our legacy: reimagining the cemetery

OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERY

bY

dANIEL HECTOR GUIMERA

UCLA ExT. LANdsCApE ARCHITECTURE - THEsIs 2015INsTRUCTORs: pATRICk REYNOLds & EILEEN ALdUENdA

OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYCONTENTs

ACkNOwLEdGMENTs INTROdUCTION ANd pRObLEMdEsIGN sOLUTION: bIG IdEAREsEARCHpRECEdENT sTUdIEsINTERvIEwssITE sELECTION ANd CRITERIAREGIONAL MAsTER pLANsITE A: EvERGREEN CEMETERY sITE ANALYsIs CONCEpT ANd dEsIGN dEvELOpMENT MAsTER pLANsITE b: bOYLE HEIGHTs CORE sITE ANALYsIs CONCEpT ANd dEsIGN dEvELOpMENT MAsTER pLANsITE C: ARTs dIsTRICT CORE: sITE ANALYsIs CONCEpT ANd dEsIGN dEvELOpMENT MAsTER pLANsITE d: RIvER CORE(pHAsE 2 Of pROjECT) sITE ANALYsIs CONCEpT ANd dEsIGN dEvELOpMENTCONCLUsIONpREsENTATION bOARdsAppENdIx A: pORTER RANCH CONCEpT dEvELOpMENTREsOURCEs

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1 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYACkNOwLEdGMENTs

ACkNOwLEdGMENTsMy thesis project was an incredible journey, from the beginning to the end.

My father, Daniel Guimera, and I discovered the UCLA Landscape Architecture Program after returning from a swimming pool convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. We wanted to expand our business, Southern California Pools, and take it to the next level. So we decided to give this program a try.

The program enabled us to take classes in the evening, while working full time. It was difficult to juggle work, school, and family but with the amazing support of the Director of the program, my instructors, my fellow classmates, my family and friends, and my wonderful wife I was able to push through and complete this rewarding journey.

My thesis would not have been possible without the help from the following individuals:

• The Director of the Landscape Architecture Program: Stephanie Landregan.

• My thesis instructors: Patrick Reynolds and Eileen Alduenda

• My instructors over the 4 years of this program: Steve Lang, Jim Pickel, Shelley Bonus, Michael O’Brien, Francisco Behr, Nancy Griffin, Mark Billy, Jerry Hastings, Jim Smith, Rhett Beavers, Perla Arquieta, Sheldon Nemoy, Yvonne Engllish, Paul Arden, and Glen Matsui.

• To my fellow thesis classmates who pushed me to my full potential: Shawn Maestretti, Chiara Goitein, Julia Newton, Jessica Haren, Tamara Lipscomb, Samantha Hung, and my father Daniel Guimera.

• I am proud to say that my father and I will be the first father/son duo to graduate the program together. I couldn’t be prouder of him for this achievement.

• Lastly, to my amazing wife, Alie Guimera. I could not have completed this journey without your support and love. Thank you for putting up with the long hours and countless weekends spent at home working on thesis. I love you with all my heart.

2 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYINTROdUCTION

Our existing cemeteries all over the world are running out of space for the internment of our loved ones. 76 million Americans are projected to reach their average life expectancy between the years 2024 and 2042. The manner in which we bury our loved ones is not sustainable, and change is needed. (1)

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the funeral industry, existing burial practices and cemetery design in order to shed light on the current problems we face in this industry and what we can do to solve them. This is a sensitive and personal subject but needs to be addressed in the design world.

All cultures and religions have unique customs of laying their loved ones to rest. I am not here to challenge these wonderful traditions but instead provide sustainable practices and designs for the problems we are facing.

Burial rituals and our first cemeteries in America began with the Native Americans, with each respective tribe having their own traditions and customs. One common element between all of them was the celebration of life, where the death of a loved one marked the end of life here on Earth but marked the beginning of life in the Spirit World.

As our way of life changed so did our cemeteries and burial traditions. When settlers came to the Americas, they brought with them their traditions of simple funerals in local church graveyards, local community cemeteries, or burial on private household land. The body would be cleansed by the family and then placed in a plain pine box that would decompose and become one with the earth(image 2).

As the population grew these small local cemeteries would fill up causing the community to look elsewhere to bury their loved ones, which created an incentive for large open space to bury our loved ones. In 1831, the Rural Park Cemetery movement began with Mount Auburn Cemetery near Boston, Massachusetts(image 3). The intent was to create a majestic park like setting with rolling hills and carefully placed plant materials. Grand trees were used to create vistas of the surrounding elements and take the user away from the city

pREfACE INTROdUCTION

image 1: religious symbols

image 2: Granary Burial Ground - Boston, Mass.


and put them into a tranquil spiritual place with intimate people spaces.

These settings were not just for burial but also for recreational activities such as hiking walking, bird watching among other activities. These cemeteries were our first parks systems.

With concerns of space and mainly for economic purposes, the funeral industry pushed the modern cemetery design on us towards the end of the 19th century.

At the end of the American Civil War, 1865, there was a tipping point in the funeral industry. Soldiers fighting in the war were dying far away from home, making transportation of the bodies an issue because the remains were decaying. The solution to slow down the decaying process was to fill the bodies with embalming fluid, which at the time was only used to preserve a body for medical research.

It became the normality to delay the inevitable; the decomposition of our bodies and becoming one with the earth. Instead we began pumping our bodies with toxic embalming fluid, entombing ourselves in lavish steel and metal caskets, and encasing ourselves in concrete chambers that honeycomb the grounds of our existing cemeteries, which prevent the planting of trees and other people scale elements. We end up with vast open spaces with no scale whatsoever. (2)

image 3: Mt. Auburn Cemetery - Cambridge, Mass.

image 4: American Civil War (Source: marxist.org)

image 5: Existing cemetery design with no people scale.

image 6: Existing cemetery: Concrete chambers honeycomb the grounds. (Source: How Stuff Works)

image 7: Overcrowded cemetery. (Source: Landscape Urbanism)


With these existing practices it’s not much of a surprise that we are running out of space in our current cemeteries. It is estimated that in older cities such as New York, Boston, London, and Paris to name a few, will be out of cemetery space in 10 to 15 years. So what are cities doing that are currently faced their cemeteries running out of space?

- New York, New York: If the owner of an empty burial plot cannot be reached after 75 years the plot can be reused. (3)

- London, England: After 75 years bodies can be disinterred, the plot dug deeper and stacked with 2 to 3 bodies. (4)

- Los Angeles, CA: A cemetery in Los Angeles has been alleged to have destroyed existing burial plots and disposed of human remains to make room for new burial plots. (5)

- San Diego, CA: Pioneer Park was once known as Calvary Cemetery. The cemetery was capped with topsoil and a few of the tombstones were placed in the back of the park, forgetting about the history and not honoring those that have been laid to rest. (6)

Of all the “solutions” cities are coming up with, the worst is relocating our cemeteries to the outskirts of our cities, away from the people. These cemeteries, our sacred spaces, are the reminder of our history and roots. They provide

us with an important sense of place and create a necessary connection with our culture and who we are as a people.

I quote Christopher Alexander, a prominent author in the design world: “No people who turn their backs on death can be alive. The presence of the dead among the living will be a daily fact in any society which encourages its people to live.” (7)

Being in close proximity to these sacred spaces is also extremely important for religious and cultural reasons, for visitation rituals, and customs performed by the family and friends of those interred in these sacred spaces. By moving these spaces away and out of our cities we are destroying these significant cultural and religious traditions. This is not an option.

image 8: Cemetery plots in London with 2 to 3 internments one on top of the other.

image 9: Cemeteries used to be designed into the city fabric.

image 10: Because of spacial issues and poor design cemeteries are being outsourced away from the city.


Another effect of this spatial problem is the rising price of an in ground burial reaching upwards of $10,000. This is causing the rate of cremation to go up exponentially because it is a less expensive alternative to in-ground burial. Cremation is the use of high temperature burning to reduce the human body to ashes that can then be scattered or placed into an urn, which is interred in the ground or a niche.

