Shrestha.Laura_Final_Graduation_Book_02-24-2013

The Boston Architectural CollegeBachelor of Design StudiesHistoric Preservation

Graduating Class: December 2012Date of Final Review: December 13, 2012

Degree project Student: Laura ShresthaDegree Project Instructor(s): Claudette L' HuillierDegree Project Instructor(s): Josh WhiteDegree Project Technical Advisor: Sharalee Field

The Multi-Purpose Urban Burial Environment: Re-Thinking the Cities of the Dead

Signatures:

_______________________ _______________________ Laura Shrestha Sharalee Field (Degree Project Advisor)

_______________________ _______________________ _________________________Claudette L'Huillier Josh White Don Hunsicker(Degree Project Instructor) (Degree Project Instructor) (Dean of Design Studies)

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Shrestha, Laura

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE I have always had an interest in cemeteries. It is mostly a family hobby, when we went on family summer vacation we always stopped by old cemeteries and looked at the headstones. There used to be a craft, an art to making a headstone that is lacking today. I used to always find the abandoned and unkempt cemeteries sad.

I am originally from Albuquerque,New Mexico. I moved to the Boston area in 2002. I later moved to Waltham with my husband in 2005. In 2005 I enrolled into the Boston Architectural College Bachelors of Architecture program. I later switched to the Bachelors of Design studies, focus-ing on preservation and sustainability in 2008. I completed all of my coursework to achieve my certificate in sustainability in 2011. I have been involved off and on in the AIAS Chapter of the BAC. I am cur-rently working at Wilson Architects as an Assistant Accountant, I started in March of 2012.

Thesis Degree Project/20123

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Shrestha, Laura

TABLE OF CONTENTS


1. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 3

2. DS500 FALL 2012

3.1 THE NEW THESIS 7

ABSTRACT

3.2 PROJECT OVERVIEW 11

3.3 BACKGROUND 13

INFORMATION

3.4 ANALYSIS 17

3.5 PRECEDENTS 21

3.6 THE 3 PHASES 29

3.7 ANNOTATED 37

BIBLIOGRAPHY

2. DS490 SPRING 2012

2.1 THESIS 39

2.2 INTRODUCTION 40

2.3 BACKGROUND 42

INFORMATION

2.4 PRECEDENTS 44

2.5 PROJECT WORK 49

2.6 CONCLUSIONS 53

2.7 PROJECT SCHEDULE FOR 55 FOREST HILLS CEMETERY

2.8 ANNOTATED 57

BIBLIOGRAPHY

4. APPENDIX A 63

5. APPENDIX B 67

6. APPENDIX C 73

7. APPENDIX D 81

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Shrestha, Laura

“In the midst of life, we are in death”1

It is common to stop thinking about the physical remains of our dead after interment, but as a society we need to start looking at the long term environmental ef-fects of the choices we make before, during and after a person dies and re-evaluate the body preparation/interment process.

1 1 Kenneth T. Jackson and Camilo Jose Ver-gara, Silent Cities: The Evolution of the American Cemetery, (New York: Princeton Architectural Press 1989), 2.

THE NEW THESIS ABSTRACT:The Multi- purpose Urban Burial Environment: Re-Thinking the Cities of the DeadD

S 500Thesis Degree Project/2012

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Shrestha, Laura

As land becomes an increasingly precious resource, we can no longer afford to have single-purpose cemeteries in our urban environment. In addition, cemeteries can be found all over the country that are ef-fectively abandoned, un-cared for and in desperate need of change.

I am proposing that we find other compatible uses for our existing cemeter-ies. By making them multi-purpose facili-ties they can both useful to the living and the dead. This could be the answer to solv-ing the fiscal issue of cemeteries that have run out of room for active plot sales. These other uses will help create a new revenue stream to fund the upkeep of the grounds.

By increasing foot traffic and mak-ing it become a repeat destination for visitors, the multi-purpose cemetery can also be used as a vehicle for educating the public about sustainable practices. Thus better helping our communities and keep the memory of our loved ones alive, well documented and cared for even after death.

Abandoned Cemetery

Single purpose cemeteries lack the ability of funding themselves after capacity is reached. Often leading to abandonment and

defacement.


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Shrestha, Laura

Mt. Auburn cemetery in Cambridge, already a leader as a multi-purpose burial environment with an established public ed-ucation mission, is a natural site on which to promote the expansion of this concept.

In the form of a master plan I will be looking at the different areas in Mt. Auburn that are currently less successful in attract-ing public notice and will propose different ideas for each site that will begin as a low impact, educational, economical and easily taken down. It will then move in to a more semi-permanent facilities. The final phase will see a more permanent structure that will sustain the cemetery long after the last plots are sold.

Mt. Auburn Cemetery

Mt. Auburn cemetery was built as a forward thinking multi-purpose burial environment that stresses public education as its

mission. Therefore it is the perfect site for my master plan.


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Shrestha, Laura

Asachild,myattractiontocem-eterieswasduetotheaestheticandcul-turalgiftsthatthesespacesoffer.Everystoneandmonumenthasastorytotell,andthehand-craftedsculpturalqualityoftheseinoldercemeteriesisadelight,particularlyinthosecemeteriesthatarewellmaintainedandactivelypreserved.

Butasanadultsinthe21stcen-tury,issuesofsustainabilityhavecometotheforefrontofourconcernsaswethinkaboutthefuturequalityoftheenvironmentforourchildren,grand-children,andgenerationsthereafter.Inthatlight,Ibegantothinkabouthowourtraditionalburialpracticesmaybeinconflictwithourcurrentunderstand-ingofsustainablepractices,andhowwemightaddressthatasasociety. Myinitialresearchintothistopicduringthespring2012semester(DS490)ledmedownmanypathsthatbeggedtobeexplored.Whatistheimpactofthechemicallytoxicembalm-ingprocessonourenvironment?Howcanweharvestwasteenergyfromthecremationprocess?Canlandscape

treatmentsincemeteriesbemoreeco-logicallyfriendlytoavoidrun-offfromfertilizersandpesticides?Whataboutlandusemanagement,giventhatthenumberofdeathsperyearintheUSwillcontinuetoclimbwiththeincreaseinpopulation?Andfinally,whatarethereligiousandculturalbarrierstoeffect-ingchangeinourburialpractices?

Afterresearchingthesequestions,theresultsofwhichcanbeseenintheDS490(Section3)portionofthisdocu-ment,itbecameclearthattheanyoneofthesequestionscouldbearesearchprojectitself,andthatthefirststeptoaddressinganyofthemiseducationofthepublicabouttheissuesathand.Itwasalsoclearthatthiseducationefforthadtoworkhand-in-handwithpreser-vationandcommunityinvolvement. Inmyfinalsemester(DS500),Ifocusedonspecificdesigninterven-tionswithintheMt.AuburnCemeteryinCambridge,MA.Alreadyareveredleader--andinfactanationalprecedent--inthemulti-purposeurbanburialenvironment,thissitenaturallyoffered

PROJECT OVERVIEWitselfasaplatformforpubliceducationonthemore"toughertothinkabout"aspectsofsustainableburialpracticesasitalreadyattractsahealthynumberofvisitors.Section4documentsmythinkingonwhatadditionalarchitecturalinterventionsonthesitecouldhelpfur-therthateducationmissioninaphasedapproach.

Thefinalproductsofbothsemes-tersareincludedheresothatreadersandseeboththebackgroundresearchonsustainabilityissues,andthefinalarchitecturalproposedsolutionsforthissite.


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Shrestha, Laura

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Some people say that the dead deserve to be remembered and respected, I agree with them. But I do not agree that the dead should keep creating a harm-ful environmental footprint after death. Single-purpose graveyards have never been examples of good land-use policy, and with ever increasing space constraints from growing populations both living and dead, we need to find more uses for our traditional single-purpose graveyards. They need to be more than simple cities of the dead. We need to start looking at how we go through the process of laying our dead to rest, whether through burial or cremation, and the impact that has as on our resources and environment. We need to break the unspoken taboo that cemeteries invoke, and start looking at the space as a multi-functional place for both the living and the dead.We can start by looking at the statistics of American cemeteries:

• 22,500 cemeteries in the USA.

• 827,060 gallons (3,130,762 liters) of embalming fluid.

• 90,272 tons (81,893 metric tons) of steel in caskets.

• 1,636,000 tons (1484,154 metric tons) of reinforced concrete in vaults.

• More than 30 million board feet (70,792 meters3) of hardwoods (some tropical

woods) for caskets.

• 2,700 tons of copper and bronze in caskets. 6

• Crematoriums consume energy to produce temperatures exceeding 1,832 degrees F (1,000 degrees C) and dis-charge dioxin, hydrochloric acid, hydro-fluoric acid, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 7

These numbers are constantly rising due to the death rate in America currently at 803.6 deaths per 100,000 of the population. 8 Pairing that with the rising birth rate of 13.5 per 1,000 of the population (shown in chart as 1350 per 100,000),9 leads to space loss among both the living and dead.

The physical numbers are daunting but the fiscal ones are also staggering. A standard funeral with casket and vault costs about $6,000 and rises with each 'add-on' such as flowers, etc. 10

A typical cremation funeral differs depend-ing on where. A funeral home charges between $2,000 and $4,000 while a crematory costs $1,500 to $3,000.11 These prices can go up if you choose to add on wakes, ceremonies, or viewing's and does not include casket. 12

The cost does not stop there. You also have to pay for the grave plot. The plot, fee will cover you buying the 'spot' but does not include opening it or closing it, that is extra. The chart in illustration (x) shows the individual cost break down ac-cording to thefuneralsite.com. 13

While these costs seem daunting for something that only happens once, in the long run, those costs; for example to plot and the marker, only cover so much. A cemetery needs constant care, care that, when a cemetery fills up it can no longer get when the funds are gone. How often has one driven past an abandoned grave-yard? How often has one seen broken, or chipped markers? Even worse, no marker left to speak of! There has to be another

6 “Natural Burial,” How Stuff Works, ac-cessed April 19, 2012. http://science.howstuff-works.com/environmental/8 “National Vital Statistics System: Mortal-ity Data 2007,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed May 19, 2012. cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm.9 “National Vital Statistics System: Mortal-ity Data 2007.”10 “Funerals: A Consumer Guide,” Federal Trade Commission, accessed April 19, 2012.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/prod-ucts/pro19.shtm11 Mike Testa, “Cremation costs – How much does a cremation with services cost,” Funeral – Tips, accessed May 19, 2012. http://funeral-tips.com/cremation-costs-how-much-does-a-cremation-with-services-cost/12 “Cremation costs – How much does a crema-tion with services cost.”13 http://www.thefuneralsite.com/Resource-Centers/Costs/How_much.html


Shrestha, Laura

way to document the dead and keep those documents safe.

