Brooklyn, NY

+ Layers: landscape, cemetery, navy, people + lines up with street grid + lines up with street grid + Layers appear depending on season, time of day, position within park

+ Growth, time, nature changes the order of the landscape + Layers: landscape, cemetery, navy, people + Layers appear depending on season, time of day, position within park

A plot of land that was once used as the final resting place for 2,000 marines and naval shipmen transformed into a memorial park that commemorates the history of the site

historic cemetery that hasthe embraced newsurrounding program ofneighborhood dog walking to help revitalize space and the space surrounding neighborhood + Growth, time,and nature changes the order of the landscape

er park system through into “rooms”

r o u n d

SEAMLESS CONNECTION Congressional Cemetery Washington, DC

historic cemetery that has embraced new program of dog walking to help revitalize the space and surrounding neighborhood

alking to help revitalize

EXPOSING LAYERS Brooklyn Navy Yard M

historic cemetery that has embraced new program of dog walking to help revitalize A plot of land that was on the space and surrounding neighborhood EXPOSING LAYERS naval shipmen transformed ideas included: site Brooklyn Navy Yard Memorial Brooklyn, NY r historic cemetery that has embraced new program of dog walking to help A plot of land that was once used as the final resting place for 2,000 marines and + lines up revitalize with street grid o space and surrounding neighborhood the naval shipmen transformed into a memorial park that commemorates the of time, the nature ch + visual connection + history Growth, u Seamless connections of a cemetery within a street grid to inform hierarchy of paths in Congressional Cemetery in DC site + low wall + Layers: landscape, cem n Use of the landscape to show layers, growth, and order of a Navy yard burial ground in Brooklyn, NY +dlines up with street grid + entrances only at street intersections + Layers appear dependin

Thesec a s e 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

SEAMLESS CONNECTION Congressional Cemetery Washington, DC

PARK NETWORK

holy rood cemetery

the graves of holy rood cemetery

09.

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

S H I F T I N G_G R O U N D: re-establishing the cemetery in the urban public space. Cemeteries were one of the first indicators of the early park movement of the early to mid 1800s. Rural cemeteries developed out of the needs of city residents and an issues associated with city churchyard cemeteries. Rural cemeteries were designed as “naturalistic places for contemplation of death and the ever-after and as a place to enjoy all of the desirable qualities of nature itself. While used heavily by the middle-class, the rural cemeteries did not address the problem of open space ownership of Georgetown University, however, the university maintains within the urban landscape” (Clements, LAR 4034).

The Cemetery

holy rood cemetery

cemetery.

Since 1933, the cemetery has been under the minimal upkeep of the cemetery. A local historian, Carlton Fletcher explained:

HOLY ROOD CEMETERY “The grass grows fast in the summer, and the lawn crew, hard-pressed to keep up, mows in haste: every stone in Holy Rood has the scars to prove it. The enclosures that once surrounded family plots, and no doubt made it harder to mow + historic Catholic cemetery in Georgetown established in 1832 the grass, have been disposed of. When weed-trees are cut and hauled away, the trucks crush fallen tombstones under + arguably best ago, documented ground in DC don’t include Holy Rood their wheels. There is no caretaker, his house was torn downthe long andslave the burial campus police in their rounds. By day, dog-owners feel entitled to let their dogs off the leash, and by night, vandals have a free hand + adjacent to Wisconsin Ave NW, Whitehaven Parkway, and Glover Park Neighborhood to go about their business.”

To mo hood utilize

+ at one of the highest elevations in Washington, DC

Visitors who conclude from the evidence that the university does notofvalue HolyChurch Rood could be forgiven for doing so, + third burial ground Holy Trinity but that is not actually the case. For the University, the question in the last thirty years has been, how long before that + 6.5 acres with approx. 2550 gravestones and over7300 known burials value could be realized? In 1933 Archbishop Curley had suggested that a hundred years might be a decent interval before finding a use for Holy Rood; by 1972 this had already seemed to be toofreedmen, long toand wait. Steps began to be taken + mixture of veterans, paupers, slaves, wealthy Catholics of Georgetown to bring the goal nearer. A letter from Charles Meng, Vice President for Administration and Facilities, notified the remain+ under the ownership of Georgetown University ing one hundred and nine holders of burial rights that the cemetery would be closed to further burials. It did not mention +now pressuredofbygraves. university development that this step was the indispensable preliminary to the removal The plot owners were furious. The holders of burial rights in Holy Rood took the University to court. The restraining order they obtained in 1984 has obliged Georgetown to keep the cemetery open ever since, and to honor all remaining contracts, until the last lot-holder dies.

PUB +

park.

edge.

history.

+ es

Cemeteries are deliberately created and highly organized

+ fos

cultural landscapes.

However, due to the site’s high real estate value and surrounding development, the cemetery has been under intense development pressure since 1984. Today, Holy Rood Cemetery is valued as an important space within the fabric of the Glover Park neighborhood. For example, every July fourth holiday, the community gathers at the high point of the cemetery to watch the DC fireworks show. The program of the cemetery is beginning to transition from a historic cemetery to a community public space for Glover Park.

s h i f t i n ground

etery em

ndoned c ba

etery em

+ cre the

+ ble

+ cre ind public space ned isio v n ee

CEM

DESIGN HAPPENS.

y meter c ce i r sto hi

allo ne

+ re

neighborhood.

gateway.

+ hig

How can you design a sacred landscape that embraces each layer of history, and creates a framework for the accumulation of community?

+ re

+ us

+ br

10.

holy rood cemetery aerial image of site

Site Photographs 2

11.

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

3 1

site panorama

view atop high point

view of cemetery from adjacent parking lot

stone retaining wall along Wisconsin Avenue

back residential edge condition of cemetery

existing main entrance from Wisconsin Avenue

unmarked slave burial ground in northwest corner

holy rood cemetery

aerial image of site

Site Photographs

12 8 13 11 7

veteran grave within cemetery

adjacent northern edge of cemetery

9 10

existing hillside crypt

s h i f t i n 11 assorted graves within cemetery ground

woodland edge condition of cemetery

existing main entrance from Wisconsin Avenue

existing vegetated edge

12.

holyLayers rood cemetery Historical georgetown

glover park Site of Holy Trinity Church was purchased next to a “small, but neat graveyard, the resting place of the first Catholic settlers.

1787

1712 The earliest appearance of what can be recognized as Wisconsin Avenue is a dotted line on a map drawn in 1712, showing the route from the future site of Georgetown, via what is now River Road, to Canavest, the Indian village near Point of Rocks, Maryland.

1751

Maryland Assembly authorized the acquisition of sixty acres to be the site of the future city of Georgetown (of which the eastern half of Glover Park was once part).

1789

The first church building of Holy Trinity Church, which still serves as the parish's chapel, was built.

1794

Incorporation of Georgetown; Father John Carroll founded Georgetown University as a Jesuit private university

The butchers Joseph Weaver, Jacob H. Kengla, and Benjamin F. Hunt incorporated the Georgetown and Tenallytown Rail Road, with the express purpose of improving the development potential of their real estate.