By 2012, the United States is projected to have a 60% to 65% rate of cremation. A 22 year veteran with Forest Lawn Memorial Parks informed me that over 50% of families who choose cremation, take the remains with them because they are not affiliated with this cemetery, it’s not in their own community, and it lacks the sense of place and connection these families are looking for. This is a large chunk of the population that is not addressed in today’s designs.(8)

How do we move forward and design sustainable cemeteries within our city fabric?

image 11: Cemetery plots in London with 2 to 3 internments one on top of the other.

image 13: New cemetery design inspiration - Natural burial in the United Kingdom (Source: beatree.com)

image 12: Cremation statistics in the United States (Source: memoryglass.org)

6 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYdEsIGN sOLUTION

Big Idea Concept:

Reimagine and retrofit urban and suburban cemeteries to ensure their sustainability for future generations, and implement new cemetery design into our neighborhoods. These spaces will provide the community a platform to tell their stories, memorialize their history and roots, and most importantly to celebrate life.

dEsIGN sOLUTION

image 14: Big idea concept

Sacred Space:

In order to design sacred spaces, I first had to immerse myself in sacred spaces from around the world and understand what separated these spaces from the rest. I discovered that layered access was a common element among all of them. Moving from a large vast space into a more secluded and intimate space with various gateways at each layer. (7)

I then did physical studies of specific sacred spaces from around the world and discovered the physical components of layered access in each space. These studies drove the concept, Layered Access Concept, for my big idea of layered access spaces consisting of Active, Passive, and Sacred spaces.

image 15: Concept of sacred space

Program of Layered Access Concept:

- Active: - mix-use space - farmers market - open green space - transit connectors - pedestrian plazas - children’s play areas - nature habitats

- Passive:

- passive parks and gardens for means of contemplation and an extension of our loved ones laid to rest in the sacred space.

- Sacred: - interment space for our loved ones who have passed.


image 17: St. Peters Square and Basilica - Vatican City

image 18: Al Msjid Al-Haram - Mecca

Layered Access Concept:

ACTIvEpAssIvE

sACREd

image 19: Layered Access Concept

image 16: Ise Shrine - Japan

Sacred Space Studies:

image 20: Goal 1 Concept Diagram

Goals:

Goal 1 - Revitalize the Existing:Take existing cemeteries that are filled to capacity or need to be retrofitted, and revitalize them and convert these sites into sustainable sacred spaces with a layered access. This space will connect to the surrounding community to celebrate life.


image 21: Goal 2 Concept Diagram

Goal 2 - A New Language:Create a language for new sacred spaces. These pocket sacred spaces will provide neighborhoods the opportunity to memorialize their roots and history along with the interment of their loved ones while creating a layered access design with mix use opportunists.

Pocket sacred spaces are taking the cemetery back to what it use to be. Small plots of land that focused on a specific community and culture. The difference with these new spaces is that they will be sustainable and will be able to serve the community indefinitely for generations and generations to come.

9 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYREsEARCH

REsEARCHReligion:

Religion was the first piece of the puzzle that I needed to understand inside and out, in order to design sacred burial spaces. Religion holds a very strong presence in these spaces through gateways, symbolism, tradition, relics, and burial rituals.

These collections of cultural traditions and belief systems create the foundation for these sacred spaces. With a little over 4,200 religions around the world, I chose to focus on the major religions in the United States to apply to my designs. (9)

image 22: Religion Matrix: A study that shows the common elements between religions from around the world.


Sacred Space:

image 23: Gateway into a sacred site. (Source: mysacredgarden.com)

image 24: Woodlands Path: (Source: adventureswithadrea.com)

image 25: Majestic oak tree (Source: sptreefarm.com)

image 26: Holocaust Memorial in Boston, Massachusetts (Source: nehm.org)

tree placesanctuaryprotected

remembrancememorialize

journeyapproachgateway

quite place

contemplationpeople scale

layers of access


Sacred Space:

image 27: Goal 1 Concept Diagram (Source: boomerang.com)

image 28: Quingming Festival (Source: horrocksherald.blogspot.com)

image 29: Day of the Dead Festival (Source: leoncanerotphotography.com)

image 30: Water is a source of cleansing and healing in many religions and cultures (Source: ultimatebali.com)

history + rootsreligionstorieslegacy

culturetradition

community

celebration of lifefamily

interment space


Secondary Burial:

Secondary burial is a process of disinterring a body, at a time allotted by the religion or culture. The remains are cleaned and then placed in a smaller container, then re-interred into a designated area. This second burial will typically take place between 1 to 10 years after the initial burial. Palestinians, ancient Rome, modern-day Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, South America are some of the cultures that practice or have practiced the ancient tradition of secondary burial. (10)

Some of the reasons behind this tradition: • The initial burial allows the community to

mourn before the second burial, which the body will be moved to its final resting place.

• A mobile community needs to move the body of its loved ones, thus taking the bodies to a secondary burial site.

• Communities or Cities who have spatial issues in their cemeteries have practiced this tradition to be able to re-use their burial plots. This is done in most of Europe and South America.

image 31: Secondary burial containers (Soruce: blog.tspadventures.com)

image 32: Secondary burial ritual (Source: texasbeyondhistory.net)

image 33: Secondary burial concept diagram


Upright Burial:

Upright burial is a method of internment in which the body is placed in a vertical or slanted position opposed to the traditional horizontal method.

This method was once practiced by Native American tribes where the body was placed in a vertical manner. It was done to honor the spirits of the deceased since the spirits live on in the next life.

There are modern versions of the Upright burial method being implemented in Australia. This method has been adopted at some cemeteries in this region to combat spatial issues in existing cemeteries, practice environmentally friendly burial techniques, and have a cost effective approach to burials. (11)

image 36: This is a study showing a comparison between vertical burial and horizontal burial techniques. I was able to document the vast amount of

space being saved with vertical burials.

image 34: Vertical burial method: (Source: cultofweird.com)

image 35: Eco-burial casket: This casket is comprised of biodegradable material that will decompose and become one with the earth. (Source: beatree.com)

13 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYpRECEdENT sTUdIEs

pRECEdENT sTUdIEs

image 37: Holocaust Memorial in Boston, Massachusetts (Source: nehm.org)

image 38: Outdoor movie screenings at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. (Source: cinespia.org)


Hollywood Forever Cemetery:Hollywood, California62 acres

Site Description: Established in 1899, the first cemetery in Hollywood, it was originally 100 acres of land, in which 40 acres were later sold to Paramount Productions. (12)

Thesis Influence: Since 2002, Cinespia has been screening outdoor movies projected on the large Mausoleum walls. Thousands of people flock to the cemetery with their favorite bottle of wine and picnic style dinner to watch classic films such as Vertigo, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Rear Window, and many more. Many of the directors and actors of these films being screened are actually buried at the cemetery. The audience sits on an open lawn area for mix-use events in front of the Mausoleum wall; there are not internments in this area.

These movie screenings bring life to the cemetery and celebrate life and the arts. The thousands of people that come to this extraordinary event behave in a respectful manor and respect those that are laid to rest. (12)





Mount Auburn Cemetery:Cambridge, Massachusetts174 acres

Site Description: Mount Auburn Cemetery was established in 1831 and has over 90,000 internments. The site functions as working cemetery as well as an arboretum. (14)

Thesis Influence: Mt. Auburn Cemetery was designed by Henry Alexander Scammell Dearborn and was at the forefront of the of Rural Park Cemetery Movement. These grand park like settings were designed to take the user away from the city into a spiritual place when visiting our loved ones. These cemeteries were our first parks and influenced the designs of Central Park in New York City. These park cemeteries boasted mix use opportunists for the community. (14)

image 42: Mt. Auburn Cemetery above ground burial chambers.

image 43: Mt. Auburn Cemetery map. (Source: meetup.com )


image 43: Mt. Auburn Cemetery lake view image 44: Mt. Auburn Cemetery mix-use events

image 45: Mt. Auburn Cemetery burial site.


Memorials:Boston, Massachusetts

Site Description: I had the opportunity to visit Boston in 2014 with my wife, Alie. We went to support her friend, Nicole, who was running the Boston Marathon. I took the opportunity to explore and research different sites for inspiration for my upcoming thesis project. While exploring this great city I discovered that Boston had an amazing amount of memorials.

Thesis Influence: These memorials were the catalyst to my pocket sacred spaces idea. The idea of having a pocket park used for the internment of our loved ones opposed to a gigantic piece of land that takes up hundreds of acres.