So how do we go about document-ing the cemeteries that have gone into dis-repair and have no more records? Why, by the stones themselves, if they are still intact, that is. It is the stones that tell us about the person who lived and died, because, in some cases, that is all that is left to tell the story. Documentation, if not protected and preserved, can make a per-son cease to exist. Some people believe that a person can remain immortal in our memory, but memory fades and people die. The only true way to become immor-tal is to have physical preserved documen-tation.

But what if you do not have any-thing to go by but a town, a graveyard name and the name of a person? Why you call on people like Maggie Rail. A genealogist of sorts by hobby. She says it best, "the problem is I can never be totally finished. They're still burying people."14 Maggie Rail is a recordist. She goes from cemetery to cemetery recording all the names dates and other historical docu-mentation down. In some cases for the cemeteries themselves who have lost the records, or the towns who have 'found' old burial grounds. In other cases people looking to find out more about their fam-ily.

14 http://seattletimes.com/html/liv-ing/2019458250_pacificpcemetery28.htmlThesis

A person like Maggie would become frustrated in Germany and Sweden, where rotating cemeteries are the norm, due to lack of space. Even this idea has come up as a big roadblock. More specifically, the ground that they are using can no longer decompose the dead. They are now faced with corpses that become, what is better known as, 'grave wax'.

This does not mean we should do away with cemeteries all together, cem-eteries will continue to exist. The only change would be making burials not a permanent solution for the body. Because there is jus a one time fee it is not practi-cal to pay for grounds upkeep amongst other costs of running a cemetery.

In-order for this to work we would need to look into better ways to document indi-viduals buried.

So what about cremation? Crema-tion does not waste space, ashes can be put anywhere. But what happens to our physical evidence? What happens to our documentation or 'mark' in time in the form of a stone? This is where documenta-tion comes into play. Cremation itself, is its own form of un-realized potential. All that energy left to go into the ether, why not reclaim it? An idea again being used in both Sweden and Germany.

'Crematoriums are required by U.K. regulatory agencies to cut emissions in

15 http://www.theblaze.com/stories/crematorium-to-use-burning-corpses-to-create-energy/

half by next year, nixing them all together by 2020.'15

What does this do? Reclaims energy for heat and electricity for the neighbor-hood, lowers to cost of cremations, and creates a fiscal incentive for those who want to become more 'green'.

Cemeteries will still exist but they will have the option of rotating plots. Re-

claim energy from crematoriums. Docu-mentation will have to be brought up to

the digital age.

The Durham Crematorium


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Shrestha, Laura

LOWMEDIUM HIGH

Burial Clothes - men $170 to $400

Burial Clothes - women $95 to $350

Burial Shroud $195 to $1,000

Burial Vaults Costs $795 to $900 $1,000 to $2,000 $2,200 to $14,000

Casket – cardboard/fiberboard $50 to $100 $150 to $300 $300 to $500

Casket – wood or metal $345 to $800 $1,000 to $3,000 $3,500 to $12,000

Clergy/Celebrant $50 to $100 $150 to $250 $300 to $500

Death Certificate Fees (per copy) $11 to $13

Direct Burial Package $1,000 to $1,400 $1,600 to $1,800 $2,000 to $3,600

Direct Cremation Package $500 to $800 $1,000 to $1,500 $1,800 to $3,000

Embalming Fees $225 to $445 $500 to $680 $800 to $1,212

Flowers $100 to $200 $220 to $360 $400 to $600

Funeral Ceremony Fees $200 to $350 $400 to $600 $700 to $1,425

Funeral Homes' Basic Services $480 to $695 $1,205 to $1,880 $2,200 to $3,000

Grave Markers, Monuments $500 to $1,000 $1,200 to $2,000 $2,400 to $7,000

Grave Opening and Closing $300 to $1,000

Grave Plot $400 to $10,000

Grave Site Set Up $100 - ask

Graveside Service $200 to $300 $350 to $500 $550 to $1,700

Guest Register Book $25 to $80

Hearse or Funeral Coach $150 to $225 $300 to $400 $450 to $530

Limousine or Lead Vehicle $75 to $135 $200 to $350 $425 to $520

Musician around $150

Obituary $0 to $600

Other Preparations - cosmetology, dressing, casketing $50 to $100 $125 to $215 $250 to $363

Printed Materials – 100 Programs $40 to $80

Service Car or Flower Car $75 to $100 $150 to $300 $400 to $510

Storage and Refrigeration fees - Care of Remains $35 per day $50 per day $100 per day

Temporary Burial Marker around $20

Traditional Burial Package $2,620 to $3,000 $3,200 to $4,700 $5,000 to $6,000

Transportation of the body to the Funeral Home $125 to $175 $200 to $330 $350 to $500

Urns $80 to $200 $250 to $350 $400 to $2,000

Viewing or Visitation Fees - funeral home facility and staff fee

$150 to $250 $300 to $450 $500 to $1,175

LOWMEDIUM HIGH

Burial Clothes - men $170 to $400

Burial Clothes - women $95 to $350

Burial Shroud $195 to $1,000

Burial Vaults Costs $795 to $900 $1,000 to $2,000 $2,200 to $14,000

Casket – cardboard/fiberboard $50 to $100 $150 to $300 $300 to $500

Casket – wood or metal $345 to $800 $1,000 to $3,000 $3,500 to $12,000

Clergy/Celebrant $50 to $100 $150 to $250 $300 to $500

Death Certificate Fees (per copy) $11 to $13

Direct Burial Package $1,000 to $1,400 $1,600 to $1,800 $2,000 to $3,600

Direct Cremation Package $500 to $800 $1,000 to $1,500 $1,800 to $3,000

Embalming Fees $225 to $445 $500 to $680 $800 to $1,212

Flowers $100 to $200 $220 to $360 $400 to $600

Funeral Ceremony Fees $200 to $350 $400 to $600 $700 to $1,425

Funeral Homes' Basic Services $480 to $695 $1,205 to $1,880 $2,200 to $3,000

Grave Markers, Monuments $500 to $1,000 $1,200 to $2,000 $2,400 to $7,000

Grave Opening and Closing $300 to $1,000

Grave Plot $400 to $10,000

Grave Site Set Up $100 - ask

Graveside Service $200 to $300 $350 to $500 $550 to $1,700

Guest Register Book $25 to $80

Hearse or Funeral Coach $150 to $225 $300 to $400 $450 to $530

Limousine or Lead Vehicle $75 to $135 $200 to $350 $425 to $520

Musician around $150

Obituary $0 to $600

Other Preparations - cosmetology, dressing, casketing $50 to $100 $125 to $215 $250 to $363

Printed Materials – 100 Programs $40 to $80

Service Car or Flower Car $75 to $100 $150 to $300 $400 to $510

Storage and Refrigeration fees - Care of Remains $35 per day $50 per day $100 per day

Temporary Burial Marker around $20

Traditional Burial Package $2,620 to $3,000 $3,200 to $4,700 $5,000 to $6,000

Transportation of the body to the Funeral Home $125 to $175 $200 to $330 $350 to $500

Urns $80 to $200 $250 to $350 $400 to $2,000

Viewing or Visitation Fees - funeral home facility and staff fee

$150 to $250 $300 to $450 $500 to $1,175

Funeral Expenses Broken Down From Needed to Wasted Expense

Wanted but Could Do Without

Wanted Extra Luxury

Needed

Not Needed At All For Any Reason


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Shrestha, Laura

I began my analysis by observing where people currently go when they visit Mt. Auburn. I noticed that most wander around the north half of the cemetery up between mt. Auburn street and the tower, one of the more famous monuments. A few venture further into the cemetery and stop at willow lake, a beautiful spot attractive for photography, bird watching and quiet meditation.

ANALYSISExisting Site Map of Mt. Auburn

N

N

Public

Employees

Crypts

Flow and Circulation

The thicker the line the greater the usage is. This shows the main problem of Mt. Auburn. Drawing people in.

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N


Shrestha, Laura

N

Famous Sites Famous People and PlacesLarge extent still being unex-

plored. Very few go past the wall to the area in the southwest corner where the flower shop is located, and where the cemetery has attempted to launch an educational program on sustainable organic steward-ship.

N

2 Mile

1 Mile

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Map of Walking Tours

These tours stick to famous sites as shown in diagram labeled 'Famous People and Places. My challenge is to pull visitors through-out the site and off of the typical paths used.

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Open

Closed From there I analyzed the site as to where famous people/sites are located, as points of interest that may attract visitors. I determined what areas are still available for development, and further narrowed the sites for potential intervention to those ac-cessible to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

There are still open sites but most are due to expansions bought from surrounding cem-eteries. They will eventually run out of room.

It is Very Full and Running Out of Room

N

N

Master Plan

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Seasonal Community Space

KiosksTemporary Art Exhibits

Educational TrailFuture Mix Use Bldg.

Finished Master Plan

N

The idea is to bring people further into Mt. Auburn and to create a even foot traffic through-out the cemetery. This will work to bring people in and evenly use it; not overtake it.


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Shrestha, Laura

PRECEDENT ANALYSISMULTI-PURPOSE GARDEN SPACE: THAT DEMONSTRATES CIRCULATION DRAWING PEOPLE BACK TO A SPACE

The Van Dusen Botanical Garden was developed in 1971 and opened in 1975 in the city of Vancouver, Canada. The landscape was developed by W.C. Livingstone, later curator Roy Forster took over the design and later the floral hall and garden pavilion was designed by underwood, Mckinley, Wilson and smith. The forest centre was designed by Thomp-son, Berwick, Pratt and partners.

A maze is a perfect example of drawing people through space

The Elizabethian Hedge Maze at Van Dusen


Shrestha, Laura

The main emphasis of the botani-cal garden is education, community and nature. For education on nature, plants and the environment and it hosts sum-mer camps for children, photography and art classes and clubs, botany and ecology classes, garden classes and clubs, garden design classes and clubs and yoga classes and clubs.16

16 "Adult Education Courses." Adult Courses. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. http://vancouver.ca/vandusen/adultEducation/adult.htm

Temporary art installations bring in new people and also attracts reoccurring customers. Mt. Auburn's present art is permanent and never changes so one visit is all you need.

Seasonal activities such as:

-Light Festival-Egg Hunt-Trick or Treatingetc.,

That will draw people in repeatedly through-out the year.

Temporary Art Exhibition Van Dusen Botanical Garden

Light Festival at the Van Dusen Botanical Garden


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Mixed Use Building Van Dusen Botanical Garden

Entrance/HallsLibrary Area

Food Service AreaVolunteers AreaConference Area Shopping AreaClassroom Area Admin Area

Offices/Storage

This is a mixed use building that serves the community in many ways:

-Library-Archive-Shops-Classrooms-Food-Lecture Space-Offices/Storage

For the overall community it has on site a garden shop, library, restaurant and seeds for sale, not to mention function space and rentals. 17

17 "Adult Education Courses."