First burial occurred in the original location of the Jesuit Cemetery at Georgetown University. Forty-six burials happened here, before the site was moved due to the construction of a new dormitory.

1808 1802

The new Presbyterian Burial Grounds of Georgetown were moved offsite to a plat of land near present day Georgetown University.

1818

1833 In 1832, land for a third Catholic burial ground was purchased on Back Street––Tunlaw Road––in the sparsely-populated northern extension of Georgetown.

The oldest structure in Glover Park is the former Methodist Protestant chapel at 35th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, which was built in 1874.

The Oak Hill Cemetery was founded by Mr. W.W. Corcoran as a garden park cemetery.

Jane Parks, age one, was the first person buried in the Upper Grave Yard, on April 20th.

1832

1874

1848

First burial in the second burial ground of Holy Trinity: the College Ground. The College Ground came into use because the Holy Trinity churchyard had reached its limit, and was the only parish cemetery available between 1818 and 1833.

The developer F.W. Huidekoper had subdivided Burleith; and John W. Thompson had acquired Weston, and what he would call Tunlaw Heights.

1907

Auction sale of land accumulated by Henry Kengla, a 91 year-old butcher who had lived alone at what is now 2400 Tunlaw Road. The buyer was banker Charles C. Glover.

This new burial ground was augmented by purchase of adjacent land, and a house for the sexton or gravedigger was built near the entrance. A more convenient entrance on High Street––Wisconsin Avenue-became possible after the burial ground was enlarged yet again.

1853 1866

In the years immediately after the Civil War a new house for the sexton, a vault, a new gate and stone retaining wall along High Street were completed, and what had been called simply the Upper Grave Yard was given the name by which it has been known since then: Holy Rood.

holy rood cemetery 13.

1888 1887

1915

Last plot was sold in Holy Rood Cemetery. Holy Rood became a financial liability, and began to reflect this in condition, as had happene to the College Ground, man years before.

historic timeline

was sold in Holy metery. Holy Rood a financial liability, an to reflect this in its n, as had happened llege Ground, many ore.

The earliest advertisements of Glover Park were placed by Benjamin H. Gruver. The firm, which had built houses in Petworth, Brightwood and Cleveland Park, rode out the Great Depression by concentrating on the development of Glover Park.

1926 1924

Charles C. Glover gave the newly instituted National Capital Parks Commission seventy-seven acres in the valley of Foundry Branch, which––with the addition of twenty-eight acres from Anne Archbold––became Glover-Archbold Park.

Glover Park was a mere six years old when its status as a full-fledged neighborhood was confirmed; Benjamin Stoddert Elementary School was dedicated on November 7th.

The last streetcar came up Wisconsin Avenue on January 3, 1960.

1946

Members of the two family firms merged to form Gruver Cooley Construction, which is still in business today.

Charles and William Cooley-whose involvement in the development of Glover Park can be dated to about 1931-built their “English village” group and semi-detached houses in “Glover Park Heights”––at 39th, 40th, Benton and Beecher streets.

1967

1972 1933

1942 The transfer of Holy Trinity to the Archdiocese of Washington took place in 1942. Yet, Holy Rood remained in the care of Georgetown University, which had henceforth to foot the bill for its maintenance.

2003

Georgetown was designated a National Historic Landmark and is included in the Inventory of Historic Places as well as the National Register of Historic Places.

Steps were being made to find another use for the cemetery grounds.

Georgetown University proposed to Archbishop Curley that the parish cemetery should convey with the parish. Yet, the archdiocese explained the cemetery might be be of use to the University in a hundred years.

Today

1960

1932 1931

The primary commercial corridors of Georgetown are the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue & M Street, which contain high-end shops, bars, restaurants, and the Georgetown Park enclosed shopping mall, as well as the Washington Harbour waterfront restaurants at K Street, NW, between 30th and 31st Streets.

Georgetown's landmark waterfront district's was further revitalized

A letter from Charles Meng, Vice President for Administration and Facilities, notified the remaining one hundred and nine holders of burial rights that Holy Rood would be closed to further burials, and that they could therefore not be laid to rest with their families.

1984 The aggrieved holders of burial rights in Holy Rood went further, and took Georgetown University to court. The consent decree they obtained in 1984 has obliged Georgetown to keep the cemetery open ever since, and to honor all remaining contracts.

Georgetown’s president was not nearly so equivocal: “The University takes the position that someday, somehow, the University must be allowed to convert this property from cemetery property to some other use.”

The Working Group has validated the plan to finance restoration and maintenance of the cemetery by constructing a columbarium there.

2003

2013 2011

Phase II of restoration project completion.

2016

In January 2011, a group of Holy Trinity parishioners formed a Steering Committee with the mission of restoring Holy Rood Cemetery to its original dignity and function as a memorial and final resting place for Holy Trinity parishioners and for members of the greater Washington D.C. community.

14.

program

s h i f t i ng r o Goal u n To mold a lively, versatile community space that can nurture the needs of the university and neighborhood, and tactfully embrace the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural condition as a historic cemetery, d through a design that utilizes the landscape as a canvas for the illustration of life AND death. Objectives PUBLIC SPACE.

LANDSCAPE.

+ allow the edges of the cemetery to respond to the context (park, commercial, neighborhood) permeable edge condition (remove existing chainlink fence) create entrances to cemetery that are respond to the circulation of the neighborhood, Wisconsin Ave., and Whitehaven Parkway + establish a stronger connection between Wisconsin Avenue and Holy Rood cemetery break up hard edge of retaining wall utilize retaining wall as a canvas for public art/expression of Glover Park embrace the site as the neighborhood gateway

+ create a series of â&#x20AC;&#x153;roomsâ&#x20AC;? within the cemetery that provide unique experiences for an individual, a community, or both use the landscape and topography to create enclosed and open spaces + blend the cemetery into the network of adjacent parkways connect the circulation paths within the cemetery to the adjacent trails create a natural, porous edge that transitions into the parklands

+ foster the progression of public space from the surrounding street and alley network utilize alleyways on North side of site as semi-public connection to surrounding neighborhoods provide visual and physical connections from public neighborhood sidewalks to public cemetery + create a space for community gatherings and annual events that fits within the context of the cemetery enhance spaces for existing activities that occur on the site create a visual connection from Wisconsin Avenue and the adjacent neighborhoods CEMETERY.

15.