The pocket sacred space is a space that is used by the local community for the celebration of life and a reminder of our history and roots. image 46: Memorial Tree(memorial marker on floor) at

Boston Public Garden. Boston, Mass.

image 47: 9/11 Memorial at Boston Public Garden. Boston, Mass.


image 48: Holocaust Memorial. Boston, Mass. image 49: Holocaust Memorial. Boston, Mass.

image 50: Holocaust Memorial. Boston, Mass. image 51: Memorial Brick pavers inside Fenway Park. Boston, Mass.


pRECEdENT sTUdIEsCopps Hill Cemetery:Boston, Massachusetts2 acres

Site Description: Established in 1659 Copps Hill Cemetery is the second oldest in Boston with a little over 1,200 marked graves. The site has 2 primary entrances and the site is surrounded by residential properties with a church nearby. (14)

Thesis Influence: My wife and I were walking around the North End of Boston on Easter morning 2014, and stumbled upon Copps Hill. When we arrived there were about 10 to 15 children running around the cemetery looking for hidden Easter eggs. The parents were eagerly cheering their children on as they found the hidden eggs.

One would quickly come to the conclusion that this is a great disrespect to those laid to rest here, but quite the contrary! This is a celebration of life and a way of bringing in the surrounding community to use the cemetery for community events such as an Easter egg hunt. If done in a respectful manner this affords the community 2 acres of open space with they use. I approached one of the parents for more information on their Easter egg hunt and was informed that this is the 3rd year of this wonderful tradition.

image 52: Boston Area Map. (Source: Google Earth)

image 54: The oldest headstone on site. Dating from 1762.

image 55: Easter egg hunt at Copps Hill Cemetery image 56: Easter egg hunt at Copps Hill Cemeteryimage 53: Circulation study (Source: Google Earth

Copps Hill Cemetery

Parks

Local churches to Copps Hill Cemetery

20 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYINTERvIEws

INTERvIEwsInterview with a Rabbi in Los Angeles:

Experience: 26 years

This interview supported my design ideas of reclaiming and retrofitting cemeteries by removing those buried in the space, placing them in eco-friendly containers that will decompose with the land and re-inter them into the site. These spaces will be reimagined and redesigned for future natural burial options for the next generation in the community and providing an open space for the community to gather and celebrate life.

Interview with a Catholic Priest in Los Angeles:

Experience: 33 years in the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

This interview supported my design ideas of reclaiming and retrofitting cemeteries by removing those buried in the space, removing the large caskets and concrete vaults, redesigning the site, re-interring the individuals removed and implementing future burial options for generations to come. I was informed that the Catholic Church is in line with the idea of natural burial was well as the practice of disinterring bodies, as long as it is done so in a respectful manner. This is done all over Europe and the Priest went on to say that we are at the cusp of all our cemeteries filling up to capacity. With Baby Boomers reaching their average life expectancy what will happen with our overcrowded cemeteries when they fill up?

This interview further supports the need for my design ideas and goals as well as immediate implementation to avoid the problems they are having in Europe, with overcrowded cemeteries.

Interview with a Memorial Counselor at a major cemetery in Los Angeles:

Experience: 22 years

This interview confirmed my research that cremation is on the rise. The majority, over 50%, of families who choose cremation take the remains of their loved ones with them. There are several reason the remains are not left in the cemetery: cost, not a close proximity to their neighborhood, no affiliation to a religion, they don’t like the idea of a cemetery, and no sense of place.

This shows that there is a need for sacred spaces within the urban and suburban fabric to celebrate life and inter the ashed of our loved ones.

These spaces will tell the stories of these individuals and provide a sacred space for their loved ones to visit that is in close proximity to home, creating a sense of place.

21 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE sELECTION

sITE sELECTION

bOYLE HEIGHTs

ARTs dIsTRICT

pORTER RANCH

• Lack of sacred burial space• Cemetery in need of revitalization• Close proximity to religious centers• Rich history• Sense of culture

In choosing my site I needed two different communities. One with an existing cemetery to apply Goal 1 and a community with no sacred space to apply Goal 2. This led me to Boyle Heights and the Arts District.

Porter Ranch was an alternate site that I studied. This analysis can been seen in the Appendix.

Site Criteria:image 57: City of Los Angeles Map (Source: lacity.org)

Selected SitesStudied Sites

22 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE sELECTION - bOYLE HEIGHTs

sITE sELECTION: bOYLE HEIGHTs

Boyle Heights was originally inhabited by Mexicans and the San Gabrilleno Native Americans; the Tongva. This land was mainly used for agricultural reasons. As Downtown Los Angeles started to grow in population, the Boyle Heights area did not because there were no bridges in place to cross the Los Angeles River and move east into Boyle Heights.

In 1850, Andrew Boyle purchased land and builds his home in Boyle heights, once California became apart of the United States. Mr. Boyle was enticed by the gentle rolling hills of this area, which was called “Paredon Blacno,” the White Bluffs. In 1870, the first bridge was built to connect east and west, leading to residential development in 1875. Over the years Boyle Heights has been a city where immigrants come to start their lives here in the United States; Mexicans, African Americans, Japanese, Jews, and Russians. Today Boyle Heights is home to about 100,000 people, which 95% are Hispanic.(15)

Project Sites

image 59: Rendering of Boyle Heights looking at Downtown Los Angeles to the East. (Source: wikipedia.org)

image 58: (Source: lacity.org)

23 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE sELECTION - bOYLE HEIGHTs

Project Sites

image 62: Mural in Boyle Heights at the corner of Soto and Cesar Chavez St. known as El Corridor of Boyle Heights. (Source: nytimes.com)


image 61: Tongva Native American Map (Source: tongvapeople.org)

24 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE sELECTION - ARTs dIsTRICT

sITE sELECTION: ARTs dIsTRICT

The Arts District area was originally planted with grapes on 104 acres of its fertile land and by 1849 El Aliso Vineyard was the largest producer of wine in California. In the late 19th century citrus grooves replaced the grapes as the principal agricultural product.

By World War 2, the groves were replaced by factories, railways, and roads for the trucking industry, much of which we see today in the Arts District.

In the late 1960’s and 1970’s artists began moving in to take advantage of these large abandoned factories to live and work. In 1981, an Ordinance was passed that allowed people to reside in the Arts District. This began the gentrification of this neighborhood into what we see today. (16)

Project Sites

image 64: 1906 Map of the Los Angeles transit system. (Source: loc.gov)


25 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE sELECTION - ARTs dIsTRICT

Project Sites

image 67: Arts District Map (Source: cbre.us)


image 66: Arts District mural. (Soruce: Big City Bright Lights)

image 68: Arts District mural. (Source: cartwheelart.com)

26 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYREGIONAL MAsTER pLAN

REGIONAL MAsTER pLAN

1

2 1

REGIONAL MAsTER pLANEvERGREEN CEMETERY sITE

bOYLE HEIGHTs CORE sITE

ARTs dIsTRICT sITE

6TH sTREET bRIdGE sITE - pHAsE 2

Ab

A

b

C

Cd

d

GOALs

MEMORY TREE CONNECTOR

1000’

- Restore and documentation- A datum of history- Layers of access - active recreation - memory garden(passive rec.) - sacred space

- Pocket sacred space - memory walls - memory tree connection- Layers of access - active recreation - memory garden(passive rec.) - sacred space

GOAL 1: REvITALIzE THE ExIsTING GOAL 2: A NEw LANGUAGE

2

2

2

image 69: (Source: Google Earth)

27 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYREGIONAL MAsTER pLAN

REGIONAL MAsTER pLANMemory Tree Connector:The Memory Tree Connector is the overarching element of the master plan that connects all four sites. The Big Idea behind the Memory Tree Connector is to create an extension of our loved ones, throughout our neighborhoods, connecting us to them. In other words, physically connecting our sacred spaces to our neighborhoods.

With my sacred space designs and new burial methods, we will be able to significantly reduce the price tag of a typical burial, $10,000, by half and redirect the funds back into the neighborhood. Essentially, when we die, we leave a tree in our memory, a legacy of us. This will:

• create a regional connection between the four sacred spaces

• create a local connection between churches and sacred spaces

• mitigate heat island effect in these neighborhoods with poor tree canopy

• beatify our streets and parks• celebrate life and leave a lasting legacy in our

neighborhoods

image 70: The Freedom Trail - Boston, Mass.

image 71: The Freedom Trail - Boston, Mass. This trail connects historically significant sites throughout Boston. After seeing this I was inspired to connect my sacred space designs using the Memory Tree Connector.

image 72: Separation of sacred space and neighborhoods.

image 73: Memory Tree Connector bridging the gap between sacred space and neighborhoods.