Shrestha, Laura

MULTI-PURPOSE PARK: USES ALL OF ITS SPACE AND HAS GOOD CIRCULA-TION THROUGH OUT

Central park was the first land-scaped public park in America. It was the brain child of William Cullen Bryant, the Evening Post editor in 1844.18 It is 843 acres of land that was acquired by emi-nent domain. The first landscape design contest was won by Frederick law Olm-sted, Vaux and Andrew Jackson downing.

The parks' official opening was in 1859. The parks' main emphasis used to be community and well-being for city dwellers. A slice of nature in a concrete jungle. Today it serves a variety of pur-poses.

It hosts seasonal programs exhibits and events for kids and adults as well as

18 "Park History." Centralparknyc.org. http://www.centralparknyc.org/test/about/park-history.html Web. 5 Dec. 2012. 19 "Things to See." Centralparknyc.org. http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/north-end/charles-a-dana-discovery-center.htm. 5 Dec. 2012.

Central Park New York: Circulation

Wide open well marked and maintained paths draw people in.

Central Park New York: Permanent Monuments and Buildings

A mix of permanent sites as well as tem-porary and seasonal sites attract both

new and reoccurring visitors.


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free educational programs at The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center. 19 Central park also hosts food stands, a restaurant, kiosk and shops. If that is not enough, Central Park also has 20 playgrounds and a zoo located on site.

Interesting fact that Olmsted first designed Mt. Auburn as a cemetery-as-park idea.

Central Park New York: Wildlife Central Park New York: Restaurants

Unlike Central Park's Zoo, Mt. Auburn Nature Preserve is a more Natural expe-rience.

Food will always bring people in and helps establish repeat consumers.


Shrestha, Laura

Central Park New York: A Perfect Example of a Well Utilized Space


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A NEW USE FOR A FULL CRYPT: RE-THINKING SPACES OF THE DEAD AND THE LIVING

The Cafe-in-The-Crypt is located un-der the historical St. Martin-in-the-Fields church in London, England. It is not your typical restaurant, in that it is in an actual crypt.

Its website boasts: "a warm wel-come awaiting you with beautiful 18th century architecture brick-vaulted ceilings, historic to tombstones beneath your feet and delicious home-cooked food to feast your eyes and stomach on". 20 It also fea-tures holiday festivities, and music.

While this may seem like an odd gruesome idea, it is becoming quite a common practice in Europe.

Museum? Monument? Crypt? Gift Shop? The Crypte archéologique du parvis Notre-Dame located in Paris is all and more! 21

The last example is located under Christ Church in Dublin. It is The Crypt at Christ Church Cathedral. The crypt fea-tures a cafe that serves coffee, tea, cake and sandwiches, which, also rents out for weddings, holiday events and more. 22 20 "Cafe in the Crypt." St Martin in the Fields. http://www.smitf.org/cafe-in-the-crypt/. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.21 "Cathedral Notre Dame De Paris." Cathedral Notre Dame De Paris. http://www.notredamede-

Cafe Under The Crypt

Food and death go hand in hand. Wakes always have food. Food is always offered to those who have had a loved one die. It is only natural that food is a part of a full crypt.


Shrestha, Laura

The crypt is also home to the Christ Church Cathedral Shop, which sells a wide arrangement of merchandise and music as well as books on the history of the crypt and its architecture. 23

paris.fr/spip/php?article477. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.22 "Christ Church Crypt." Christchurchdublin/ie. http://www.christchurchdublin/ie.Visitors/Facilities.htm. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.23 "christchurchdublin.com"

Christ Church Cathedral: Museum

Christ Church Cathedral: Cafe Christ Church Cathedral: Shop

The museum is a permanent fixture in this full crypt. Much like Mt. Auburns' present clien-tele.

Food is yet again a prominent part of this crypts' patronage. Another piece of evidence of food and death going hand in hand.

The crypt shop not only sells souvenirs but it also does seasonal themes as well.


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Shrestha, Laura

This project is meant to be done in phases to help gradually gain public accep-tance of the idea of looking at cemeteries as more than just inactive cities for the dead. The first step would be the temporary art installation/exhibits. This will draw new people in and also make them return.

These will create temporary mo-ments throughout Mt. Auburn providing at-tractive amenities along an “education trail”. We can introduce a fresh new educational aspect to the cemetery and introduce new ideas into a more sustainable future of burial.

Each stop along the education trail will provide information about past history and practices of cemeteries, today’s practices and new sustainable technologies that will be used in the future.

THE 3 PHASES

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Phase 1: Temporary Art Installation & Educational Signs

Permanent art is already accepted in the form of statues so why not temporary art? These two sites shown have been chosen because they are close to the entrance and have views from the street and because they have open space with no bodies as of yet.

N

By placing temporary attraction we can attract attention from the street and draw people in who have been in the past or are curious about what is going on now. By mak-ing this a temporary viewing and subject to changes it can start to attract repeat visitors.


Shrestha, Laura

N

N

New pathway with temporary signs giving history and info of technologies and ad-vancement of cemeteries today and past histories and folklore about the ideas of the dead in the past.

Proposed Educational & Folk-tale Path

2 Mile existing tree, famous sites and wildlife tour

1 Mile existing tree, famous sites and wildlife tour

Phase 1: Educational Signs

Proposed sign layout.

Space out far enough so as not to over-crowed existing tour signs and not to overwhelm with info.

Two existing tour paths that have signs for trees and wildlife found in the area. Options of tour guide, audio tour, or independent tour already in place as well.

N

Tree Tour Signs

Famous sites/people Tour Signs

Proposed educational folklore trail

Proposed Spacing


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Shrestha, Laura

N

Phase 2: Seasonal Community Activities

Seasonal Community ac-tivities such as ice-skating. The Van Dusen Botanical Garden.N

Central Park has a seasonal Farmer's Market. The idea of a farmers market would work because when people experience a loss food is gen-erally brought to the house as well as flowers. This concept will easily attract reoccurring people to the cemetery.

The first part of this phase will be the season-al areas. These will accommodate seasonal activities such as Ice-skating in the winter, outdoor summer events, such as a farmers market, and more! Each season will have another theme, another way to attract people, a way to bring in the community, to educate them and to create a source of revenue to sustain Mt. Auburns' grounds.

The third and last phase will be per-

Will attract people to the less-er known entrance at Grove Street lessening the strain of the front entrance.


Shrestha, Laura

The second part of the phase will be a semi-permanent touch. By putting in multi-purpose kiosks we will attract more visitors even further into the cemetery.

The first kiosk will be a flower shop. It will house some of the selection of ready made, flowers that can be sold to people who are visiting the cemetery as well as flower seeds that people can buy as a souvenir.

There will be two parts to phase two.

Semi-permanent Kiosks: The Flower Shop

N

N

The Roof: The pitch of the roof will be

pointed to mimic what a person feels during a loss. Pain and loss is naturally the first feeling, so a sharp pitch for pain and flowers

for remembrance.

Existing Flower Shop

Proposed Flower Kiosk

Non-descriptive cinder block building with green house at-

tached.

The Design Goal of the Semi-Permanent Kiosks 1. Easily taken down 2. Reflect Stages of Grief 3. Placed in empty space 4. Bring visitors further into the cemetery


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Food is given to those who have ex-perienced a loss so it is only natural to have food on site. A food kiosk would help bring in reoccurring clients like Central Park, Cafe in the Crypt and Christ Cathedral. This will be a place to take a break, reminisce and refresh ones' self.

The proposed site currently un-used and by making the

kiosk semi-permanent, it can be easily taken down when

the space is needed.

N

N The second kiosk will be a cafe that will offer maps and information about the grounds, seating for short breaks, beverages and food, souvenirs and books related to those buried at Mt. Auburn and the history of the cemetery itself.

Semi-permanent Kiosks: The Cafe/Information Center

The Roof: The pitch of the roof will be curved to mimic the second phase of loss. Like

the waves in an ocean, it ebbs and then comes rushing back. By having people going in to sit we have a mo-

ment of reflection and contemplation.

Proposed Kiosk Building Materials 1. Wood Frame 2. Glass Walls 3. Stone Floors 4. Metal Roof


Shrestha, Laura

N

N The third an final kiosk will be new rest room. It will help bring people further into the cemetery and cut back on the burden of the current visitors' rest room at the front of the facility.

Semi-permanent Kiosks: Rest Rooms

The Roof: The roof line of this building will be flat to mimic acceptance and release,

the final stages of grief.

The rest rooms will be placed closer to the tower due to the frequent on site comments of needing the facilities and having to go back to the front.


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Shrestha, Laura

N

Phase 3: Permanent Mixed Use Building

Much like The Van Dusen Botanical Garden, this build-ing represents the existing programs but pushed them further. This takes make a permanent culmination of phase 1 and 2. This is the last link.

manent. This will be the mixed use building located in the section of Mt. Auburn that gets the least amount of people visiting it. It will house the genealogical data-base, the histori-cal library, rest rooms, class-rooms, func-tion space, art exhibit space, a shop, a new crematorium that boasts energy reclaiming technology and finally, something rarely seen in any part of Boston, PARKING. Because of its location, in the back, behind a wall of trees, it is separated from the cemetery, and can be at the most, two stories high.

By following the precedents of the

This is an unused and undeveloped site.

Present Flower shop lacking appeal and presentation as a flower shop.


Shrestha, Laura

NSeasonal Community SpaceKiosks

Temporary Art Exhibits

Educational TrailFuture Mix Use Bldg.

Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, Central Park, and the Crypts of Europe we are bringing Mt. Auburn further into the 21st century.

By making it a genealogical and Historical library we are creating a new form of precedent of a cemetery. One that should have been thought of long ago, and has been hinted at before, an historical educational tool for the future.

"Remember friend as you pass byAs you are now so once was IAs I am now you will surely be

Prepare thyself to follow me." 24

- 19th century common epitaph

24 http://intheplayingfields.tumblr.com/post/1170356409/all-must-submit-to-the-king-of-terrors-but-that

The

Finished Master Plan

N

Before Site Plan


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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY "Adult Education Courses." Adult Courses. Http://vancouver.ca/vandusen/edulteEdu-cation/adul::htm Web. 5 Dec. 2012

This website gives information on all of the courses and programs offered at the Van Dusen Botanical Garden in Vancou-ver.

"Cafe in the Crypt." St. Martin in the Fields. http://www.smitf.org/cafe-in-the-crypt/. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.

This website gives you hours of op-eration, the menu and seasonal events and promotions that they offer at the Cafe.

"Cathedral Notre Dame De Paris." Cathe-dral Notre Dame De Paris. http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip/php?article477. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.