+ re-establish a spatial order and grid of the cemetery that speaks to its original layout use the grid to inform the placement of key gathering spaces and more intimate areas expose the grid as an ordering element for the circulation or spatial hierarchy of the site + highlight the historical connections to the University and Holy Trinity Church artifacts or an interactive timeline highlight former burial grounds of Holy Trinity Church + respect the presence of unmarked graves throughout the site acknowledge the slave burial ground in NW corner of site establish condition (planted, built, etc) to protect fragile sites

+ bring a new perspective to the idea of death plant palette that illustrates the potential beauty of death and the subsequent new growth that may proceed (year-round interest) use soft textures and warm colors of plants to contrast the hard gravestones and aesthetics of the cemetery + use existing landform of site topography views + design a sustainable landscape low maintenance plantings utilize successional processes of nature to provide a landscape that evolves with the site over time

context

aerial image of Holy Rood Cemetery

s h i f t i n ground

16.

context CITY WASHINGTON DC

REGION GEORGETOWN

s h i f t i ng r o u SITE n HOLY ROOD CEMETERY d

NEIGHBORHOOD GLOVER PARK

na nsi sco wi site

nw ve

glover-archbold pklnds.

site rockcreek pklnds. whitehaven parklands

In addition to the Capitol, the White House and the Mall, history-minded visitors to the city can track the nation’s political, military and cultural course through the quiet final resting grounds of the famous and nearfamous who lived and died here, from former presidents and generals to authors, Indian chiefs and famous lawmen. Across town and along the shores of the Anacostia River lies Historic Congressional Cemetery, the oldest national cemetery, with origins dating back to 1807. No tour of Washington’s cemeteries would be complete without a trip through Arlington National Cemetery, perhaps the country’s best-known burial ground.

17.

Along the Potomac River, Georgetown is known as the neighborhood, commercial, and entertainment district of DC. The primary commercial corridors of Georgetown are the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue & M Street, which contain high-end shops, bars, restaurants, and the Georgetown Park enclosed shopping mall, as well as the Washington Harbour waterfront.Georgetown is also home to the main campus of Georgetown University as well as several international embassies.

Just north of the intersection of M Street, Glover Park is a quiet, but family friendly neighborhood of students, families, graduates, and retirees. Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park is home to a variety of restaurants and other businesses. Guy Mason Park is between Wisconsin Avenue and the Naval Observatory and is the location of a softball diamond, a playground for small children, and an unofficial enclosed dog park. Housing in Glover Park is a mix of apartment buildings and porch-front rowhouses built in the 1920s and 1930s. The neighborhood is named for Washingtonian Charles Carroll Glover, an influential late 19th and early 20th century banker and philanthropist. He is credited with the creation of the city’s Rock Creek Park system, which marks the western edge of the neighborhood.

The site for my design exercise is a historic Catholic cemetery within a popular Georgetown neighborhood just outside the heart of downtown DC. Holy Rood Cemetery was established in 1832 as a burial ground for many of the residents, Catholics, veterans, and slaves of Georgetown. Six and a half acres in size, with over 7300 recorded burials, Holy Rood is rich with history. It currently serves as the third graveyard for Holy Trinity Church and houses arguably one of the most well- documented unmarked slave burial grounds in the greater Washington area. Geographically, the site is positioned along Wisconsin Avenue NW, just north of Georgetown University and the waterfront, at one of the highest elevations in the surrounding landscape.

neighborhood identity Glover Park + 25% increase in teenagers living there from 2000 to 2010 + largely residential district + close-knit community atmosphere + quiet streets lined with quaint row houses + a commercial zone with a small but growing foodie scene + with no dedicated Metro station, the area isn’t as well known as some of its neighbors like Cleveland Park or Woodley Park + home to Stoddert, one of Northwest’s best elementary schools + very few roads lead in and out of Glover Park, very little through traffic = little crime + The neighborhood’s commercial activity is largely restricted to Wisconsin Avenue, which is a busy strip of shops and stores, including a Whole Foods, a post office, a recently-opened Chipotle, several gyms, and a much-lauded hardware store. + parking can be tricky, 8,000 residents and only about 1500 on-street parking spaces.

cathedral heights

glover park

burleith

Cathedral Heights + isn’t known as a place with a tight sense of community or identity + a peaceful sense of removal from the hustle and bustle of downtown Washington + Unlike Tenleytown or Cleveland Park, where the streets are lined with tightly packed row houses and detached single-family homes, much of Cathedral Heights’ housing stock is in the form of large, older apartment, condo and co-op complexes that sit on swaths of green lawn, with names like the Westchester, the Warwick, and Idaho Terrace

s h i f t i n ground

neighborhoods surrounding Holy Rood Cemetery

Burleith + a small, completely residential square of a neighborhood in northwest DC + doesn’t have nearly the same name recognition as Georgetown or Glover Park + the neighborhood of 535 homes offers a distinctive housing stock and a quiet, more affordable way to live close to the action on Wisconsin Avenue + In the early 1900’s, a developer bought up the land that is now Burleith with the intention of building homes on it for the influx of residents coming into DC at that time.

18.

analysis

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

conceptual sketch of layers of site

19.

Land Use: District

District of Columbia

zoomed out to find where the site is located within its context and the possible opportunities for connection at that scale. The site is also positioned along the unofficial main street through Georgetown, Wisconsin Ave NW, which runs from the waterfront of the Potomac, North towards Tenleytown. The site marks the important transition of Wisconsin Ave from a destination shopping/dining corridor to the local neighborhood commercial street of the Glover Park neighborhood. The regional context map also shows the important land use

Existing Land Use Site

1:5000

Use Vacant

Description Water Transport, Communications, Utilities Public, Quasi-Public, Institutional Parks and Open Spaces

characteristics surrounding the site---the commercial business

Parking Mixed Use Medium Density Residential Low-Medium Density Residential

district centered along Wisconsin Ave NW and the unique

Low Density Residential Local public Institutional

neighborhoods intersected by the parklands.

Industrial High Density Residential Federal public Commercial

regional landuseÂŻmap 0

s h i f t i n ground

0.1

0.2

0.4 Miles

Population Density: District of Columbia

Beginning the analysis process for Holy Rood Cemetery, I

0.125

0.25

0.5 Miles

ÂŻ

Population Density: District of Columbia

Density

analysis

density distribution map

regional analysis map

20.

analysis The extensive network of trails and parkways that run throughout the Washington DC region provide an important framework of public spaces for the city. The green swaths connect neighborhoods, parks, and destinations through bike and walking trails. The greenspace context map confirms the important location of the cemetery (pink) as a linkage to the greater public space network of DC. The map also shows the programmed spaces along the parklands. The main parkways (shown on map) influencing the site are:

Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway

The Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway is part of the National Park Service’s Rock Creek Park, which extends through Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. The parkway offers a trail for runners, walkers and bikers, and forms a natural boundary along the outer edges of Georgetown; it also connects to several other parks in Georgetown.

Glover-Archbold Parkway

The 183-acre Glover Archbold Park was donated to the city in 1924 by Charles C. Glover and Anne Archbold (a former Riggs Bank executive and Standard Oil of New Jersey heiress, respectively) to be used as a bird sanctuary. It contains trees that are 150 to 200 years old. Near the Potomac River, the trail passes below Canal Road and the C&O Canal in a stone-lined tunnel that is part of the original C&O Canal construction. The tunnel provided access to the Potomac River for the Foxall Foundry, which was one of Georgetown’s largest industries, producing cannons and munitions from 1803 to 1854.

The Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway is part of the National Park Service's Rock Creek Park, which extends through Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. The parkway offers a trail for runners, walkers and bikers, and forms a natural boundary along the outer edges of Georgetown; it also connects to several other parks in Georgetown. Glover-Archbold Parkway The 183-acre Glover Archbold Park was donated to the city in 1924 by Charles C. Glover and Anne Archbold (a former Riggs Bank executive and Standard Oil of New Jersey heiress, respectively) to be used as a bird sanctuary. It contains trees that are 150 to 200 years old. Near the Potomac River, the trail passes below Canal Road and the C&O Canal in a stone-lined tunnel that is part of the original C&O Canal construction. The tunnel provided access to the Potomac River for the Foxall Foundry, which was one of Georgetown's largest industries, producing cannons and munitions from 1803 to 1854.