28 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE A: EvERGREEN CEMETERY

sITE A: EvERGREEN CEMETERY

image 74: Concept diagram for Evergreen Cemetery.

image 75: (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

kEY MAp

29 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE ANALYsIs - EvERGREEN CEMETERY

Site A: Evergreen Cemetery:

image 76: Base map (Source: Google Earth)

7

sITE A - EvERGREEN CEMETERY: ExIsTING CONdITIONs

Opportunities and Constraints:

Existing Mercado: El Mercado de Los Angeles was built in 1968 and is a three story building that is used for a food market, restaurant, mariachi bands, and many vendors that represent Mexican and Latino culture. The building is enclosed, and the first floor is below street level because of the steep grade in this area. This creates a separation between people on the street and the market itself. Once inside, the market itself is very claustrophobic and makes you want to move quickly instead of lingering and enjoying the experience. On medium to high volume days for the market the parking situation is inadequate, creating traffic congestion on 1st Street and N. Lorena Street. (17)

Drainage Channel: On the south/west corner of the site there is an open drainage channel that runs through the site. It physically separates this area and also creates a hazard for those visiting their loved ones. This is a great opportunity to manipulate the site to draw the water down-grade and create a bioswale to collect water and clean

1

1

it through the process of phytoremediation.

Metro Disinterment Project: In 2005 Metro began a project that would see to the widening of 1st Street in order to make way for a subterranean Gold Line. When they began major grading work, they encountered coffins and bone fragments from previous grave sites. All work was halted until all remains were recovered and documents. 174 recoveries were documented and moved to another grave site at Evergreen Cemetery. This is a very important precedent for my designs. (18)

Singular Entrance: There is only one entrance and exit for the site, which is located to the west off of N. Evergreen Ave. Limited access creates a separation between the community and the site. This is a constraint that will be addressed in the designs.

Profit Business Model: Evergreen is a place for the internment of our loved ones when they pass. This is also a for-profit business that needs to be addressed in my designs. The owner and the user will need to be address in my designs.

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E CEsAR E CHAvEz sT

E. 1sT sT.

N. LOR

ENA sT.

67 ACREs

5 ACREs


Empty Lot: There is currently an empty lot on the corner of 1st Street and N. Lorena Street that is owned by Metro. The residents of Boyle Heights were promised a fitness park on this site to combat the lack of open green space and to promote a healthy community lifestyle. Metro recently proposed to build a high-rise apartment building structure, which upset the residents of Boyle Heights, and the proposal was blocked and sent back to the drawing board. This is an excellent opportunity to incorporate this empty lot into my designs and through community outreach, give the residents a space that will meet their needs. (19)

Los Angeles County Crematorium: The crematorium was built in 1922 when the potters field, to the east of the property, was filled to capacity. Then in 2007 this portion of the site was purchased back by the private owner. The potters field was filled with 8 feet of top-soil and compacted. (20)

6

7image 78: There is an existing running/walking trail that circles the site. This picture all showcases the high retaining wall on site.

image 79: This image shows the memorial wall and the grave sites of the 174 remains Metro relocated when expanding 1st Street in oder to take the metro line subterranean.

image 77: Image shows how there is no separation between the sidewalk and the cemetery. Burial plots are literally spilling out onto the sidewalk. image 80: The existing cemetery has poor irrigation and the

site is covered in dirt with little to no grass or vegetation.

5 ACREs


LANd UsE MAp

CIRCULATION MAp

Residential

Commercial

Tree Canopy

Vehicular Circ.Pedestrian Circ.Cemetery Circ.



32 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYCONCEpT ANd dEsIGN dEvELOpMENT

CONCEpT ANd dEsIGN dEvELOpMENT - sITE A: EvERGREEN CEMETERY

- Restore and documentation

- A datum of history

- Layers of access - active recreation - memory garden(passive rec.) - sacred space


ACTIvEpAssIvE

sACREd

Goal 1: Revitalize the Existing

Active Space:• community• nature/wildlife• business owners• visitors• children

Passive Space:• bereaved• local artists • community• nature/wildlife

Sacred Space:• bereaved• those who we have lost• religious leaders• nature/wildlife

Active Space:• open park space• mix-use opportunities• new Mercado site• new metro station• children’s park• underground parking

Passive Space:• datum of history: interment of the existing • phytoremediation and storage of run-off water • memory walls

Sacred Space:• new burial method• new interment method of cremains • adaptive re-use of building on-site• green walls

pROGRAM: UsERs:

Evergreen Cemetery is a site that needs to be revitalized, and sustainable burial practices need to be implemented with a layered access approach. Therefore, I am applying Goal 1 with the layered access concept.

image 83: (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)



Phase 1 Concept: Restoration and Documentation

Phase 2 Concept: Datum of History

Phase 1 of the project will entail the restoration and documentation phase. I drew inspiration and precedent from my research of Secondary Burial practices in cultures from around the world(page 11) as well as Metro’s disinterment of 174 remains to expand the Gold Line.

The existing interments in the cemetery will be disinterred in a phased process and will be done so in a respectful manner. All remains and artifacts will be documented and archived.

The grave markers will be cataloged and retained for implementation into the Datum of History.

The Datum of History is a central spine of the site where those disinterred in the restoration phase will be re-interred. I don’t want the history of this space and the community to be forgotten, which is why this will be a focal point to the cemetery.

The remains will be put into biodegradable caskets, which will decompose with the earth and become one with site. The original grave markers will be implemented throughout this datum. In addition to the grave markers, there will be a chronological narrative being told along the datum that will serve as a place where family and friends can meet to remember their loved ones that have been laid to rest.

image 85: (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera) image 86: (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)


Design Development - 1st Rendition

image 87: Layered access diagram. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 88: Layered access applied to site. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 89: Programs applied to site (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)


Design Development - 1st Rendition

This first rendition of my design development showcases the layered access approach to sacred spaces applied to the site. There are five pedestrian access points to the site, opening it up to the surrounding community.

The active space has open park space, a mix-use area, terraced garden space, and a new Metro station. This underground station will boast underground parking and engage the community and make this site readily accessible for all.

The passive space separates the active and sacred spaces with a Memory Garden(page 46).

The sacred space is comprised of scattering grounds for cremated remains and burial space, which is divided by a parking lot that runs through the site in a north to south fashion.

image 90: Refined program with roads. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 91: Refined design. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 92: Final design for 1st rendition. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

E CEsAR E CHAvEz sT.

E 1sT sT.

ACTIvE spACE

sACREd spACE

pAssIvE spACE

sACREd spACE

NEw METRO sTATION

bURIAL spACE

bURIAL spACE

sCATTERING GROUNds fOR AsHEs

200’


Design Development - 2nd Rendition

image 93: Initial layout of the site. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera) image 94: Access points all around the site. (Source: Daniel

Hector Guimera)

image 95: Multi modal access(Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 96: Pedestrian gateway study. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 97:Program study. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)


Design Development - 2nd Rendition

The changes made to the second iteration of my design process were:

• moving the perimeter of the site 25’ inwards to create a pocket park all around the site to invite the community in.

• a circular path connecting the entire site. • increased the vehicular and pedestrian

access points to the site.

image 98: Final design for 2nd rendition. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)




Design Development - Final Rendition

image 101: Concept applied to site. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

image 102: Program and circulation. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 103: Refined porgram and circulation. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 104: Multi modal access points. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 105: Refines design and programming. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)


Design Development - Final RenditionThe final design stage saw an entirely different structure applied to the site. During community out-reach one of the Boyle Heights residents reminded me that I should not forget about the past and the original inhabitants of the site, the Tongva people. With extensive research, I designed a Tongva Village in the northwest corner of the site. This pedestrian access point would see the beginning development of a bioswale, which represents the Los Angeles River as it was in the time of the Tongva. (21)

The bioswale runs through the entire site collecting runoff water and filtering it through a process of phytoremediation, the cleaning of water through the use of plant materials. To the south is the new Mercado along with the underground Metro station and parking. The existing Mercado, located on the corner of 1st and Lorena is an enclosed building that doesn’t reach out to the community. By placing it in this new location, we are giving the community more access to the space and creating a more open

image 108: Parkway study. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 109: Perspective study of pedestrian entrance through active space. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 107: Study of how to separate sacred space and parking space. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 110: Perspective study of Metro entrance. (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

image 106: Refined design with rendering. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)


Design Development - Final Renditionconcept that can be used for mix-use events and community gathering.