This site gives you more information on the crypts located under the Cathederal. It also gives access to reservations for func-tions, the historical tour offered there.

"Christ Church Crypt." http://www.christ-churchdublin/ie.Visitors/Facilities.htm. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.

This site lets you know about the basic functions of the tours for the crypts. The different seasonal functions it holds andwhat is for sale in its Cafe and Gift Shop.

“Crematorium to Use Burning Corpses to Create Energy.” The Blaze. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/crematorium-to-use-burning-corpses-to-create-energy/ Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

This is yet another article that shows the benefits to reclaiming heat from a cre-mation process.

Eggener, Keith. Cemeteries. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company. 2010.

A history of American burial grounds the buildings that occupy them and famous Grave Markers, Sculptures, Monuments, and Mausoleums. A book form the BAC library.

Encyclopedia Britannica. “Death.” http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top-ic/154412/death. Accessed April 19, 2012.

A complete section of the encyclo-pedia devoted to the meaning of death and what it means to be dead. From Cell death to clinical death, and cultural informa-tion about death. An online version of the Encyclopedia.

"Funeral Planning Information and Tools." Funeral Costs and Expenses: Fu-neral Costs. www.thefunerasite.com/Re-sourceCenters/Costs/Howmuch.html Web. 20 Oct. 2012.

This website gives you the complete breakdown on how much a funeral costs from low end to high end.

Jackson, Kenneth T., and Camilo Jose Vergara. Silent Cities: The Evolution of the American Cemetery. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. 1989.

A look into the different types of cemeter-ies in America. This book focuses on the evolution of the American Cemetery and how it reflects our modern day ideals when it comes to honoring the dead. A book form the BAC library.

Judd, Ron. Editorial. Bring out Your Dead: In Recording Who's Buried Where, His-tory Comes Alive [Seattle] 26 Oct. 2012: 1 page. Http://seattletimes.com/html/liv-ing/2019458250_pacificpcemetery28.html. Seattle times. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.

This article gives an insight into the new 'trend' of recordists. People who like to go to old cemeteries and record the infor-mation there to paste together a historic 'pocket of time'. This is the grass roots of genealogy.

Testa, Mike. “Cremation costs – How much does a cremation with services cost.” Funeral – Tips. http://funeral-tips.com/cremation-costs-how-much-does-a-crema-tion-with-services-cost/. Accessed April 19, 2012.


Shrestha, Laura

This website gave me some basic information on the economics of funeral planning. I compared this with the Funeral Consumers Alliance website as well as the as well our government consumer website. This is a website from a member of the Funeral Consumer's Alliance.

"Things to See." Centralparknyc.org. http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/north-end/charles-a-dana-discovery-center.htm. 5 Dec. 2012.

This website and article is devoted to finding out more about central park. It helps you plan trips, gives you seasonal event info and much more.

Trimarchi, Maria. "How Natural Burial Works." HowStuffWorks.com. 15 January 2009. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/natural-buri-al.htm. May 19, 2012.

This website is full of scientific facts and new inventions. I looked at articles that touched on body generated power and what could be created with that power. This website is a subsidiary of Discovery Communications.

"Park History." Centralparknyc.org. http://www.centralparknyc.org/test/about/park-history.html Web. 5 Dec. 2012. This website and article is devoted to finding out more about central park. It

helps you plan trips, gives you seasonal event info and much more.


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DS 490 THE THESIS:

Natural Urban Burial Environment: How to Make Your Environmental Foot-print Stop at Death

DS 490

“In the midst of life, we are in death”1

THESIS: The concept of the multi-functional cemetery has largely been overlooked for what it really is; a sustainable answer to the needs of both the living and the dead a place where both can come together to enjoy the peace, tranquility, and hidden natural life of the urban environment that surrounds it. We have the knowledge, technology and resources to take exist-ing urban single-purpose cemeteries and transform them into natural , sustainable urban multi-functional cemeteries. With resources dwindling, birth rates rising and death always the inevitable future, we need to start making our environmental footprint stop at death. I will be looking at two multi-functional cemeteries and com-pare and contrast them to one another, then discuss ways to make them both become more than what they are now.

1 Kenneth T. Jackson and Camilo Jose Vergara, Silent Cities: The Evolution of the American Cemetery, (New York: Princeton Architectural Press 1989), 2.


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INTRODUCTION:“Then shall the dust return, to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return, Unto

God who gave it.” - Ecclesiastes, 12:7 2

When I was a child, I used to love to wander through the graveyards with my grandparents. I would take tissue paper and chalk and do a rubbing of the gravestones that I found appealing to me, or those of past family members. I never really gave thought to the space I was in as being wasteful or harmful to the environ-ment. In truth, I never thought of the space at all, just the stones and the stories I would come up with about the people that were buried there. The stones would give me hints to these stories. They gave me the history of the deceased. They gave me the hidden secrets of their lives and revealed past occupations or beliefs. The standard way of thinking about the dead and how to honor them as we lay them to rest in modern times was not the original intention of a burial. Accord-ing to archeologist Timothy Taylor, the earliest-known ceremonial burial taking place was about 120,000 years ago and was considered to be a very rare occur-rence.3 Burial was more a form of ostra-cizing and isolating social transgressors, to contain the souls of the outcast dead and 2 “Mt. Auburn Cemetery: National Historic Landmark Nomination Form,” U.S. National Park Services, accessed April 19, 2012. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/text/75000254.pdf.3 Keith Eggener, Cemeteries, (New York and London: W.W.. Norton & Company 2010) 11.

keep them from returning to do harm.4 Up until 100 years ago people would die at home surrounded by family and friends.5 Although now some believe they can 'cheat' the inevitable by cryogenics, or freezing of the body right after death, to be 'cured' of the affliction of death by sci-ence in the future.6 I believe we need to develop a plan now for sustainable burial practices.

4 Eggener, Cemeteries, 11.5 “Death,” Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed April 19, 2012. http://www.britannica.com/EB-checked/topic/154412/death.6 Jackson and Vergara, Silent Cities: The Evolu-tion of the American Cemetery, 2.


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I. Standard Information: Some people say that the dead deserve to be remembered and respected, I agree with them. But I do not agree that the dead should keep creating a harm-ful environmental footprint after death. Single-purpose graveyards have never been examples of good land-use policy, and with ever increasing space constraints from growing populations both living and dead, we need to find more uses for our traditional single-purpose graveyards. They need to be more than simple cities of the dead. We need to start looking at how we go through the process of laying our dead to rest, whether through burial or cremation, and the impact that has as on our resources and environment. We need to break the unspoken taboo that cemeteries invoke, and start looking at the space as a multi-functional place for both the living and the dead. We can start by looking at the statistics of American cemeteries:

• 22,500 cemeteries in the USA. • 827,060 gallons (3,130,762 liters) of embalming fluid.• 90,272 tons (81,893 metric tons) of steel in caskets.• 1,636,000 tons (1484,154 metric tons) of reinforced concrete in vaults.More than 30 million board feet (70,792 meters3) of hardwoods (some tropical woods) for caskets.• 2,700 tons of copper and bronze in

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:caskets.7 • Crematoriums consume energy to produce temperatures exceeding 1,832 degrees F (1,000 degrees C) and discharge dioxin, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.8

These numbers are constantly rising due to the death rate in America currently at 803.6 deaths per 100,000 of the popu-lation.9 Pairing that with the rising birth rate of 13.5 per 1,000 of the population (shown in chart as 1,350 per 100,000)10, leads to space loss among both the living and dead. The physical numbers are daunting but the fiscal ones are also staggering. A standard funeral with casket and vault costs about $6,000 and rises with each 'add-on' such as flowers, etc.11 A typical cremation funeral differs depending on where. A funeral home charges between $2,000 and $4,000 while a crematory costs $1,500 to $3,000.12 These prices can go

7 “Natural Burial,” How Stuff Works, accessed April 19, 2012. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/natural-burial.htm.8 “NaturalBurial.”9 “National Vital Statistics System: Mortality Data 2007,” Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion, accessed May 19, 2012. cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm.10 “National Vital Statistics System: Mortality Data 2009”11 “Funerals: A Consumer Guide,” Federal Trade Commission, accessed April 19, 2012.12 Mike Testa, “Cremation costs – How much

up if you choose to add on wakes, cer-emonies, or viewings and does not include casket.13 It has become a common practice today to accept the act of embalming as a traditional means of the burial process. This was not always the case; the em-balming process was first introduced in American burial during the Civil War as a means to transport the bodies of the dead back home.14 Contrary to popular belief, no state requires routine embalming of all bodies.15 The only practical reasons embalming should be done are for special circumstances, such as an extended time of death and disposition, or interstate transportation by a carrier service or airplane, but even this can be waived for religious purposes.16 Some people wrongfully believe that those who die of a disease should and must be embalmed to protect the public health. This is in fact a myth, as embalm-ing provides no public health benefit ac-cording to both the US Centers for Disease does a cremation with services cost,” Funeral – Tips, accessed May 19, 2012. http://funeral-tips.com/cremation-costs-how-much-does-a-cremation-with-services-cost/13 “Cremation costs – How much does a crema-tion with services cost.”14 “Natural Burial.”15 “Funeral Regulations in North America,” Islamic Society of North America, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.isna.net/Services/pages/Funeral-Regulations-in-North-America.aspx.

16 “Funeral Regulations in North America.”


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Control and Canadian Health authorities.17 In some places, for example Hawaii and Ontario, embalming is actually prohibited when a person dies of a contagious dis-ease due to the embalming process being so physically invasive not to mention high-ly toxic to the embalmers.18 Even worse and more ironic, funeral home waste removal is not regulated and its waste is normally flushed into common sewer sys-tems or septic tanks.19 This would make the funeral home both the prime pollutant due to the excess embalming fluid flushed and the prime contaminator by disposing of infected blood in the same way.

17 November 26, 2007 (11:24P.M.), “Embalm-ing: What You Should Know,” Funeral Consumers Alliance, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.funer-als.org/index.php/frequently-asked-questions/28-arrangements/48-what-you-should-know-about-em-balming.

18 “Embalming: What You Should Know.”19 “Embalming: What You Should Know.”


Shrestha, Laura

accepted practice. For example, in Greece cremation was illegal until six years ago when parliament legalized in on March 1, 2006.26 Changes in prac-tice have been made for organ dona-tion in recent history, as well as body donation and cryogenic preserva-tion. Despite these shifts in attitude, however, according to the Funeral Consumers Alliance, embalming is still the most persistent and scientifically unfounded practices of funeral homes today when it comes to Christian burial services.27 • Islam (1.3 Billion)28 The largest countries for this religion are: 1. Indonesia2. Pakistan3. Bangladesh4. India5. Turkey6. Iran7. Egypt

26 Matushka Constantina, January 20, 2012, “A Christian Ending: Appropriate Burial,” Lesson From a Monastery, accessed May 19, 2012. http://lessonsfromamonastery.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/a-christian-ending-appropri-ate-burial/.27 January 29, 2008, “Dead Bodies and Disease: The 'Danger' That Doesn't Exist,” Funeral Consumers Alliance, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.funerals.org/frequently-asked-questions/environment/142-embalming-myths-facts.28 “The Largest Muslim Communities,” Adherents, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_islam.html.