Soapstone Valley Park

+ .9 mile trail + valley landscape + wooded trail with a creek

Whitehaven Parkway This 1-mile trail connects the Dumbarton Oaks arm of Rock Creek Park with the Foundry Branch valley in Glover Archbold Park.

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

Melvin C. Hazen Park + 1.1 mile trail + natural jogging trail

McLean Playground

Rock Creek Park

+ regional/ town destination + state-of-the-art playground

+ historic woodland park (1890) + public park facilities

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

+163 AC + regional/ national attraction

Glover Park Community Garden + 2.7 AC + “Victory Garden” + 150 plots Woodland-Normanstone Terrace Park + adjacent to Observatory

Glover-Archbold Park

+ stream valley park + 183 AC + donated by Charles Glover and Anne Archbold in 1924

Dumbarton Oaks Park + 27 AC of wilderness

Dumbarton Oaks Gardens

Whitehaven Community Garden

+ 10 AC of formal gardens

Montrose Park

+ 1 AC + 50 plots + “Victory Garden”

+ historic recreational park

Sheridan-Locksmith Park

Whitehaven Parkway

This 1-mile trail connects the Dumbarton Oaks arm of Rock Creek Park with the Foundry Branch valley

Rose Park Recreation Center + neighborhood public space + natural area for recreation

Foundry Branch Valley Park

+ part of the Capital Crescent Trail + tunnel

Francis Playground

21.

+ connected to school + modern playground + semi-public space

analysis Regionally, one of the strengths of the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location is its context within the extensive trail network of DC. The regional analysis map shows the

analysis

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

site is positioned at a key point along the Whitehaven Parklands trail system. The trails provide a connective tissue throughout the Washington area with entry points along its edge and programmed spaces such as gardens and dog parks nestled within its forests. Holy Rood Cemetery is located at a unique place along the parklands, because of its visibility and accessibility. It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tucked away within the trees and there lies its strength as a link to the greater public space system. The map also shows the important entrances along the nearby parklands and the major trail connections.

WHITEHAVEN PARKLANDS

s h i f t i n ground

22.

analysis

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

At the neighborhood scale, the site is an important placeholder within Glover Park. The cemetery lies at the southern gateway into the neighborhood adjacent to Wisconsin Ave NW, which is the circulative spine through Georgetown. The main entrance of the cemetery lies along Wisconsin Avenue NW. There are also several entrances to the adjacent Whitehaven Parklands nearby as well, marked by the gold asterisks. The site also finds adjacency with rowhouses that face into the space. The land use surrounding the site creates several edge conditions----residential to the northwest, parklands to the south, and business commercial to the east. The diverse edge conditions provide multiple opportunities for better connecting the site with other parts of Glover Park.

SECTION.

HOLY ROOD CEMETERY.

neighborhood commercial

cemetery

pathway

tree buffer

cemetery

Wisconsin ave nw

35th St nw

10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; stone retaining wall

sidewalk

Tunlaw rd nw

residential

private yard

alley

tree buffer

alley

private yard

residential

37th st nw

23.

cemetery

light commercial

ABSTRACT STUDY.

analysis Cemetery Collage Another part of the analysis of the site, involved an unconventional approach of collaging images representing the present layers of the site such as the neighborhood uses, historic nodes, and the parklike space. The collage represented the layering of many influences on the site such as the historical implications, natural vegetation, and landscape. However, the layers possessed no real hierarchy. The history layer surfaces in certain places within the cemetery, while the natural layer winds its way into the site from the parklands. The preliminary collage acted as an inventory of the site and its layers, both visible and invisible.

s h i f t i n ground

24.

establishing hierarchy

s h i f t i ng r o a series of exercises to discover the hierarchy of layers at the cemetery. How can past and present layers of use, function, history, and landscape condition u inform the future program and design of the site? n d original cemetery plot grid historical importance in cemetery grid + landscape

analysis

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

SIte Diagramming The collage initiated the challenge of then finding order among the preliminary layers through a series of simple overlays addressing the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cemetery, landscape, and neighborhood characteristics. This set of diagrams showcased how the past and present layers of use, history, and landscape condition could influence the future program and use on the site. This allowed me to establish the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship within the landscape, expressing the landscapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role as the common ground bringing the programmatic needs of the university, cemetery, and neighborhood together. The diagrams began to expose the

landscape + neighborhood + circulation

cemetery + circulation

grid + neighborhood

neighborhood + cemetery

grid + neighborhood use

circulation + neighborhood

landscape + topography

circulation + neighborhood use

circulation + neighborhood use + landscape

relationships between certain aspects of the site that I had analyzed. For example, by studying the relationship between the circulation patterns of the residents and the important community nodes of activity, I was able to begin establishing a hierarchy to the paths of the cemetery based on the connections. The overlays included in the diagrams are: 1. original cemetery grid 2. landscape condition 3. cemetery nodes 4. neighborhood activity nodes 5. cemetery pathways 6. neighborhood circulation The conclusions represented simply in the set of diagrams supported many of the design and programmatic decisions in the later stages of the project. Additionally, the series of drawings provided a strong foundation for the site-scale synthesis drawing which identified key opportunities and constraints for the

process.

preliminary design.

25.

diagramming the

Site Synthesis

key opportunities and constraints from the analysis phase that will influence design development

o u n d

analysis

In the site-scale synthesis, the opportunities and constraints of the site became apparent. The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use as a cemetery produces the main constraint of over 2500 headstones and a grid of burial plots throughout. However, the unique edge conditions of residential, Wisconsin Ave, and the parklands provide opportunities to connect the cemetery to its surroundings. The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adjacency with the historic rowhouses of Glover Park creates an opportunity for more surveillance of the site as well as a more responsive housing development to the North. The cemetery sits upon a large hill with steep slopes on two sides and a large stone retaining wall along Wisconsin Avenue, creating both opportunities for astounding views, but also a visible barrier from the popular Wisconsin Avenue NW corridor. Additionally, the site shares a side with a small neighborhood business/commercial lot that is fairly unused, which allows an opportunity for a possible pedestrian connection that transitions to the neighborhood commercial of Wisconsin Ave NW. The yellow asterisks denote the main and unofficial resident entrances into the cemetery, illustrating the need to provide access to the site on other sides. The landform and landscape character of the site also creates opportunities for highlighting areas such as the high point, the open space of the slave burial ground, or loose canopy of existing mature trees. Overall, one of the most obvious opportunities is found within the adjacent parkland trail systems that run parallel to the south side of the site. An empty cul-de-sac along the western edge of the cemetery provides an ideal entrance to the Whitehaven Parklands as well. The synthesis provided collective documentation of the findings of the analysis drawings and diagrams influencing the site. The opportunities and constraints began to frame the design parameters and program.

s h i f t i n ground

26.

design concepts

conceptual sketch / topographic axes

27.