The passive space runs north-south and separates the active and sacred spaces. This is where the memory garden is located as well as the datum of history. This is an extension of our loved ones who are laid to rest in the sacred space. This will allow family and friends to gather and celebrate their loved ones memories.

The sacred space offers multiple methods of burial to satisfy the needs of all cultures and religions. Most of the spaces will be used with the new burial method(page 52) on a 25-year cycle. Then the spaces will be re-used for the next generation. This will be the first sustainable cemetery and serve as an example for cities around the world.

image 111: Rendering study of master plan. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

image 112: This layers shows when I applied the new fitness park the east end of the site. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

41 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYMAsTER pLAN - EvERGREEN

b

1

A

C

d

ACTIVE SPACE FOCUS

PASSIVE SPACE FOCUS

SACRED SPACE 1 FOCUS

SACRED SPACE 2 FOCUS

MERCADO EVERGREEN

MERCADO SQUARE

MERCADO COURTYARD

MERCADO LAWN

AMAsTER pLAN - EvERGREEN CEMETERYEVERGREEN METRO STATION

TONGVA VILLAGE

NATURE HABITAT

UNDERGROUND PARKING ENT.

HISTORIC CHURCH

NEW BURIAL METHOD

TRADITIONAL NATURAL BURIAL

RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL CNT.

OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS

FITNESS PARK

ACTIVE PARKLET

DATUM OF HISTORY

A

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GATEWAY

INTERMENT OF CREMAINS

EVERGREEN BIOSWALE

EXISTING MERCADO

1112

17181920

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17 17

17 1718

18 1818

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AREA TO bE zONEd fOR ApARTMENTs

image 113: (Base map - (Source: Google Earth)

N. EvERG

REEN AvE.

E. CEsAR E CHAvEz AvE.

E. 1sT sT. E. 1sT sT.


N. LOR

ENA sT.

s. CO

NC

OR

d sTN. C

ON

CO

Rd sT

sLOAT sT.

s. dAC

OTAH sT.

50’ 100’


MULTI MOdEL CIRCULATION

LAYEREd ACCEss dIAGRAM



Vehicular

Pedestrian

Running/Walking Path

Metro

Active

Passive

Sacred

200’

200’


ACTIvE spACE: A

A1

2

3

4

5 8

8

N. EvERG

REEN AvE.

E. 1sT sT.

image 116: Site plan focus area A. (Base map - Source: (Google Earth)



100’

CONCERT EvENT AT MERCAdO sqUARE

bIkE LANE

RUNNING TRACk

dIAGONAL pARkING

THE NEw MERCAdO ANd EvERGREEN sqUARE

MERCAdO COURTYARd

ACTIvERECREATION pARk

MEMORY wALLpAssIvE GARdEN

dATUM OfHIsTORY

100’50’sECTION A

A

A


wATER wALL ALLEY AT MERCAdO sqUARE

EvERGREEN bIOswALE




LEYMUs TRITICOIdEs CAREx pANsA MUHLENbERGIA RIGENs sAMbUCUs MExICANA bACCHARIs sALICIfOLIA

pAssIvE spACE: b

50’

sECTION b100’

ACTIvE pARk MEMORY wALLpAssIvE GARdEN

dG pATH ALONGTHE dATUM Of HIsTORY

NATURE CORRIdOR

THE dATUM Of HIsTORY

sACREd spACE

b

b

pHYTOREMEdIATION dIAGRAM


image 122: (Source: ecovillage.org



MEMORY wALLs: THEsE wALLs ARE AN ExTENsION Of OUR LOvEd ONEs. wHEN sOMEONE Is INTERREd IN THIs sACREd spACE THEIR NAME Is AddEd TO THIs pAssIvE AREA fOR CONTEMpLATION ANd A MEANs Of CELEbRATING THEIR LIvEs wITH fAMILY ANd fRIENds. THEsE wALLs wILL TELL A sTORY Of THE COMMUNITY wITH THE HELp Of LOCAL ARTIsTs.

fAMILY ANd fRIENds CAN ACCEss THEIR LOvEd ONEs NAMEs, wHICH ARE wRITTEN ON THE MEMORY wALLs, vIA A dIGITAL MEdIUM. THEY CAN REAd THEIR sTORIEs ANd sEE THEIR pICTUREs. THIs ENAbLEs THE UsER TO CONTEMpLATE IN THIs MEMORY GARdEN bEfORE ENTERING THE sACREd spACE.

MEMORY wALLs



sACREd spACE: C


E. CEsAR E CHAvEz AvE.dEdICATEd bIkE

LANE

RUNNING TRACk

25’ parklet

INTERMENT Of CREMATEd REMAINs

NEw bURIAL METHOd

INTERMENT Of CREMATEd REMAINs

sECTION C

vIEws Of dOwNTOwN fROM sACREd spACE

100’




50’

C

C


CORTEN sTEEL RAIsEd pLANTERs: THEsE pLANTERs wILL HOUsE NICHEs fOR THE INTERMENT Of CREMATEd REMAINs. THE CREMATEd REMAINs wILL bE pLACEd IN A bIOdEGRAdAbLE URN. THEsE spACEs wILL CYCLE THROUGH EvERY 25 YEARs TO MAkE wAY fOR THE NExT GENERATION. THE URNs wILL fEEd THE vEGETATION ANd fROM dEATH wILL COME LIfE.

ANGULAR CORTEN sTEEL pLANTERs fOR INTERNMENT Of CREMATEd REMAINs




My designs have called for a new method of interring cremated remains. I have taken raised corten steel planters and created niches in them to house urns of cremated remains.

The urns would be biodegradable and decompose over a period of 5 years. Inside the urn would be the ashes of a loved one along with a catalyst that turns the cremated ash into a water soluble material that will feed the tree and plant life in the raised planter.

This will create a strong metaphor of life and death. Our loved ones are giving life to this plant life in these sacred spaces. (22)

Internment of Cremated Remains

image 130: (Source: Bios)

image 131: Raised corten steel planter in Barcelona, Spain. (Source: Pinterest)


NEw bURIAL CONCEpT: THIs NEw METHOd ALLOws fOR 3 INTERMENTs pER 60 sqUARE fEET vERsUs 96 sqUARE fEET wITH THE TRAdITIONAL bURIAL METHOd. IN AddITION, TREEs ARE pLANTEd EvERY 3 pLOTs, CREATING A sENsE Of spACE ANd A MORE INTIMATE ExpERIENCE. THE spACEs ARE REUsEd ON A 25 YEAR CYCLE TO ALLOw fOR dECOMpOsITION ANd vIsITATION.

NEw bURIAL METHOd



NEw bURIAL METHOd pERspECTIvE


image 134: New Burial Method study.(Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)


The New Burial Method came about in trying to take a new approach to burial practice. Right now, we have a system that just doesn’t work and as we as a species become more advance, so do our techniques and practices in everyday life. So why not apply new technology and advances to our burial methods?

By looking at the past, present, and future I combined and altered several methods to come up with my new approach and in doing so I was sensitive to cultural and religious beliefs. (23)

By interning in a slanted and vertical fashion, we use less land for more burials with the ability to plant a forest of trees. This creates a sense of place and an intimate setting for friends and family visiting their loved ones. Let us compare my burial technique with the traditional one using a plot of land the size of a football field(57,600 square feet):

traditional burial: 1,800 internmentsmy method: 2,880 internments.

The traditional burial calculation did not include any trees or paths because they do not fit. My designs allow for a forest of trees to be planted along with these burial chambers that will be lined with eco-friendly Geotech cells, which will hold to a rigid form but allow for elements to pass through so that the biodegradable casket will decompose and become one with the earth. After 25 years the body will decompose and the space can be reused.

New Burial Method

image 135: Geotech cells will be used to create a rigid form for the new burial plots. (Source: coregravel.ca)

image 136: Geotech cells. (Source: technicalcivils.co.uk)

image 137: Biodegradable casket. (Source: beatree.com)

53 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYMAsTERpLAN - EvERGREEN

sACREd spACE: d bIOswALE ALONG A sACREd CORRIdOR

sECTION d

50’

d d

N. LOR

ENA sT.