II. Standard Religious Information: Religion and culture play a big part in death rites of human beings, with each religion setting forth its own set of guide-lines when it comes to honoring the dead and laying them to rest. But most of these guidelines do not explicitly focus on the environmental footprint the body is still creating once laid to rest. A new set of universal rules and guidelines needs to be put into place that can be easily followed and will not impede any religious practice. Such rules and guidelines would only en-sure that the environmental footprint will stop death. Some religions do have set practices built into them that do exactly this, while others do not. The five most influential religions by population are:

• Christianity (2.1 Billion)20 The top 10 largest countries for this religion are:1. USA2. Brazil3. Mexico4. Russia5. China6. Germany7. Philippines8. United Kingdom9. Italy 10. France Nigeria

20 “Christian Statistics: The Largest Christian Populations,” Adherents, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_christian.html.

Past Practices: The funeral prac-tices of the past were one and the same as the Hebrew Customs. First the eyes and mouth of the body were closed and secured, only after death was certain.21 The body was prepared by washing the deceased with warm water, trimming the hair and nails, and finally anointing the body with ointment. This is called the “Purification of the Dead”, which is still practiced by Judaism today.22 Even in the past the wealthy families competed with each other by wrapping the body in elaborately expensive clothes and interring them with their own wealth and extravagance to take with them into the afterlife.23 Burial was done quickly; preferably the same day and the deceased were carried upon a bier and not a cof-fin.24 Coffin's were not introduced until the burial of Joseph.25 Practices Today: Burial is still a common practice but cremation, while still looked upon with mixed feelings in Christian rites, is now becoming a more 21 Wayne Jackson, “Funeral Customs – Past and Present,” Christian Courier, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/825-funer-al-customs-past-and-present22 Wayne Jackson, “Funeral Customs – Past and Present.”23 Wayne Jackson, “Funeral Customs – Past and Present.”24 Wayne Jackson, “Funeral Customs – Past and Present.”25 Wayne Jackson, “Funeral Customs – Past and Present.”


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8. Nigeria9. China10. Morocco Past and Present Practices: Today's practices are the same as the past when it comes to the preparation of the dead. The preparation of the body for burial is a communal obli-gation.29 The body must be washed, men responsible for washing men and women responsible for washing women; this rule only has an excep-tion in the case of a child, or spouse.30 A ritual taking a bath after washing the body is still being argued as mandato-ry or ritualistic.31 The Shroud or sheet is then wrapped around the body and all debts must be paid off before the body can be entered into the ground.32 No embalming, cremating or coffins can be used, making it a very green practice compared to others, and the body be buried facing Mecca within twenty-four hours after death (unless the debt remains to be paid or if the body needs to be transported to its final resting place).33 29 Bilal Abu Aisha, “Funeral Rites and Regulations in Islam,” Mission Islam, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/funeral.htm.30 Bilal Abu Aisha, “Funeral Rites and Regulations in Islam.”31 Bilal Abu Aisha, “Funeral Rites and Regulations in Islam.”32 Bilal Abu Aisha, “Funeral Rites and Regulations in Islam.”33 Associated Press, February 19, 2008,

• Hinduism (900 Million)34 The top 10 largest countries for this religion are:1. India2. Nepal3. Bangladesh4. Indonesia5. Sri Lanka6. Pakistan7. Malaysia8. USA9. Mauritius10. South Africa Past and Present Practices: Accord-ing to Dr. Vasudha Narayanan, Professor of Religion at the University of Florida and head of the American Academy of Religion, a body must be prepared and disposed of within twenty-four hours after death unless the children live far away, in which case the body is held until the children arrive.35 Only a male family member can perform the last rites (how-ever, women can if no male member is available), while the women are respon-

“Muslim Burial Rites Clash with Conn. Laws.,” Boston.com, accessed May 18, 2012. http://articles.Boston.com/2008-02-19/news/29274986_1_muslim-cemetery-muslim-burials-public-cemeteries.34 “The Largest Hindu Communities,” Adher-ent, accessed May 18, 2012. http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_hindu.html.35 Lavina Melwani, “Hindu Rituals for Death and Grief,” beliefnet.com, accessed May 18, 2012. http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Hinduism/2003/02/Hindu-Rituals-For-Death-And-Grief.aspx.

sible for bathing the family member.36 Cremation is the standard practice and the body, wrapped in new cloth covered with flowers, rice placed in mouth, and coins in hand are carried on a bier to the crema-tion center.37 Many Indian-Americans make pilgrimages to the Ganges, which is considered sacred, and immerse the ashes, while Nepali-Americans make the pilgrimage to the Bagmati River. Like the Ganges the Bagmati River is in danger of being destroyed by modern day pol-lution.38 As with Christianity, changes in death rituals have been made to allow for organ donation in recent history.

• Buddhism (376 Million)39 The top 10 largest countries for this religion are:1. China2. Japan3. Thailand4. Vietnam5. Myanmar6. Sri Lanka7. South Korea8. Taiwan9. Cambodia36 Lavina Melwani, “Hindu Rituals for Death and Grief.”37 Lavina Melwani, “Hindu Rituals for Death and Grief.”38 Alastair Lawson, July 21, 1999 (GMT 15:48), “World: South Asia Nepal's sacred river under threat,” bbcnews.com, accessed May 19, 2012. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/395316.stm.39 “The Largest Buddhis Communities,” Adher-ents, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_buddhist.html.


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10. India Past and Present Practices: Like Hin-duism, followers of Buddhism believe in cremation of the body at death.40 A ritual bath is performed and depending on what type of Buddhist the deceased was, the body can either be cremated or in some places like Tibet, is given a sky burial. This is traditional burial where the body is left out for vultures, creatures worshiped by the locals as sacred.41 Eighty percent of Tibetans opt for a sky burial, which involves a sky burial operator who dis-sects, smashes, and feeds the body to the vultures within two to three hours.42 The third option is a water burial, often only for the poor, those with no kin, beggars, or those who died of disease.43 In this ritual the body is carried to the river, dismem-bered and thrown into the water, or in some cases packed and thrown whole into the water.44 Here again, changes in the traditional rituals have been made to ac-cept organ donations in recent history.

40 “Ceremonies and Funeral Rites for the Dead,” buddha.net., Accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.buddhanet.net/d_cermon.htm.41 New Kerala, September 1, 2005, “After death, Tibetans still prefer sky burial,” The Buddhist Chan-nel, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.buddhist-channel.tv/index.php?id=1,1614,0,0,1,042 New Kerala, “After death, Tibetans still prefer sky burial.”43 “Tibetan Funeral,” CITS Tibet Travel, ac-cessed May 19, 2012. http://www.tripbus.com/Tibet-Introduction/9444029.html.44 “Tibetan Funeral.”

• Judaism (14 Million)45 The top 10 largest countries for this religion are:1. USA2. Israel3. Russia4. France5. Canada6. United Kingdom7. Argentina8. Brazil9. Australia10. South Africa Past and Present Practices: The dead are considered a source of unclean-ness and those who are in the presence of a corpse must wash their hands before entering a home.46 Dead bodies may not be cremated, embalmed or have its organs or fluid removed and burial takes place as soon as possible after death.47 Donations of organs are acceptable if it will save a life or if an autopsy is required, in which case organs maybe be removed but must be placed back in or buried with the body af-terward.48 Bodies are wrapped in simple shrouds and coffins are not required, but if used must have holes drilled in so that the

45 “The Largest Jewish Communities,” Adher-ent, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_judaism.html.46 “Jewish Death and Funeral Rituals,” reli-gionfacts.com, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.religionfacts.com/Judaism/cycle/death.htm.47 “Jewish Death and Funeral Rituals.”48 “Jewish Death and Funeral Rituals.”

body can have contact with the earth.49 Jewish law requires that tombstones be erected on all graves, this is the only reli-gion that requires such.50 While I do agree that our dead deserve to be respected according to the ways of an individuals religious practices, I do not agree with the unnecessary waste we accrue to achieve this goal; it is simply unacceptable in ecological terms. We need to find more economical and environmentally responsible means of laying our dead to rest. By looking at past practices and comparing them to future technology we can find a middle ground for future practices to accomplish this.

49 “Jewish Death and Funeral Rituals.”50 “Jewish Death and Funeral Rituals.”


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Assuming the burial of intact human bodies – versus cremation- continues to persist as the standard ritual among those religions where it is commonly practiced today, one of our goals should be to ultimately make single-purpose cemeter-ies into something more useful than what they are now. In order to update our single-purpose cemeteries we need to study the best practices that multi-func-tional cemeteries have been using. We then need to see what we can do to make these multi-functional cemeteries even more functional, green and sustainable and from there a formula or a set of rules and guidelines can be developed to inform future practices. We are fortunate to have two of the most celebrated examples of the “gar-den cemetery” right here in the Boston area. Located in Cambridge, MA, the Mt. Auburn Cemetery was built in 1831 by Jacob Bigelow and became the standard model for six other cemeteries: Mount Hope Cemetery located in Bangor, ME; Laurel Hill Cemetery located in Philadel-phia; Mount Pleasant Cemetery located in Taunton, MA; Mount Hope Cemetery located in Rochester, NY; Green-Wood Cemetery located in Brooklyn, NY; and Green Mount Cemetery located in Balti-more. The cemetery to which I will be comparing and contrasting Mt. Auburn Cemetery is the Forest Hills Cemetery

which is located in Jamaica Plain, MA. Like the previous six mentioned it too fol-lowed the standard model of Mt. Auburn Cemetery when it was built in 1848. First we will compare landmass of both sites, Mt. Auburn Cemetery is located on a 175 acre site51 while Forest Hills Cemetery is 275 acres.52 Mt. Auburn asserts they are making changes to become more sus-tainable, such as working on their water usage, eighty percent (80%) of the cem-etery grounds is dependent upon rainfall to keep lot plantings healthy and the grass green. Only about twenty percent (20%) of the property is irrigated.53

Forest Hills has made no such changes to date. Mt. Auburn has also decided to look into natural urban burial as a pos-sible option for its future,54 while Forest Hills Cemetery has not. Mt. Auburn has been trying to cut back on its environ-51 “Mount Auburn Cemetery,” National Historic Landmark Nomination, nps.gov., Accessed May 19, 2012. 52 “Forest Hills Cemetery,” National Register of Historic Places, archive.org, accessed May 19, 2012. http://ia700201.us.archive.org/4/items/forest_hills_cemetery/forest-hills.pdf.53 Mount Auburn Cemetery, April 23, 2012, “Eternally Green: What a Difference a Rain Makes,” mountauburn.org, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.mountauburn.org/category/sustainability-2/54 Conway Currents, May 21, 2011 (1:53PM), “Green Burial at Mount Auburn Cemetery,” Conway Currents, accessed May 19, 2012. https://sites.google.com/a/csld.edu/conway-currents/untitled-post/ecologies/greenburialatmountauburncemetery.