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

design concepts Conceptual Development The site has numerous constraints, only one being the expanse of graves covering the cemetery. In order to develop strong design gestures and ideas, I began sketching and brainstorming ideas that could transform the site into a vital community space while still respecting the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s condition as a cemetery. Some ideas challenged known taboos associated with burial grounds. Others respected the order of the cemetery. The sketches helped translate the opportunities of the synthesis and analysis into real design gestures that could connect the cemetery with the neighborhood, street, and woodlands at several scales.

s h i f t i n ground

28.

Walking the Cemetery

design concepts conceptual ideas

ng r o u n d

The experience of traditional cemeteries are dictated primarily by the paths and axes that they create. This concept looks at a walking the cemetery through a topographic and elevated lens. A series of paths that allowed secondary movement above the ground and gravesites. The paths follow the topography The experience of traditional cemeteries are dictated primarily by the paths and axes that they create. This concept looks at a walking the cemetery through a topographic and elevated lens. A series of paths that allowed secondary movement above the ground and gravesites. The paths follow the topography

Walking the Cemetery

s h i f t i ng d e s i g n d e v e l o p m e nr t Activating the Edge Each edge of the site was completely o nature [edge] urban [edge] unique, from + urban street to natural wood- = cemetery. lands. In order to connect the cemetery u with its surrounding context, the edge is vital. This concept looks at the edge and n how it can create a sequence that draws boardwalk people in or orients them out as they travel extension d around the perimeter of the site.

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

Walking the Cemetery

nature [edge] + urb

u n d

neighborhood entrance

slave burial ground

Activating the Edge

s h i f t i ng r Activating the Edge o u Each edge of the site was completely n unique, from urban to natural woodActivating thestreet Edge d Each edge of the site was completely lands. In order to connect the cemetery

Each edge of the site was completely unique, from urban street to natural woodlands. In order to connect the cemetery with its surrounding context, the edge is vital. This concept looks at the edge and how it can create a sequence that draws people d e sini gornorients d e them v e l ooutpasmthey e n ttravel around the perimeter of the site.

nature [edge] + urban [edge] = cemetery.

unique, from urban street to natural wood-

withlands. its surrounding context, the edge is In order to connect the cemetery vital. This concept context, looks at and with its surrounding thethe edgeedge is This concept at the edgethat and draws howvital. it can createlooks a sequence how it can create a sequence that draws people in or orients them out as they travel people in or orients them out as they travel around aroundthe theperimeter perimeter of of the the site. site.

slave burial ground

an urb

overlook

The concept blends ideas of all three p street entrT site as well as intimate spaces within. graves provides an order for the urban The Town Grid Within a street grid, there is a hierarchy historical past. labyrinth w en av n si Whitehaven on sc wi

concept sketches. alk nw

an urb

tria es ed

Parklands

concept sketches.

gathering area

Walking the Cemetery

Activating the Edge

The experiences of traditional cemeteries are dictated primarily by the paths and axes that they create. This

Acknowledging the unique edge conditions of the site and the vast grid of graves within the cemetery, the overlook

concept looks at walking the cemetery through a topographic and elevated lens. A series of paths that allow

first idea focused on the edge as the space that could activate the interior and provide connections with the

secondary movement above the ground and gravesites. The paths follow the topography creating an elevated

street entrance siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surroundings. The concept looked at each edge and how together, they could create a sequence that

Activating the Edge

of the site was completelythe cemetery. The form of the boardwalk The Town Grid walk forEach theedge pedestrian through could delineate sacred spaces within unique, from urban street to natural woodWithin a street grid, there is a hierarchy lands. In order to connect the cemetery that can be found, even within a cemetery. the cemetery, such as the edge of the slave burial ground or the hillside crypt. The walk could connect into with its surrounding context, the edge is This concept seeks to order the existing site vital. This concept looks at the edge and into a small town, with sacred places, a existing how trails ofcreate the aparklands cemetery. Although very it can sequence thatand draws emerge out of the forest canopy maininto street, the and important intersections. By people in or orients them out as they travel ordering the cemetery in this way, neigharound the the perimeter of the site. responds to the main constraint of the borhoods begin to emerge. These neighconceptual, idea directly cemetery---the existing paths. The idea Within a street grid, there is a hierarchy borhoods can be represented through difthatferent canplantings be found, evenunique within cemetery. usesaand opens up the entire site by providing a new way to experience the site,through butproviding also respect the graves. Thisaesthetics concept seeksthetodifferent orderseasons. the existing site

The Town Grid

29.

into a small town, with sacred places, a main street, and important intersections. By ordering the cemetery in this way, neighborhoods begin to emerge. These neigh-

the

gathering overlook area

e tur

that can be found, even within a cemetery. This concept seeks to order the existing site into a small town, with sacred places, a Whitehaven main street, and important intersections. By Parklands ordering the cemetery in this way, neighborhoods begin to emerge. These neighborhoods can be represented through different plantings providing unique uses and aesthetics through the different seasons.

neighborhood entrance

boardwalk extension

e tur

draws people in or orients them outlabyrinth as they travel the perimeter of the site. Each edge of the site was comw av

in pletely unique, from urban street to natural woodlands. sIn ns order to connect the cemetery with its surrounding co Whitehaven Parklands

context, the edge is vital.

The Town Grid

Light Columns

an intimate space nestled among the hillside forests that uses sunlight to create pockets of light that pierce the surrouding dense canopy. the cantilevered walks become extensions of the grid of paths within the cemetery.

Within a street grid, there is a hierarchy that can be found, even within a cemetery. concept sketches. This concept seeks to order the existing site into a small town, with sacred places, a main street, and important intersections. By

Wildflower Labyrinth

a circular space within the stric anchored by a historic hillside transformed into a peaceful me serves as an entry into the natu surrounding hillside forms a nic

Light Columns

an intimate space nestled among th that uses sunlight to create pockets o

conditions. The idea looks at using the geometric order of the cemetery to bridge the urban edge of the neighborhood and s h i f t i ng the natural edge of the parklands. Ther ideaand acknowledges the need to extendo the a series of exercises to discover the hierarchy of layers at the cemetery. How can past and present layers of use, function, history, landscape condition reach of the cemetery to best connect uit inform the future program and design of the site? n The Town Grid with the surrounding community. d original cemetery plot grid historical importance in cemetery

establishing hierarchy

grid + landscape Within a street grid, there is a hierarchy that can be found, even within a cemetery. This concept seeks to order the existing site into a small town, with sacred places, a main street, and important intersections. By ordering the cemetery in this way, neighborhoods begin to emerge. These neighborhoods can be represented through different plantings providing unique uses and aesthetics through the different seasons.

Light Columns

+ nature

conceptual ideas cemetery + circulation

Nature + Urban

The location of the site along Wisconsin Avenue and the Whitehaven Parklands allows the cemetery to serve as the grid + neighborhood cultivated nature between these two conditions. The idea looks at using the geometric order of the cemetery to bridge the urban edge of the neighborhood and the natural edge of the parklands. The idea acknowledges the need to extend the reach of the cemetery to best connect it with the surrounding community.