100’

NEw bURIAL METHOd

pAssIvE pARkLET ACTIvE

pARkLET

N. LORENA sT.

bIOswALE

COMMUNITY pARk spACE




54 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE b: bOYLE HEIGHTs CORE

sITE b: bOYLE HEIGHTs CORE

image 141: Concept applied to site. (Base map - Source: Google Earth


kEY MAp

55 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE ANALYsIs - bOYLE HEIGHTs

Site B: Boyle Heights Core:

image 143: (Base map - Source: Google Earth)sITE b - bOYLE HEIGHTs CORE: ExIsTING CONdITIONs


Existing Empty Lots: The empty lots along E. Cesar E Chavez Blvd. are an excellent opportunity to bring much needed open space to the community. This area of Boyle Heights is considered to be the core of life. This area is thriving with many people commuting to work, going to the local Mercado, Mexican market, or visiting their favorite restaurant. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce the idea of Pocket Sacred Space to the community and apply Goal 2.

Existing Metro Facility: Metro currently has a mobile unit and uses this space as a hub for some offices. This facility can be moved to an empty lot to the south, on the corner of 1st and Soto, which is owned by Metro and would be next to the existing station on Soto. This will free up this land to give it back to the residents of Boyle Heights for a sacred space of layered access.

1

1 Empty Lot for Metro: These are the empty lots that can be utilized by Metro.

Local Churches: Local churches throughout the community afford the opportunity of a connection. This also shows that there is a demand for a sacred space for these several churches. This localized community in Boyle Heights would benefit from the implementation of a sacred space with layered access to draw in the community and bring eyes on the street to these empty lots. (24)

Evergreen Cemetery: The community cemetery in close proximity allows these empty lots to be connected to the regional memory tree connector. Since the cemetery is in close proximity this allows for these empty lots to be focused on the internment of cremated remains.

2

2

3

3

4

4

5

5

ProjectSiteLocal Church

3.8 ACREs


image 143: View of the empty lots on Cesar Chavez looking south.

image 144: View of Metro mobile hub office.

image 145: Street view in between site locations.

image 146: One of the many alleys in the area that can be utilized for the community.


LANd UsE MAp

ANALYsIs MAp



Project Sites


CONCEpT ANd dEsIGN dEvELOpMENT - sITE b: bOYLE HEIGHTs CORE

ACTIvEpAssIvE

sACREd




Active Space:• open park space• mix-use opportunities• fitness area• children’s park• water splash pad• facilities• green alleys Passive Space:• phytoremediation and storage of run-off water • memory walls

Sacred Space:• new burial method• new interment method of cremains • adaptive re-use of building on site• green walls

pROGRAM: UsERs:

The Boyle Heights core meets all the site criteria for the implementation of Goal 2. This local neighborhood lacks a localized sacred space, the community has a deep history, and they are a very proud people. With a layered access approach, a sacred space will thrive in this area along with much needed mix-use open space for the community.


Layered Access Concept:Goal 2: Revitalize the Existing

image 149 (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)image 150 (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)

Traditional Sacred Space: Pocket Sacred Space:

A traditional cemetery will typically take up hundreds of acres in a city or suburban landscape with no layered access approach. There is no separation between a graveside and the sidewalk except for a chain-link fence. These cemeteries are a business, and since making a profit is crucial they need to make use of every single square footage because more interment sites equal more money. This will cause the site to be poorly designed since these new gravesites are an afterthought and take away from the users experience. Roads are reduced to their minimum and trees are scarce on the site because their root system can not grow when they compete with thousands of concrete chambers.

Our 22,500 cemeteries in the United States boost the following statistics each year:

• 2,700 tons of copper and bronze interred• 90,272 ton of steel interred• 1,636,000 tons of reinforced concrete vaults

interred• 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid interred. (25)

The Pocket Sacred Space is the solution of how to design for the changing trends in the funeral industry. More than 50% of families who chose cremation take the remains with them for a lack of affiliation with the cemetery (page 20). There is disconnect and no sense of place since these cemeteries are typically outside of the city or local community. Rising costs for a funeral and the lack of space is driving up the cost of in-ground funerals. More than ever before people are opting for cremation.

The Pocket Sacred Space is a small local sacred space that serves individual neighborhoods. They are spread throughout the cityscape and serve all religions and cultures. Connections are made between churches and these sacred space using memory tree connectors as an extension of our loved ones, which will leave a lasting legacy in the community, mitigate heat island effect, and celebrate life.

These sacred spaces are all sustainable and will work on a 25-year cycle so that the next generation can use this space and celebrate life.


image 151 (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera) image 152 (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)


Concept and Design Development

The big idea behind this concept is to utilize these empty lots in the core of Boyle Heights and give these spaces back to the community who is in need of much open green space.

These sacred spaces will have a layered access approach and will have active recreational spaces for the community to gather for mix-use events such as concerts, political events, movie nights, farmers market, and much more.

The existing Metro offices in the empty lots will be moved south to other empty lots owned by Metro. Then the layered access model is applied to the site in a north-south fashion transitioning into the sacred space.

image 153 (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

image 154: Beginning stages of conceptual study.

image 155 (Conceptual study of active space areas.

N.T.s




image 157: Perspective study entering site from Ceser Chavez Blvd.

image 158: Perspective study of entrance into sacred space.


Design Development

image 159: Interaction between the porejct site and the surrounding elements of commercial and residential neighbors. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

image 160: Analysis of the alley system in the neighborhood. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)N.T.s

N.T.s


Design Development

image 161: Program applied to site. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

image 162: Schematic drawing, layout applied, and rendered. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

50’

50’

64 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYMAsTER pLAN - bOYLE HEIGHTs CORE

A

MAsTER pLAN - bOYLE HEIGHTs CORE image 163: (Base map - Source: Google Earth)1 ACTIVE SPACE

PASSIVE SPACE

SACRED SPACE

CESAR CHAVEZ SQUARE

234

5 SPLASH PAD

ACTIVE PARK

PASSIVE PARK

MEMORY GARDEN

678

9 SCATTERING OF CREMAINS

RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL CENTER

GREEN ALLY SYSTEM

FACILITIES

101112

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3

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E. CEsAR E CHAvEz AvE. E. CEsAR E CHAvEz AvE.

sOTO sT.

N. MATH

Ews sT.

s. fICkETT sT.

50’100’

A

A

65 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYMAsTER pLAN

Design Development


LAYEREd ACCEss

Sacred

ActivePassive

50’

66 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYMAsTERpLAN - bOYLE HEIGHTs CORE

ENTERING sACREd spACE ENTERING sITE fROM CEsAR E. CHAvEz bLvd.

sECTION A

bIkE LANE

wALkING ANd RUNNING pATH

ACTIvE pARkAREA

wATER CIsTERN sYsTEM

pAssIvE pARkMEMORY GARdEN

sITE fACILITIEs

sACREd spACE RELIGIOUs CENTER

GREEN ALLEY sYsTEM

25’50’



67 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE C - ARTs dIsTRICT CORE

sITE C: ARTs dIsTRICT CORE

kEY MAp



100’

68 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE ANALYsIs - ARTs dIsTRICT CORE

Site C: Arts District Core:

sITE C - ARTs dIsTRICT CORE: ExIsTING CONdITIONs


Metro Station: The Metro station for Arts District/Little Tokyo is just north of the project site. This enables the residents of the Arts District as well as visitors to readily use this means of transportation.

This is an excellent opportunity to create a grand pedestrian entrance into the Arts District to welcome visitors and residents.

Empty Lots: The project site is utilizing some empty lots and run down areas of the Arts District that need to be revitalized. This gave me the opportunity to increase much needed open space and implement a layered access approach to my sacred spaces

Religious Centers: There is an incredible amount of religious facilities in proximity to the project site. This makes it a very suitable model for Goal 2 of pocket sacred space. This area has no sacred space for the community. By creating a localized connection between the churches

1

1

and the pocket sacred space I will implement my Memory Tree Connector to beautify the streets, mitigate heat island effect, and celebrate life.

Farmers Market: There is an existing farmers market event that takes place every week on the corner of Traction and Rose, Traction Square. In order to facilitate this, they need to shut down streets and interrupt the flow of traffic. Here is the thing, it does not interrupt the flow of traffic because the streets that are shut down are secondary streets that don’t see a lot of flow of vehicular traffic.

This is an excellent opportunity to permanently close these streets down and create large pedestrian plazas. This will add to the open space the Arts District needs.