PRECEDENTSmental footprint in accommodating the living, such as a new heating systems and energy efficient equipment for heating and cooling the buildings,55 and again Forest Hills has not. Both have lovely natural topography with beautiful land-scaping making them spectacular venues for nature watching, horticultural and wildlife activities and photography. Both act as a tourist attraction, archive, garden, arboretum, park, an animal conservation space, a space to house works of art, and a function space for weddings, funerals and meetings.56

55 Conway Currents, “Green Burial at Mount Auburn Cemetery.”56 “Meetings,” mountauburn.org, accessed May 19, 2012. http://www.mountauburn.org/private-events/meetings/.


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PROJECT WORK:that under utilized plot in perpetuity or can we re-use the space? In London an issue of re-using graves in the boroughs brought forth a need for a bill. “London Local Authorities Bill, which conferred - in clause 114 - he right to reuse graves in London boroughs. In London, local au-thorities have powers to reclaim a grave that has not been used for at least seventy five years and use any space in the grave which no interment has taken place.”58 The same could be applied to vaults and crypts. One implication of this treatment can be seen with the Latin American cultures. “Bodies are first buried in the traditional Western way or are placed in a crypt. Then, within 10 years, they are disinterred and cremated.”59

In addition to the questions raised above about land use management and other environmentally responsible prac-tices that can be developed for cemeter-ies, we must also address the issues surrounding green burial. While I support the overall goal to ensure green burial and cut back on the environmental footprint of our dead and the practices that are beginning to be adopted to move towards

58 Dr. Julie Rugg, “Is England Running out of burial space,” The University of York, The Cemetery Research Group, accessed April 19, 2012. http://www.york.ac.uk/chp/crg/crgcontext.htm#runningout.59 Anja Mutic, Kate Armstrong and Paul Smith, Lonely Planet Bolivia,” (Australia, USA, UK: Lonely Planet Publications Pty, Ltd, 2010), http://books.google.com/books. 74.

that goal, there are still questions to be answered. For example, the difficulty of arranging a green funeral is a misappre-hension; it is actually about as easy as or easier than the more traditional means. How do we educate the population about these available alternatives? Could we expect a full conversion to green practices, or will we need to do a hybrid of green and traditional practices? In the context of green burial the issue of embalming the dead, as stated before, needs to be ad-dressed once and for all as a harmful, and toxic practice that is, in the end not even necessary under most circumstances. Cremations has been cited as a green alternative to help address the inefficient land use of traditional cemeteries, but it is also a potentially big energy creator and user that we have yet to tap into it as a re-source. For example, in Sweden a Durham Crematorium will be installing turbines into tow of its burners, which will generate enough heat during a cremation process to provide enough electricity to power 1,500 televisions.60 England has decided to use the wasted heat from a next-door crematorium to heat a swimming pool's water that would otherwise be wasted.61

60 Jasper Copping, November 27, 2011, (GMT 7:15AM), “A dead heat – crematorium to sell power for National Grid,” The Telegraph, accessed April 19, 2012. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/8917633/A-dead-heat-crematorium-to-sell-power-for-National-Grid.html.61 Michael Holden, February 8, 2011, (EST 12:44PM), “Crematorium to heat water for town's

Mt. Auburn has always been con-sidered a leader in innovative cemetery design and practices and Forest Hills has always looked up to them as a role model and an inspiration for its design, but has not followed Mt. Auburn with respect to its green practices. Forest Hills needs to start looking into what would make it more sustainable and what would be needed to cut back on its environmental footprint, such as Mt. Auburn Cemetery’s new heating systems and energy effi-cient equipment for heating and cooling the buildings.57 So what can Forest Hills Cemetery do to make itself a natural burial urban environment? What plan can they introduce? Where should they start? With the living? With the dead? With the natural topographical environment? How would one deal with the historical graves sites? Massachusetts does have laws and regulations when it comes to historical sites but what can we do to make these sites more sustainable?

Are Mt. Auburn and Forest Hills doing all they can when it comes to stopping the environmental footprint at death? What should they do in the case of overcrowding and space loss due to un-used family plots, crypts, vaults, etc., that will not be used because the family has died out? Do we really need to maintain 57 Friends of Mount Auburn, November 18, 2011, “Reducing Energy Use in Historic Buildings,” mountauburn.org, accessed April 19, 2012. http://www.mountauburn.org/2011/reducing-energy-use-in-historic-buildings/.


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We already know that the body can gener-ate energy while alive, enough energy to produce 11,000 watt-hours of energy every day to be precise.62 Even asleep you create enough energy to produce 81 watts,63 so using the dead as a power source is logical, and makes sense; why would we want to waste all that potential energy that will be created regardless?

swimmers,” reuters.com, accessed April 19, 2012. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/08/us-life-crematorium-odd id62 Maria Trimarchi, October 20, 2008, "Can my body generate power after I die?," HowStuff-Works.com, accessed May 19, 2012. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/body-generate-power.htm63 Maria Trimarchi, "Can my body generate power after I die?"


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CONCLUSIONS Burial and cemetery use matters because this planet is running out of room and natural resources. Our practices of the past can-not keep going on as they have, we need to make the change right now for our future. Something has to change and it has to change now. I will be creating a set of rules and guidelines from data collected from Mt. Auburn Cemetery and applying these to Forest Hills Ceme-tery. I will be trying to find a way to make a natural urban burial environment and stop our environmental footprint at death. I will always hold the dead in respect, as we all should because they have earned it, but that respect does not need to come with the cost of our natural resources or our environmental health.


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PHASE IV: Burial/Cremations

• Specifying what a 'natural burial' is and why they should choose it. This means no formaldehyde!• Crematoriums use a lot of energy to stay heated and a lot of maintenance. A more sustainable option might need to be researched to harness the wasted energy.

PHASE V: Plots, Vaults, and Crypts

• Plots might be looked into for re-sale if the family has died off and has open available spots. Renting plots that would lead to later being cremated.• Vault spaces not used could be re-sold or rented out for a certain number of years.• Crypts not used can be re-sold or rented out for a certain number of years.

PHASE VI: Miscellaneous

• Making the space open to other functions• Start a nature/garden club• Horticultural/Bird walks• Arboretum• Out Door Theater• Park • Out Door Art Museum

PROJECT SCHEDULE FOR FOREST HILLS CEMETERYPhase I: Water Usage, Pesticides, fertiliz-ers and Upkeep

• Find a solution to water usage so that it is less of a strain on our resources• Find a more natural approach to fertilizers and precipices• The upkeep is more specifically an issue as to the grass. Is there something that can take the place of grass such as ground cover? Phase II: Genealogy Archiving Center

• Compiling Old Records into a data-base• Setting up an electronic library for other records• Finding a curator to keep it running smoothly and handle the hard copies of archival records Phase III: Updating Buildings Heating/Cooling, Electric and Water Usage

• Geothermal options might be looked into, and considered for, Heating and Cooling units that might also need to be installed/updated or replaced• Insulating exterior walls will help with the heating.• Solar options might be looked into for electricity • Other water use options such as re-directing rainwater and 'grey' water (sink usage) into reservoirs for use in landscape irrigation.


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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHYAdherents. “The Largest Buddhist Com-munities.” http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_buddhist.html. Accessed May 19, 2012.

A website that gives the highest pro-portion of Buddhists as well as the high-est population of Buddhists in the nation. It is a website devoted to statistics and religious geography as well as citations. The website itself is not connected in any way to a specific religion, political party, or educational organization. This website was chosen for its unbiased information.

Adherents. “The Largest Christian Com-munities.” http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_christian.html. Accessed May 19, 2012.

A website that gives the highest pro-portion of Christians as well as the high-est population of Christians in the nation. It is a website devoted to statistics and religious geography as well as citations. The website itself is not connected in any way to a specific religion, political party, or educational organization. This website was chosen for its unbiased information.

Adherents. “The Largest Hindu Communi-ties.” http://www.adherents.com/large-com/com_hindu.html. Accessed May 18, 2012.

A website that gives the highest proportion of Hindu's as well as the high-

est population of Hindu's in the nation. It is a website devoted to statistics and religious geography as well as citations. The website itself is not connected in any way to a specific religion, political party, or educational organization. This website was chosen for its unbiased information.

Adherents. “The Largest Jewish Com-munities.” http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_judaism.html. Accessed May 19, 2012.

A website that gives the highest proportion of Jewish as well as the high-est population of Jewish in the nation. It is a website devoted to statistics and religious geography as well as citations. The website itself is not connected in any way to a specific religion, political party, or educational organization. This website was chosen for its unbiased information.

Adherents. “The Largest Muslim Com-munities.” http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_islam.html. Accessed May 19, 2012.

A website that gives the highest proportion of Muslims as well as the high-est population of Muslims in the nation. It is a website devoted to statistics and religious geography as well as citations. The website itself is not connected in any way to a specific religion, political party, or educational organization. This website was chosen for its unbiased information.

Aisha, Bilal Abu. “Funeral Rites and Regu-lations in Islam.” Mission Islam. http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/fu-neral.htm. Accessed April 19, 2012.

A website devoted to promoting accurate information regarding Islam and its practices. It is not affiliated with any political sect. It gives information on what the Muslim faith belies, how the practice, and how they live. I chose to look at the death rites and practices when it comes to burial. This website is an organization.

Associated Press. “Muslim Burial Rites Clash with Conn. Laws.” Boston.com. February 19, 2008. http://articles.Boston.com/2008-02-19/news/29274986_1_mus-lim-cemetery-muslim-burials- public-cem-eteries. Accessed May 18, 2012.

An article from Bristol, Connecticut about the treatment of Muslims and the funeral rites they practice. The article said that they are violating states' regulations about how they are burying their dead. The state requires that they instead of the typical wooden boxes they must place their dead into sealed vaults. This is a newspaper article

Buddha.net. “Ceremonies and Funeral Rites for the Dead,” buddha.net. http://www.buddhanet.net/d_cermon.htm. Accessed May 19, 2012.

A website that gives insight on how


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Buddhists feel about the dead and what practices they use when dealing with the dying, or dead. There are different practices for each country when it comes to laying the dead to rest. While I did look at all the different types, I tried to focus on the main or common practices. This website is an organization.

Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion. “National Vital Statistics System: Mortality Data 2007.” cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm. Accessed April 19, 2012.

The CDC gives valuable information about infectious diseases, injuries, deaths, births, disabilities, environmental health threats, and workplace hazards. The National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) is a database connected to the CDC that looks at demographics, geographic, and cause of death information as well as births, mar-riages, and divorces. For my paper I chose to focus on the Mortality data and the birth data. This is a government database.

CITS Tibet Travel. “Tibetan Funeral.” http://www.tripbus.com/TibetIntroduc-tion/9444029.html. Accessed May 19, 2012. This website is a travel guide of Tibet and the Buddhist belief. It helped me understand the rituals and practices on how they view death and what they do with their dead to honor them. This is a travel guide website.

Constantina, Matushka. “A Christian Ending: Appropriate Burial,” Lesson From a Monastery. January 20, 2012. http://lessonsfromamonastery.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/a-christian-ending- appropriate-burial/. Accessed April 19, 2012.

A blog that focuses on the Orthodox Christian faith, beliefs and practices of ancient times when it comes to honoring the dead and laying them to rest. She also has an upcoming book coming out about the topic as well. This is a blog from a deacons' wife who is an author and has almost completed her masters degree in theology.

Copping, Jasper. “A dead heat – cremato-rium to sell power for National Grid.” The Telegraph. November 27, 2011. (GMT 7:15AM). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/8917633/A-dead-heat-cre-matorium-to-sell-power-for-National-Grid.html. Accessed April 19, 2012. A newspaper article about a town in the UK that will be selling its access heat generated by its crematorium. The crema-torium is updating its furnaces so that it meets the government codes on mercury emissions. It will be using the extra heat to heat the sites chapel and offices. There is also talk about adding turbines to create electricity. This is a newspaper article.

Currents, Conway. “Green Burial at Mount

Auburn Cemetery.” Conway Currents. https://sites.google.com/a/csld.edu/conway-currents/untitledpost/ecologies/greenburialatmountauburncemetery. Ac-cessed May 19, 2012.

A school blog that discusses the proposed new green burial practices of Mount Auburn Cemetery as well as overall sustainable future of the cemetery as well. This is a school of landscape planning and design. It has a plan set link of a Recent Sustainability Study on Mount Auburn.

Eggener, Keith. Cemeteries. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company. 2010.

A history of American burial grounds the buildings that occupy them and famous Grave Markers, Sculptures, Monuments, and Mausoleums. A book form the BAC library.

Encyclopedia Britannica. “Death.” http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top-ic/154412/death. Accessed April 19, 2012.

A complete section of the encyclo-pedia devoted to the meaning of death and what it means to be dead. From Cell death to clinical death, and cultural infor-mation about death. An online version of the Encyclopedia.

Federal Trade Commission. “Funerals: A Consumer Guide.” http://www.ftc.gov/


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bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro19.shtm. Accessed April 19, 2012.

This website is devoted to the fair treatment of consumers. It helped me un-derstand what a funeral costs. What the cost can get you, and what my rights are when it comes to dealing with anyone in the business of the dead. This is a govern-ment website.

Friends of Mount Auburn. “Reducing En-ergy Use in Historic Buildings.” November 18, 2011. mountauburn.org. http://www.moun-tauburn.org/2011/reducing-energy-use-in-historic-buildings/. Accessed May 19, 2012.

A blog about the new heating/cool-ing units that will cut back on energy us-age by its sites buildings. This is a website of Mount Auburn Cemetery, one of the two cemeteries that I will be looking at.

Funeral Consumers Alliance. “Embalm-ing: What You Should Know.” Novem-ber 26, 2007 (11:24P.M.). http://www.funerals.org/index.php/frequently-asked-questions/28-arrangements/48- what-you-should-know-about-embalming. Accessed April 19, 2012.

A website devoted to giving honest information when it comes to funerals and the business of the dead. I focused on the embalming facts and what the common

questions, myths and practices. This is an organization of Funeral Consumers.

Funeral Consumers Alliance. “Dead Bod-ies and Disease: The 'Danger' That Doesn't Exist.” January 29, 2008. http://www.funerals.org/frequently-asked-questions/environment/142-embalming-myths-facts. Accessed April 19, 2012.

A website devoted to giving honest information when it comes to funerals and the business of the dead. I focused on the common misconceptions of dead bod-ies when it comes to disease and how to handle a body that has died of a disease. This is an organization of Funeral Consum-ers.

Holdon, Michael Holden. “Crematorium to heat water for town's swimmers.” reuters.com. February 8, 2011. (EST 12:44PM). http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/08/us-life-crematorium-odd-idUSTRE7174CJ20110208. Accessed April 19, 2012.

A newspaper article that discusses the possible use of a crematorium in Eng-land who will be diverting excess heat to heat the next door public swimming pool. The idea has gotten a thumbs up from the local authorities and the residents as well. This is a newspaper article.

Islamic Society of North America. “Funeral Regulations in North America.” http://

www.isna.net/Services/pages/Funeral-Regulations-in-North-America.aspx. Ac-cessed April 19, 2012.

This website gives insight to the views and practices used by the North American Islamic community when it comes to funerals, the dead and their religion. It breaks down the laws of each state as to how a death certificate is obtained and who can give one, how the body can be transported, how the funeral directors can act, what permits are needed for burial. This is a religious society website.

Jackson, Kenneth T., and Camilo Jose Vergara. Silent Cities: The Evolution of the American Cemetery. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. 1989.

A look into the different types of cemeteries in America. This book fo-cuses on the evolution of the American Cemetery and how it reflects our modern day ideals when it comes to honoring the dead. A book form the BAC library.

Jackson, Wayne. “Funeral Customs – Past and Present.” Christian Courier. http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/825-funeral-customs-past-and-present. Ac-cessed April 19, 2012.

This website gives an understand of Christian burial from Hebrew Customs of the past to the split of American customs


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of the future. It also gives information on the economical issues, and views of mixed religion/non-religion funeral processions. This is a religious news website.

Kerala, New. “After death, Tibetans still prefer sky burial.” The Buddhist Channel. September 1, 2005. http://www.buddhist-channel.tv/index.php?id=1,1614,0,0,1,0. Accessed May 19, 2012.

This was a very interesting site on the Tibetan Buddhists use of sky burials. It gave an interesting explanation on how one is done, why it is done the general popularity of them. This is a religious organization website.

Lawson, Alastair. “World: South Asia Ne-pal's sacred river under threat.” bbcnews.com. July 21, 1999. (GMT 15:48). http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/395316.stm. Accessed May 19, 2012. A newspaper article on the Bagmati river located in Nepal and its pollution. This river is used for sewage, garbage and cremation ceremonies as well as a pool. It is now so polluted that it is shrinking in size and beyond the governments ability to fix. This is a newspaper article.

Melwani, Lavina. “Hindu Rituals for Death and Grief.” Beliefnet.com. http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Hinduism/2003/02/Hindu-Rituals-For-Death-And-Grief.aspx. Accessed May 18, 2012.

This is an article about the under-standing of Hindu belief when it comes to dying and death. It gives information about body preparation, rules, rituals and ceremonies before, during and after a fu-neral. This is a religious community web-site that covers many faiths and practices.

Mount Auburn Cemetery. “Eternally Green: What a Difference a Rain Makes.” April 23, 2012. mountauburn.org. http://www.mountauburn.org/category/sustainability-2/. Accessed May 19, 2012.

A blog about the recent findings of Mount Auburn Cemetery's water usage when it comes to rain vs. well water. This is from the website of Mount Auburn Cemetery, it is also one of the sites I will be looking at.

Mount Auburn Cemetery. “Meetings.” mountauburn.org. http://www.moun-tauburn.org/private-events/meetings/. Accessed May 19, 2012. A list of basic meeting services that can be done at the Cemetery. From weddings, to funerals, to business meet-ings, and club meetings. This is from the website of Mount Auburn Cemetery and is also one of the sites I will be looking at.

Mutic, Anja, Kate Armstrong and Paul Smith. Lonely Planet Bolivia. Australia,

USA, UK: Lonely Planet Publications Pty, Ltd. 2010. http://books.google.com/books?id=kA6TyX4oPL8C&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=%E2%80%9CBodies+are+first+buried+in+the+traditional+Western+way+or+are+placed+in+a+crypt.++Then,+within+10+years,+they+are+disinterred+and+cremated. Accessed May 19 2012.

The lonely planet travel guides give facts, maps, accommodation locations, festivals, activities and attractions, history, cultural views, modes of transportation, and weather of Bolivia. I wanted to find an example of how a crypt can be used that does not involve keeping remains in it for a long period of time. This was the best example of a mix of American views and European views when it comes to death. A best of both world's approach and what I believe is the best approach when it comes to crypts, and vaults. This is a book but can also be found online.

Religionfacts.com. “Jewish Death and Funeral Rituals.” http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/cycle/death.htm. Accessed May 19, 2012.

This is a website devoted to getting just eh facts on religions. I focused on the Jewish death practices and compared it to other website information to make sure I was getting correct information. This is a website that uses reliable per-document-ed sources before posting.


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Rugg, Dr. Julie. “Is England Running out of burial space.” The University of York. The Cemetery Research Group. http://www.york.ac.uk/chp/crg/crgcontext.htm#runningout. Accessed April 19, 2012.

This website gave me interesting information on cemeteries in England. It is part of the University of York and is a research group devoted to the subject of cemeteries. This is a scholarly research group website run by a senior research fellow of the Centre for Housing Policy out of The University of York.

Testa, Mike. “Cremation costs – How much does a cremation with services cost.” Funeral – Tips. http://funeral-tips.com/cremation-costs-how-much-does-a-cremation-with-services-cost/. Accessed April 19, 2012.

This website gave me some basic information on the economics of funeral planning. I compared this with the Fu-neral Consumers Alliance website as well as the as well our government consumer website. This is a website from a member of the Funeral Consumer's Alliance.

Trimarchi, Maria. "Can my body gener-ate power after I die?" HowStuffWorks.com. October 20, 2008. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/body-generate-power.htm. Accessed May 19, 2012.

This website is full of scientific facts and new inventions. I looked at articles that touched on body generated power and what could be created with that power. This website is a subsidiary of Discovery Communications.

Trimarchi, Maria. "How Natural Burial Works." HowStuffWorks.com. 15 January 2009. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/natural-burial.htm. May 19, 2012.

I looked at an article that covered on how a natural burial works. It also touched upon what the common miss-conceptions of burial is today and what is essentially wasted per year on natural resources. This website is a subsidiary of Discovery Communications.

U.S. National Park Services “Forest Hills Cemetery.” National Register of Historic Places. http://ia700201.us.archive.org/4/items/forest_hills_cemetery/forest-hills.pdf. accessed May 19, 2012.