Activating the Edge

Each edge of the site was completely unique, from urban street to natural woodlands. In order to connect the cemetery with its surrounding context, the edge is vital. This concept looks at the edge and how it can create a sequence that draws people in or orients them out as they travel around the perimeter of the site.

nature

urban

ghborhood

design concepts

urban

nature

urban

s h i f t i ng r o history, and landscape condition u n dcirculation landscape + neighborhood + e

ood

conceptual ideas

The Town Grid

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

design develo HOLY ROOD: THE CONNECTIVE SEAM

concept diagram Historic Burial Ground

a historic slave burial ground that is virtually invisible becomes highlighted through a neighborhood entrance which responds to the boundary of the sacred ground. A strict grid of trees open up to reveal the square of forgotten graves.

Nature + Urban

The second concept highlighted the potential opportunities of the order found in the cemetery grid. Bythe Edge The final conceptual idea acknowledged the site’s adjacency to the parklands and the urban fabric of WisconActivating Each edge of thecirculation site was completely grid + neighborhood use + neighborhood fromof urban street to natural woodthinking of the cemetery as a town grid, the paths begin to express a hierarchy, similar to unique, a grid streets. sin Avenue. Its position between two important, yet different connections allows the natural and urban order to

neighborhood + cemetery

lands. In order to connect the cemetery with its surrounding context, the edge is vital. This concept looks at the edge and how it can create a sequence that draws people in or orients them out as they travel around the perimeter of the site.

The concept allowed me to ask myself “what is the ‘main street’ of Holy Rood? What are the sacred

s places? What paths serve as the alleyways?” Through finding this hidden order in the cemetery, the paths h become much more important and begin to create rooms within the cemetery as well. Additionally, within i a street grid, there is a hierarchy that can be found, even within a cemetery. This concept seeks to order f the existing site similar to a small town, with sacred places, a main street, and important intersections. By t ordering the cemetery in this way, districts begin to emerge. These districts can be represented through i n different plantings providing unique uses and aesthetics through the different seasons. ground

The c begi oppo

transition into the cemetery site and interact in a symbolic way. By inviting the outside context into the cemetery, the site becomes more rooted and connected in the community at the scale of the park system as well as the neighborhood street. The location of the site along Wisconsin Avenue and the Whitehaven Parklands allows the cemetery to serve as thecultivated nature between these twoconditions. The idea looks at using the geometric order of the cemetery to bridge the urban edge of the neighborhood and the natural edge of the parklands. The idea acknowledges the need to extend the reach of the cemetery to best connect it with the surrounding community.

30.

design concepts

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

Final Design Concept Blending the strengths of each of these preliminary concepts, the final design concept creates a strong gesture that allows Holy Rood Cemetery to extend out into the surrounding neighborhood and landscape. The edge of the cemetery becomes important as the connective seam of the space and highlights the natural and urban qualities of each side. Additionally, the edge of the cemetery becomes more than a line. It becomes a corridor that connects and creates opportunities for adjacent spaces. On the urban edge, the order of the original cemetery grid becomes visible on the ground and URBAN

a pedestrian axis is established that terminates at the cemetery landscape. A strong connection is made from the existing main entrance on Wisconsin Ave to a secondary neighborhood street. The lines from the existing built fabric and street grid extend into the geometry of the cemetery creating a sequence of important spaces within the site.

B UR

On the opposite edge, the natural vegetation and blurred lines of the parklands begin to layer themselves upon the cemetery grid creating a contrasting experience from the urban edge. Within the cemetery, clear nodes emerge not only as important landmarks within the site, but also as points of relativity between the natural and urban conditions. RE

URE

31.

ATE

IV ULT

TU NA

design development

final masterplan

s h i f t i n ground

32.

design development

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

Final Design The development of the concept is evident within the final site design. The order of the Office

tu n

cemetery and the built fabric intersect to create strong axes and spatial sequences that

w rd n law

create connections within the site as well as beyond.

nw pl

One of the design objectives addressed the response of the edges of the cemetery to

Parking Garage

its context. The final design achieves this several ways. Firstly, through embracing the urban edge with a strong pedestrian walk, visitors are invited to a promenade that

sid Re

transitions into the cemetery grid. The neighborhood edge responds by a formal

cce

ur ts Co

Library/ Visitors Center

ral

d Pa lash

Cha lkwa ll

enti

in ns

en av

Cemetery Plots

Grove of Resilience

network but also utilizes its restorative characteristics to create private spaces

Market

sco wi

the form of naturalistic grasses. The natural edge makes connections to the greater trail

37th street nw

and bocce. The edge adjacent to the parklands begins to progress into the cemetery in

id Res

Restaurant/Bar

n rde Ga lots P

l tia en

stepped entry through a memorial flower garden. Also, a recreational area for the neighborhood is created at the corner of the site allowing for community gardening

Office

Memorial Flower Garden

Views

associated with the cemetery program. Another goal for the design was developing spaces for community interaction and Labyrinth

annual events to occur on the site. As a whole, the urban edge will serve as a new

35th st nw

community space for the neighborhood. A farmers market creates a connection from

Naturalistic Grasses

the plaza to a neighborhood recreation area. The pedestrian walk from W St greets the cemetery with a community plaza and splash pad that opens up to the landscape

Whitehaven Parklands

Decked Overlook

Boardwalk

of the cemetery as well as a pavilion for live music or movie nights. Connected to the pavilion through the paths of the cemetery, the natural edge has an overlook in the

Canopy Pockets

forest canopy for large groups as well. whitehaven parkway nw

33.

of the spaces as a whole in terms of their neighborhood, historic, community, and parklike programs.

u n d

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E R P E. R TO E. AV LO G PE HIS ID. RESRANC RY.G RANC CT. PORY. S. REM . RES th. GR RID. G PECT. GR EMBHISTO EMB RESPE. HIST RACE STORY. labyrinillside. Gers. RES CES. A . REMOTS. . REMTORY. LOTS CE. T TS. HI GRID RYPT. hwildfljoow rney TR u P . T C O RY. TS. lking ths. PL PEC . HIS CT. ES. RAN PL RESACES ESPE EMBGRID. HISTO. PLO CT.wa .pa .TRAC S. TR ID. R . REM ES. OTS. NCE. RESPE TORY NCE PLOT TRAILS. GR TORY. TRAC T. PL MBRA RID HIS BRA CT. boardwalk. entrance. G E escape. M T S C E pathways. HI SPEC ESPE REM RY. ME . RESP connection. E . R R E O topography. R ID ES HIST ID. TRAILS. GR shade. GR TRAC habitat.

s h i f t i n ground

exploring. . dirt. ude . wilderness. hiking. soliitnking. parklike. elevated. th orest biking. f . running. t ke escape. trails. mature forest. poc t. y. Whitehaven. connection. wildlife. h op g dense canopy. i dirt. l deer. forest. can biking.hiking. natural. network. dense canopy. bus stop. elevated. contours. mature forest. network. setbacks. visible. safe. walking. regular. neighborhood. elevated. entrance. contours. boardwalk. Whitehaven. everyday. walking. natural. winding. sidewalk.permeable. dogwalking. flat. streetside. streetside. visible. flat. routine. visible. everyday. mature. walking. natural. streetscape. sidewalk.