Vibrant Community: The Arts District has been in a full swing of gentrification since the late 1980’s. The result of this has been a vibrant community with schools, churches, restaurants, residential housing, art galleries, shops, retail, and many other things. With all of these great

2

2

3

3

4

4

5

5

ProjectSiteLocal Church


3

3

3

3

1.2 ACREs

1.2 ACREs

2.5 ACREs

100’


attributes for any thriving city, the Arts District lacks heavily in open green space and sacred space for the community to celebrate life. (16)

This affords me the opportunity to implement my designs on this great neighborhood of Los Angeles.

image 172: Empty lot and underutilized building

image 173: Zenshuji Soto Mission

image 171: United Methodist Churchimage 174: Remnants of an old rail system that ran on Alameda St.


LANd UsE MAp

CIRCULATION MAp




CONCEpT ANd dEsIGN dEvELOpMENT - sITE C: ARTs dIsTRICT CORE

ACTIvEpAssIvE

sACREd




Active Space:• open park space• mix-use opportunities• open lawn area for movie night• dog park• children’s park• underground parking

Passive Space: • phytoremediation and storage of run-off water • memory walls

Sacred Space:• new burial method• new interment method of cremains • adaptive re-use of building on site• green walls

pROGRAM: UsERs:

The Arts District Core meets all the site criteria for the implementation of Goal 2. This local neighborhood lacks a localized sacred space, the community has a deep history, many churches are in the local area, and they are a very proud people. With a layered access approach, a sacred space will thrive in this area along with much needed mix-use open space for the community.





The overarching concept behind the Arts District was to connect all the churches in the surrounding area to a centralized sacred space that can be used by Little Tokyo and the Arts District. The connection between these spaces will be the Memory Tree Connector, which will bring much-needed tree canopy to the project site, beautify our streets and celebrate life.

After I physically applied the concept to the site I was able to see how my design would unfold. The next step was to program the site with a layered access approach of Active, Passive, and Sacred space.

My project site will bring 2.5 acres of much-needed open space to the Arts District. All parking will be taken subterranean to make use


image 181: Concept for the Arts District Coreimage 182: Concept Study applied to site. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

image 183: Concept Study refined and applied to site. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

Churches

Project site

Memory Tree Connector


of ever square foot above ground.

The active space will consist of a dog park, mix-use parks, passive parks, pedestrian plazas, and a pedestrian entrance to the Arts District.

The passive space area will consist of Memory Walls that will commemorate our loved ones laid to rest as well as tell a chronological narrative of

the neighborhood. These walls will also be used by local artists for their mural work.

The sacred space will be made up of 2 acres. 1.5 acres will be used for the internment of cremated remains and .5 acres will be used for in-ground burials. The site will be a sustainable one on a 25-year cycle, which the spaces are then reused for the next generation.


image 184: Programming applied to site.



image 185: Programming applied to sacred space.

image 186: Programming study of sacred space and how to bring in two communities to one space.

76 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYMAsTER pLAN - ARTs dIsTRICT CORE

A

MAsTER pLAN - ARTs dIsTRICT CORE1 PEDESTRIAN ENTRANCE TO ARTS DISTRICT

MIX USE SPACE WITH OVERHEAD CANOPY

OPEN PARK SPACE FOR EVENTS

PASSIVE PARK

234

5COMMUNITY PARK

DOG PARK

ELEVATOR TO UNDERGROUND PARKING

UNDERGROUND PARKING ENTRANCE

678

9 PASSIVE SPACE

IN GROUND BURIAL SPACE

CREMATION INTERNMENT

ADAPTIVE REUSE - GREEN WALLS

101112

50’ 100’

image 187: (Base map - Source: Google Earth)JAPANESE CATHOLIC CHURCH

ZENSHUJI SOTO MISSION

BUDHIST TEMPLE

131415

1

2

3

45

6

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910

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C

C

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d sT.

E. 4TH

pL.

ROsE sT.

s. HEwITT sT.

TRACTIO

N AvE.

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76


Design Development


LAYEREd ACCEss

Sacred

pEdEsTRIAN ENTRANCE TO THE ARTs dIsTRICT

image 191: (Daniel Hector Guimera)

ActivePassive


sECTION C

ENTERING sACREd spACE



MOvAbLE TAbLE ANd CHAIRs

RAIsEd pLANTERsfOR sEATING

OppORTUNITIEs

pAssIvE pARk spACE

wATER wALL

10’25’

79 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYMAsTER pLAN - ARTs dIsTRICT CORE

image 188 (Source: Daniel Hector Guimera)


sECTION A

sECTION b

NEw pEdEsTRIAN ENTRANCE TO THE ARTs dIsTRICT

RAIsEd pLANTERs fOR sEATING OppERTUNITIEs

GRAss MOUNd

10’25’

25’50’

ACTIvE pARk

wATER RETENTION

NEw bURIAL METHOd

RE-pURpOsEd OpEN AIR bUILdING fOR THE INTERMENT

Of CREMAINs

GREEN wALLMEMORY wALL

pAssIvE GARdENs

ALAMEdA sT.


Green walls are vertical gardens that are attached to the walls of buildings, facades on building, and even free standing structures. The primary purpose of a green wall is to bring greenery into spaces and to cleanse the air through biofiltration. The plant materials capture small pollutants and retains them. (26)

Green walls date back to the ancient Babylonians, which are known for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The walls are comprised of modular Geotech cells that a filled with soil and the plant material. A drainage system is set up behind the wall that will circulate water and collect any runoff or condensation. (26)

I applied this technology to my thesis for the purpose of interring biodegradable urns of cremated remains. The big idea here is that the urns will help feed the plant material and decompose over time. The space can then be reused after an allotted period. The overall benefits to the community are:• ambient temperature reduction• biofiltration of the air• increase in property value• beautify the area• create memorable locations(26)

Green Wall Technology

image 194: (Source: harmonygardeninteriors.com)

image 196: (Source: vuonthangdung.vn)image 195: (Source: pinimg.com)


The Memory Tree Connector will serve as a connection between our churches and sacred spaces. It is an extension of our loved ones laid to rest and leaves a lasting legacy of them. In addition to this the Memory Tree Connector will also serve as a water collection and storage system. (27)(28)

There will be a gutter system in place that will catch run-off water. It will be filtered through the process of phytoremediation, the cleaning of water using plant materials, then stored in a retention cistern. The water will be filtered through ultraviolet light, which removes pollutants, and then the water will be used by businesses and residents throughout the community as non-potable water. (27)(28)

Rainwater Catchment System

image 197: (Source: Gustafson Guthrie Nichol)


wATER COLLECTION ALONG THE MEMORY TREE CONNECTOR

wATER RETENTION sYsTEM

82 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE d - RIvER CORE

sITE d: RIvER CORE

kEY MAp

image 199: Concept applied to site.


83 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE ANALYsIs - RIvER CORE

Site D: River Core:

sITE d - RIvER CORE: ExIsTING CONdITIONs


6th Street Viaduct: Constructed in 1932, the viaduct is a historical monument of Los Angeles and serves as an important connection between Los Angeles Arts District and Boyle Heights. (29)

The bridge started showing signs of corrosion just 30 years after it was constructed. This corrosion is a process known as Alkali Silica Reaction, which degrades the concrete and makes the structure unsafe. (29)

The bridge is set to be demolished and reconstructed by a winning design submitted by HNTB. The spaces underneath the bridge are a great opportunity to bring two different communities, Boyle Heights, and the Arts District, to a common space to memorialize their roots and history and to celebrate life. (30)

The Spaces Under the Bridge: The spaces under the bridge will comprise of approximately 14 acres of land to be redeveloped. This affords the opportunity to create a regional sacred

1

1

space with layered access that will support two completely different communities, as well as all of Los Angeles.

By using the layered access method we will be able to add much needed open space for the residents of these densely populated communities and give the City of Los Angeles a truly unique space that tells a chronological narrative of the site through artwork of local artists.

The River: This project opens up the opportunity to connect the community to the Los Angeles River. This is a corridor that is underutilized city-wide. It’s a historic opportunity to set a precedent for creating open space opportunists along the rivers edge through terraced gardens and memory walls.

Trolley System: The streets of Los Angeles once thrived with a trolley car system that ran through most of the city. Now we only see remnants of those tracks along some streets. The new 6th Street Viaduct sets up a perfect

2

2

3

3

4

4

LA RiverLocal ChurchProject Site6th Street Viaduct


3

4

84 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE ANALYsIs - RIvER CORE

opportunity to add a trolley system to connect the Arts District and Boyle Heights. The trolley system will run back and forth along the bridge making the spaces under the bridge more accessible for the residents. (31)

image 204: Spaces under the 6th Street Viaduct

image 202: Spaces under the 6th Street Viaduct

image 205: Access to the Los Angeles River under the 6th Street Viaduct.

image 203: Los Angeles River. image 206: Los Angeles River with the 6th Street Bridge in the background.