This is the Historic Places form used for the National Register. It gave me the accurate acre information and historical information of Forest Hills Cemetery, one of the sites that I will be looking at. This is a government website.

U.S. National Park Services. “Mount Au-burn Cemetery,” National Historic Land-mark Nomination. http://pdfhost.focus.

nps.gov/docs/NHLS/text/75000254.pdf. Accessed May 19, 2012.

This is the Nomination form for Mount Auburn Cemetery for the National Landmark Nomination. It gave me accurate acre information as well as historical information on Mount Auburn Cemetery, one of the sites that I will be looking at. This is a government website.


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APPENDIX A


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PROJECT SCHEDULEWEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6 WEEK 7 WEEK 8

ALL CLASS MEETINGS

ADVISOR MEETINGS

TEACHER MEETINGS

GROUP PIN UPS

MID TERM

WORK WEEK

FINALS


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WEEK 9 WEEK 10 WEEK 11 WEEK 12 WEEK 13 WEEK 14 WEEK 15 WEEK 16


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APPENDIX B



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APPENDIX C



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APPENDIX D


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N

N N

N

SITE ANALYSIS

CO

LOR

LEG

END AVAILABLE PLOTS FULL PLOTSHISTORIC SITES

MOST VISITEDMEDIAN VISITED

LEAST VISITED PUBLIC BUILDINGS

EMPLOYEE BUILDINGS

CRYPTS

I BEGAN MY ANALYSIS BY OBSERVING WHERE PEOPLE CURRENTLY TEND TO GO WITHIN MT. AUBURN. I NOTICED THAT MOST WANDER AROUND THE NORTH HALF OF THE CEMETERY UP BETWEEN MT. AUBURN STREET AND THE TOWER, ONE OF THE MORE FAMOUS MONUMENTS. A FEW VENTURE FURTHER INTO THE CEMETERY AND STOP AT WILLOW LAKE, A BEAUTIFUL SPOT ATTRACTIVE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY, BIRD WATCHING AND QUIET MEDITATION. VERY FEW GO PAST THE WALL TO THE AREA IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER WHERE THE FLOWER SHOP IS LOCATED, AND WHERE THE CEMETERY HAS ATTEMPTED TO LAUNCH AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ON SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC STEWARDSHIP. FROM THERE I ANALYZED THE SITE AS TO WHERE FAMOUS PEOPLE/SITES ARE LOCATED, AS POINTS OF INTEREST THAT MAY ATTRACT VISITORS. I DETERMINED WHAT AREAS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND FURTHER NARROWED THE SITES FOR POTENTIAL INTERVENTION TO THOSE ACCESSIBLE TO VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.

PUBLIC AREAS OF USE HISTORIC SITES

AVAILABLE ANDUNAVAILABLE PLOTS

CAR AND FOOT TRAFFIC

BUILDING

THESISABSTRACT

IT IS COMMON TO STOP THINKING ABOUT THE PHYSICAL REMAINS OF OUR DEAD AFTER INTERMENT, BUT AS A SOCIETY WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT THE LONG TERM ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF THE CHOICES WE MAKE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A PERSON DIES AND RE-EVALUATE THE BODY PREPARATION/INTERMENT PROCESS. AS LAND BECOMES AN INCREASINGLY PRECIOUS RESOURCE, WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO HAVE SINGLE-PURPOSE CEMETERIES IN OUR URBAN ENVIRON-MENT. IN ADDITION, CEMETERIES CAN BE FOUND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THAT ARE EFFECTIVELY ABANDONED, UNCARED FOR AND IN DESPERATE NEED OF CHANGE. I AM PROPOSING THAT WE FIND OTHER COMPATIBLE USES FOR OUR EXISTING CEMETERIES, SO THAT THEY CAN BE MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITIES USEFUL TO BOTH THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. FOR THOSE CEMETERIES THAT HAVE RUN OUT OF ROOM FOR ACTIVE PLOT SALES, THESE OTHER USES WILL HELP CREATE A NEW REVENUE STEAM TO FUND THE UPKEEP OF THE GROUNDS. BY INCREASING FOOT TRAFFIC FROM VISITORS, THE MULTI-PURPOSE CEMETERY CAN ALSO BE USED AS A VEHICLE FOR EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, AND THUS BETTER HELP OUR COMMUNITIES AND KEEP THE MEMORY OF OUR LOVED ONES ALIVE AND CARED FOR EVEN AFTER DEATH. MT. AUBURN CEMETERY IN CAMBRIDGE, ALREADY A LEADER AS A MULTI-PURPOSE BURIAL ENVIRONMENT WITH AN ESTABLISHED PUBLIC EDUCATION MISSION, IS A NATURAL SITE ON WHICH TO PROMOTE THE EXPANSION OF THIS CONCEPT. IN THE FORM OF A MASTER PLAN I WILL BE LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT AREAS IN MT. AUBURN THAT ARE CURRENTLY LESS SUCCESSFUL IN ATTRACTING PUBLIC NOTICE AND WILL PROPOSE DIFFERENT IDEAS FOR EACH SITE THAT WILL BE LOW IMPACT, EDUCATIONAL, ECONOMICAL AND EASILY TAKEN DOWN AND MOVED AS THE WEATHER CHANGES AND THE PLOTS ARE SOLD.

EXISTING SITE

THESIS&

ANALYSIS


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VAN DUSEN BOTANICALGARDEN

BOSTON HARBOR

PAVILION

NEW YORKCENTRAL PARK

MULTI PURPOSE GARDEN SPACE: THE VAN BUSEN BOTANICAL GARDEN WAS DEVELOPED IN 1971 AND OPENED IN 1975 IN THE CITY OF VANCOUVER, CANADA. THE LANDSCAPE WAS DEVELOPED BY W.C. LIVINGSTONE, LATER CURATOR ROY FORSTER TOOK OVER THE DESIGN AND LATER THE FLORAL HALL AND GARDEN PAVILION WAS DESIGNED BY UNDERWOOD, MCKINLEY, WILSON AND SMITH. THE FOREST CENTRE WAS DESIGNED BY THOMPSON, BERWICK, PRATT AND PARTNERS. THE GARDENS SITS ON 55 ACRES. THE GARDENS BOAST EDUCATION PROGRAMS, SUMER CAMPS, A CONSERVA-TION, SHOPPING, LIBRARY, RESTAURANTS, ART EXHIBITS, TOURS, FILMING AND PHOTOGRAPHY, RENTAL SPACES, AND EVENT SPACE.

MULTI-PURPOSE GREEN SPACE: THE BOSTON HARBOR ISLAND ALLIANCE IS A NON -PROFIT BUSINESS AGENT OF THE BOSTON HARBOR ISLAND NATIONAL RECREATION AREA. IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1994 AS A DESIGNATED PARTNER IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAMMING OF A PARK BY CONGRESS. THEY INCLUDE 1,600 ACRES OF UNDEVELOPED OCEAN SHORELINE. THERE IS A MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM AND A PUBLIC PROGRAM. THEY PROVIDE RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS, NATURE AND SCIENCE PROGRAMS, REGATTA, MUSIC, ARTS , FOODIE, CIVIL WAR, AND CULTURAL EVENTS. THEY ALSO HOST PRIVATE EVENTS AND GROUP EVENTS.

MULTIPURPOSE PARK: CENTRAL PARK WAS THE FIRST LANDSCAPED PARK PUBLIC PARK IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS 843 ACRES OF LAND THAT WAS ACQUIRED BY EMINENT DOMAIN. THE FIRST LANDSCAPE DESIGN CONTEST WAS WON BY FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED, CALVERT VAUX AND ANDREW JACKSON DOWNING. THE PARK OPENED IN 1859. THE PARK HOUSES A ZOO, GARDENS, EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, CEMETERIES, RESTAURANTS, GARDENS, PLAYGROUNDS, ICE SKATING, TOURS, SHOPS, EVENTS CENTERS, PERFORMANCE CENTERS SANCTUARIES, PLAYGROUNDS, MANY SPORTING FACILITIES, CONCERTS, HISTORICAL BUILDINGS, STATUES, MONUMENTS, FOUNTAINS AND OBELISKS.

PRECEDENTS


Shrestha, Laura

N

CONCLUSION THIS PROJECT WILL BE DONE IN PHASES TO HELP EASE PEOPLE INTO THE IDEA OF LOOKING AT CEMETERIES AS MORE THAN JUST A CITY FOR THE DEAD. BY SETTING UP TEMPORARY MOMENTS THROUGH-OUT MT. AUBURN. WE CAN INTRODUCE AN EDUCATIONAL ASPECT TO THE CEMETERY. THE EDUCATIONAL TRAIL WILL GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT PAST HISTORY AND PRACTICES OF CEMETERIES, TODAY’S PRACTICES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL BE USED IN THE FUTURE. THE MULTI-PURPOSE KIOSK’S WILL HELP VISITORS NEEDS BUT ALSO INTRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT TO SUSTAIN ABILITY. THE FOOD/DRINK KIOSK WILL TOUCH UPON A FARMERS MARKET AND THE VEGETABLE GARDEN LOCATED ON SITE. THE FLOWER SHOP WILL HOUSE GROWN FLOWERS FROM THE GREEN HOUSE, THE INFO/BOOK STORE WILL HAVE BASIC CEMETERY HISTORY.

MASTER PLAN PHASE ONE WILL BE THE ART INSTALLATION IN PURPLE. THE EDUCATION TRAIL SHOWN IN PERIWINKLE DOTS AND WITH THE KIOSKS IN TUR-QUOISE. PHASE TWO WILL DEAL THE SEASONAL ACTIVITY SPOTS SHOWN IN RED. PHASE THREE WILL DEAL WITH THE PROPOSED MULTI-PURPOSE BUILDING SHOWN IN YELLOW, AND THE GREEN HOUSE SPACE, ALSO SHOWN IN YELLOW. FURTHER IN THE FUTURE WE WILL LOOK INTO UPDATING THE CREMATORIUM TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE BY RECLAIMING ENERGY. ROTATING BURIAL PLOTS, AND OTHER NEWER TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANC-ES.

EDUCATION TRAIL

MULTI-PURPOSE KIOSKS

SEASONAL SPACES

TEMPORARY NATURAL ART INSTALLATION SPACESFUTURE MULTI-PURPOSE BUILDING/GREEN SPACE

COFFEE MAKER

FOOD

BOOKS/PAMPHLETS

FRIDGEBOUQUET

SOUVENIRS

REST ROOMS

BOOKS/INFO

FLOWER STAND

FOOD/DRINK

CONCLUSION&

MASTER PLAN


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Shrestha.Laura_Final_Graduation_Book_02-24-2013