Final Design Although the cemetery design allows for gathering and community interaction, personal, more contemplative spaces were achieved as well. For example, the memorial garden serves as an anchor for pathways leading to intimate platforms that extend out into the forest canopy. Also, the geometry of the hillside crypt allows for a wildflower labyrinth that is nestled into the topography. The program for individuals extends into the built landscape within the urban edge. Above the visitor’s center, Woodstock Theological Library of Georgetown and an attached green roof offers quiet places to read and look out upon the cemetery on rainy days. In the northern corner of the cemetery, the final design highlights the forgotten slave burial ground through an arrangement of flowers in the same geometric grid as the rest of the cemetery positioned adjacent to a strict grove of trees. The design allows for the acknowledgement of the space as special and unique, but ensures that it is still as sacred, if not more so than the rest of the cemetery. The final design also breaks the hard edge of the retaining wall between Wisconsin Ave and the cemetery. By opening the wall up into the cemetery and using the space as an expression of community, the chalk wall begins to draw people into the site, rather than keep them away. Additionally, the mural on the adjacent building activates the cemetery as the gateway for the Glover Park. The interior of the cemetery begins to have an order through a planting palette that illustrates the original grid and geometry of the site through a series of low ornamental grasses such as little bluestem. The paths have hierarchy with only the main circulation paths being paved in contrast with the secondary paths marked with compacted small gravel.

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design development

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The Urban Edge: Wisconsin Avenue Entrance Opening up into Holy Rood Cemetery, the proposed design for the main entrance announces the site as the gateway for the Glover Park neighborhood and welcomes users. The stone retaining wall is transformed into an expressive community chalkwall that draws people into the cemetery. The wall now better represents the new program and function of the cemetery as well, providing an entrance that blends the site into the existing streetscape of Wisconsin Avenue NW. On the ground, prominent lines of historic Georgetown brick radiate out marked with bronze inlaid lettering that serves as way-finding and signage for Holy Rood Cemetery. Coming North up Wisconsin Avenue NW, visitors and residents are now greeted with a striking mural on the side of the existing brick building adjacent to the cemetery, effectively marking Holy Rood Cemetery as the gateway for the neigborhood. Transitioning into the cemetery, the urban edge opens up to the edge of the cemetery. A pedestrian promenade is established from W Pl to the North that extends into the cemetery grid and terminates at a community plaza and splashpad. The urban edge serves as the main gathering space for the cemetery. The pedestrian walk is bound on either side with a cafe, ice cream shop, and bar/restaurant. A farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market creates an open corridor connecting the recreation and gathering areas. Additionally, a proposed visitors center and Woodstock Theological Library overlook the cemetery on the northside as well providing a program and incentive for Georgetown University. Further into the site, a greenroof extends over the plaza, creating a covered pavilion space that could be the perfect spot for movie

perspective sketch of proposed main entrance to Holy Rood Cemetery traveling North on Wisconsin Avenue NW

nights or live music. As a whole, the urban edge serves as a blended seam that connects the northern end of Holy Rood cemetery into the neighborhood and street fabric of Glover Park.

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community chalkwall

bronze inlaid lettering

splash pad

neighborhood mural

detailed designs existing office space

sin on isc W

ew on

NW ue en Av

et stre

mixed use parking garage restaurant/bar

COM

wall mural

NIT Y

farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market WN

OO D

CEM

ETE RY

community chalkwall

visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s center/library

s h i f t i n ground

splash pad

green roof

Holy Rood Cemetery

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detailed designs The Neighborhood Recreation Area An existing stairway from a lower residential street emerges near the Northwest corner of the cemetery, providing the opportu-

community crosswalk

bronze inlaid lettering

bocce courts

community garden plots

studio flats

farmers market

nity to create a pedestrian access point into the cemetery site. The street corner extends out into the street with radiating lines of Georgetown brick and bronze lettering, marking the nearby recreation program. The corner becomes the neighborhood transition into the cemetery, creating a welcoming and safe entrance for the residents. The corner of the Tunlaw Street and W Place NW is re-envisioned as the residential and recreation addition to the cemetery. Just north of the cemetery, the former block of rowhouses is transformed into a recreational commons to suit the activity needs of the nearby residents. Slender studio flat apartments are placed along the edges of the street, leaving an open landscape within. Three sand bocce courts are placed near a stand of large shade trees, perfect for watching an intense bocce match or enjoying a family picnic. Rows of community garden plots fill the commons as well, providing a convenient place to grow produce for the farmers market just steps away. The edge of the cemetery is marked with a planting of fig trees and a low stone retaining wall with a stepped walk. The recreation area allows the residents of Glover Park to have a piece of the cemetery site that they can claim as their own, but that also responds and connects to the rest of the cemetery and site design.

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s h i f t i ng r o u n d

detailed designs studio flats

OV ER

brick paving

community garden plots

HBORHOO

MUNITY

NEIG

COM

PARK

PA RK

bocce

brick plaza

existing stairway

law Tun

studio flats

NW Rd

s h i f t i n ground

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detailed design

s h i f t i ng r o u n d

The Memorial Garden and Grove of Resilience The northern corner of the cemetery houses one of the most well-documented unmarked slave burial grounds in the greater Washington area. It currently sits as a grassy void among the rest of the graves, yet the proposed design brings life to this silent landscape through a series of symbolic plantings and private nooks for contemplation. A formal stepped entry from Tunlaw Rd NW allows visitors and neighbors to process into the space from the street leading to a brick pathway. The long raised planters of heirloom flowers create an order similar to that of the rest of the cemetery, yet slightly skewed to illustrate its uniqueness. The rows of planters are dotted with bronze plaques representing the unmarked slaves that were buried and forgotten. Two pathways intersect the garden leading South to intimate decked platforms nestled within the forest canopy. Intimate spaces are provided within the garden along the

sketch of new arbored threshold into slave burial ground from rest of cemetery

northernmost edge with arbored seating as well as benches placed in the breaks of lawn within the planters. Adjacent to the garden, a strict grove of vibrant ginkgo trees create a contrasting, canopied experience. The selection of the ginkgos and their meaning of resiliency offers a positive lens in which the story of the site can be told. Additionally, the grove provides year round interest within the cemetery landscape and creates a shaded oasis during the warmer months. The proposed design acknowledges the importance of this place within the cemetery, while also providing a welcoming entrance along the western edge of Holy Rood Cemetery. The design balances remembrance and function in the garden and grove in order to achieve a space for the neighborhood residents and tourists of Georgetown alike.

3 39.

section through memorial garden and grove of resilience

heirloom flowers

arbored seating

ginkgo trees

grave markers

detailed designs arbored seating grove of resilience

low retaining wall

heirloom flowerbeds

lawn

NW Rd law Tun

s h i f t i n ground

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detailed design The High Point

curved benches

The topography of Holy Rood Cemetery is one of the most unique characteristics of the site. The high point provides incredible views of the Washington Monument and National Cathedral. Every Fourth of July, the neighborhood gathers together atop the hill of the

wildflower labyrinth

s h i f t i ng r community tree sculpture o u n d

cemetery to watch the DC fireworks show. The hilltop is already beginning to transition to the program of a community space. Therefore, the proposed design strives to enhance the hilltop to better suit the needs of the current activities and users. The hilltop is marked with an upward sloping pavilion that opens up to reveal the best views of the surrounding landscape. At the intersection of three main paths of the cemetery, a metal tree sculpture anchors the space, providing not only a symbol of the community, but also an eyecatching structure that can be seen from street level. Around the large sculpture, curved seating, flower beds, and lines of brick paving radiate out. Additionally, just south of the high point, a more contemplative space is achieved within the topography surrounding the hillside crypt. A labyrinth designed among the graves includes a meandering walk through a wildflower meadow which then transitions to the main entrance of the forest boardwalk. The boardwalk provides an important connection into the extensive trail network of the Whitehaven Parklands. Overall, the design for the high point capitalizes on the cemeteryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new use and establishes the framework for both public and private spaces and connections to the greater context.

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perspective sketch of wildflower labyrinth and hillside crypt

section of hilltop pavilion and community tree sculpture

detailed designs curved seating

tree sculpture

hilltop pavilion

wildflower labrinth

terraced seating

s h i f t i n ground

native sedges

boardwalk entrance

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use diagrams

s h i f t i ng r Georgetown tourist o drawn into the cemetery from Wisconsin Ave u n d

jogger

historian

community member

running on the trails that connect into the cemetery

visiting the memorial garden and historic crypt

selling produce at farmers market/fireworks at high point

neighbor

widlife enthusiast

child

relative visiting cemetery

enter from Tunlaw Rd to community plaza

explore natural edge and birdwatch at overlook deck

run through cemetery and play at splashpad

enter along promenade and visit hillside crypt

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conclusion The final design creates a sequence of spaces that provide opportunities for a multitude of users. A community member will have a much different experience than a jogger. The places in which they pause will most likely be different. However, the important thing is that they will engage with the cemetery in a much richer way. The cemetery will still possess the historic richness of a cemetery, but the design will activate it to establish a new layer of community and public space function that better connects it to the overall neighborhood of Glover Park.

SECTION.

As our society looksCEMETERY. at new approaches to urban living and public spaces, the re-envisioning of existing landHOLY ROOD scapes will become a significant issue. Cemeteries, rich with their history and memories, can provide beautiful canvases for community spaces. neighborhood commercial

pathway

tree buffer

Design can change the world.

s h i f t i n ground

Wisconsin ave nw

alley

forgotten spaces will come alive to ground the urban communities for the years to come.

10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; stone retaining wall

35th St nw

residential

private yard

alley

private yard

residential

37th st nw

tree buffer

space needs of our cities and neighborhoods. It is my hope that through the work of landscape architects, these

sidewalk

Tunlaw rd nw

Shifting Ground serves as one example of how historic cemeteries can be redesigned to better suit the publiccemetery cemetery cemetery light commercial

ABSTRACT STUDY.

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references WEB http://www.fultzarchitects.com/projects-2/belvedere-gardens-mausoleum-2/ http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/burleith_dcs_535_house_neighborhood/5583 http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/glover_park_dcs_preppy_family_friendly_neighborhood/3550 http://gloverparkhistory.com/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/27/AR2008082701515.html http://dcinruins.wordpress.com/holy-rood-cemetery/ http://washingtonoculus.blogspot.com/2010/04/urban-archaeology-holy-roods-sad-state.html http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/cathedral_heights/3800

PRINT Carmona, Matthew. Public Places, Urban Spaces: The Dimensions of Urban Design. Oxford: Architectural, 2003. Print. Carr, Stephen. Public Space. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1992. Print. Francaviglia, Richard V. “The Cemetery an an Evolving Cultural Landscape.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers September (1971): 501-09. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://theiconoclast.typepad.com/documents/sanctums/Richard_Francaviglia_Necrogeography.pdf>. Franck, Michael. Elmwood Endures: History of a Detroit Cemetery. Detroit: Wayne State UP, 1996. Print. Gaventa, Sarah. New Public Spaces. London: Mitchell Beazley, 2006. Print. Krauel, Jacobo, William George, and Jay Noden. Urban Spaces: New City Parks. Barcelona: Links, 2008. Print. Yalom, Marilyn. “Claiming the Land.” The American Resting Place. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. 1-28. Print.

INTERVIEW Fletcher, Carlton. “The History of Holy Rood Cemetery.” Personal interview. 25 Sept. 2013. Cohen, Brian. “Living in Glover Park.” Personal interview. 15 Oct. 2013.

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Fagan, Joanna. “Development of Holy Rood Cemetery.” Personal interview. 14 Oct. 2013.

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http://www.globalpossibilities.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/slide_255949_1623914_free.jpg

image credits

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/20/sports/olympics/at-center-of-sochi-games-lies-a-cemetery.html?_r=0 http://gloverparkdc.blogspot.com/ http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/glover_park_dcs_preppy_family_friendly_neighborhood/3550 http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/cathedral_heights/3800 http://dcliving.com/neighborhoods/burleith/ http://cityparksblog.org/2010/12/01/turning-cemeteries-for-the-dead-into-parks-for-the-living/ http://www.asla.org/sustainablelandscapes/bryantpark.html http://www.menabo-architecture.com/wp/?page_id=506 http://vacelebrates.org/?tag=religious http://www.landezine.com/index.php/2010/09/skogskyrkogarden/skogskyrkogacc8arden-woodland-cemetery-stockholm-27/ http://www.friendsofevergreen.org/evergreen-cemetery/portland-trails-in-evergreen/ http://www.recreation.gov/marketing.do?goto=acm/Explore_And_More/exploreArticles/TheAfricanBurialGroundNationalMonumentNewYorkNewYork.htm http://www.landezine.com/index.php/2012/09/dublin-grounds-of-remembrance-by-plant-architect/dublin-grounds-of-remembrance-by-plant-architect-12/ http://carlsbadcrawl.com/highlighted-stories/artisitc-observations-charlottesville-va/ http://www.cut-metal-letters.com/photo_gallery.htm http://newtownorganicfarm.com/?page_id=58 http://www.sportcourtofaustin.com/bocce_courts_gallery.php http://www.infinityutah.com/Water%20Resources.html http://riverblissed.blogspot.com/2013/04/creating-labyrinths.html http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Findlay-farmers-market.jpg http://welshbuildings.blogspot.com/

s h http://blog.builddirect.com/garden-arbor-pergola/ i http://www.edenbrothers.com/store/heirloom-dianthus-seeds.html f http://northernwall.blogspot.com/2011/12/gold-and-silk-ribbons.html t http://www.sustainable-furniture.co.uk/garden-furniture/patio-furniture/garden-benches-garden-seats/solid-english-oak-curved-bench/prod_622.html i n http://thymebombe.com/2011/05/12/seattle-music-sci-fi-museum-and-olympic-sculpture-park/ ground

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thank you.

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