85 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE ANALYsIs - ARTs RIvER CORE

CIRCULATION MAp

Project Sites




CONCEpT ANd dEsIGN dEvELOpMENT - sITE d: RIvER CORE

ACTIvEpAssIvE

sACREd




Active Space:• open park space• mix-use opportunities• access to the LA River• children’s park• underground parking• sports courts• dog park

Passive Space:• contemplation gardens • memory walls

Sacred Space:• new interment method of cremains • green walls

pROGRAM: UsERs:




The River Core meets all the site criteria for the implementation of Goal 2. This area lacks a localized sacred space, the two surrounding communities have a deep history, many churches are in the local area, and they are a proud people. With a layered access approach, a sacred space will thrive in this area along with much needed mix-use open space for the surrounding communities.




image 214: Concept for the River Core.


image 215: Program applied to site (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

image 216: Refined program study.



The big idea concept for The River Core is to connect two distinct communities, Boyle Heights, and the Arts District, into one central site using the layered access model of active, passive and sacred space transition. This site will serve as a regional gathering area for all of Los Angeles, telling a chronological story of this great city through Memory Walls and with the help of local artists to adorn the walls of the site.

The active recreational areas will boast open

space for mix-use events for the city. There will be a dog park, sports courts, historical corridor, and pedestrian access to the Los Angeles River.

The passive space will comprise of Memory Walls and meditation gardens that will take the user away from the city and afford them an opportunity to contemplate and relax.

The sacred spaces will comprise of garden areas for the scattering of cremated remains and the interment of cremated remains. These designs are preliminary and are awaiting the finalized designs of the 6th Street Viaduct; thus there is no Master Plan for the site.

image 217: Terraced garden study along the LA River.

image 218: Section of new 6th Street Bridge with my implementation of a trolley car system. (Source: HNTB)




image 219: 6th Street Viaduct study. (Source: HNTB)

pEdEsTRIAN ACCEss TO THE LA RIvER




image 220: 6th Street Viaduct study. (Source: HNTB)

ENTRANCE TO sACREd spACE ALONG THE LA RIvER




image 224: Perspective study of a green wall corridor.

CHRONOLOGICAL NARRATIvE Of THE sITE

GREEN wALL CORRIdOR sTUdY


94 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYCONCLUsION

CONCLUsIONMY GOAL fOR THIs pROjECT wAs TO RATTLE THE CAGE. TO INfORM YOU Of A TOpIC, THAT Is RARELY dIsCUssEd. TO sTART A dIsCUssION. THE pRObLEM Is vERY REAL ANd NEEds TO bE AddREssEd. MY CONCEpTs ANd dEsIGNs wILL sOLvE THE IssUEs IN THE fUNERAL INdUsTRY bY CREATING sUsTAINAbLE sACREd spACEs ALL OvER THE wORLd. THEsE spACEs, wITH A LAYEREd ACCEss AppROACH, wILL GIvE THE COMMUNITY A pLATfORM TO TELL THEIR sTORIEs, MEMORIALIzE THEIR HIsTORY ANd ROOTs, ANd MOsT IMpORTANTLY TO CELEbRATE LIfE.

100 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYsITE sTUdY - pORTER RANCH

pORTER RANCH

image 226: Land use study (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

• Lack of sacred burial space• Cemetery in need of revitalization• Close proximity to religious centers• Rich history• Sense of culture

Site Criteria:


sITE sTUdY

bOYLE HEIGHTs

ARTs dIsTRICT

pORTER RANCH

image 225: City of Los Angeles Map (Source: lacity.org)

Selected SitesStudied Sites


sITE sTUdY: pORTER RANCH

Porter Ranch was the last community in the San Fernando Valley to be developed in the late 1970. With a population of approximately 30,000 people, it is mostly comprised of gated communities with single family homes. (32)

There is an impressive park system that surrounds and runs through the Porter Ranch area, where much of the Steven Spielberg film: E.T. was filmed. (32)

Porter Ranch was a candidate for my thesis because of its lack for sacred space. With many churches in close vicinity, there are no dedicated cemeteries to the Porter Ranch community.

The reason Porter Ranch was not chosen for my thesis final project was because of its lack of history and sense of culture. This community is very new and did not meet all of my site criteria.

image 228: Views of Porter Ranch and the San Fernando Valley from Palisades Park.




image 231: View of Eddleston Park. This emply lot is a candidate for Goal 2.

image 232: Hiking trail along Palisades Park.

image 233: Dead end where Sesnon meets Aliso Canyon. It’s critical that this area isn’t redeveloped in order to project this natural habitat.

image 230: Underutilized water run off catch basin in Aliso Canyon.


sITE d - RIvER CORE: ExIsTING CONdITIONs


Oakwood Memorial, located is Chatsworth, is the closest cemetery to Porter Ranch. This cemetery borders a nature corridor area and has residential homes surrounding its eastern border. This cemetery is not filled to capacity and has room for expansion. With the proper designs and implementation of the New Burial Method, this cemetery can be retrofitted and remain a sustainable site for generations to come. To do this restoration, no existing graves would be disturbed.

The Rinaldi St. church connection is an opportunity to apply the Memory Tree Connector to join sacred spaces with churches in local areas. The empty lots in the area are ideal for implementation of Goal 2 with a layered access approach of Active, Passive, and Sacred spaces. The two main churches in the area that would be targeted are Shepard of the Hills and World Vision Church.

1

The Sesnon focus area, located at the North end of Porter Ranch is a very critical site that needs to be addressed. Sesnon Blvd currently dead ends just after Reseda Blvd where it reaches Aliso Canyon, a wildlife corridor. It is crucial to keep this disconnected because in doing so will avoid the development of a highway of cars cutting through the wildlife and residential areas of Porter Ranch. In implementing my layered access sacred space design, we will be ensuring the longevity of this beautiful landscape from being redeveloped into a major highway through the Porter Ranch area.

This area of Porter Ranch lacks any retail options for the residents. By bringing in small local produce stores and coffee shops, we can encourage the residents to walk and shop locally promoting healthy community practices.

The Reseda Blvd Eddleston Park area is currently an underutilized empty lot with a multitude of single family home surrounding it. This site is a candidate for Goal 2 of Pocket Sacred Spaces.

2

3

4


1

2

3

4

105 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYCONCEpT dEvELOpMENT

- Restore and documentation

- A datum of history

- Layers of access - active recreation - memory garden(passive rec.) - sacred space


ACTIvEpAssIvE

sACREd

Goal 1: Revitalize the Existing




Active Space:• open park space• mix-use opportunities• nature habitat restoration• children’s park• Passive Space:• phytoremediation and storage of run-off water • memory walls

Sacred Space:• new burial method• new interment method of cremains • green walls

pROGRAM: UsERs:

Porter Ranch currently lacks any cemetery space for its residents. The closest cemetery to Porter Ranch is located in Chatsworth, which is a neighboring city. Oakwood Memorial cemetery is a site that needs to be revitalized and sustainable burial practices need to be implemented with a layered access approach. Therefore I am applying Goal 1 with the layered access concept.



CONCEpT dEvELOpMENT - pORTER RANCH


Phase 1 Concept: Restoration and Documentation

Phase 2 Concept: Datum of History


Phase 1 of the project will entail the restoration and documentation phase. I drew inspiration and precedent from my research of Secondary Burial practices in cultures from around the world(page 11) as well as Metro’s disinterment of 174 remains to expand the Gold Line.

The existing interments in the cemetery will be disinterred in a phased process and will be done so in a respectful manner. All remains and artifacts will be documented and archived.

The grave markers will be cataloged and retained for implementation into the Datum of History.

The Datum of History is a central spine of the site where those disinterred in the restoration phase will be re-interred. I don’t want the history of this space and the community to be forgotten, which is why this will be a focal point to the cemetery.

The remains will be put into biodegradable caskets, which will decompose with the earth and become one with site. The original grave markers will be implemented throughout this datum. In addition to the grave markers, there will be a chronological narrative being told along the datum that will serve as a place where family and friends can meet to remember their loved ones that have been laid to rest.


ACTIvEpAssIvE

sACREd




Active Space:• open park space• mix-use opportunities• nature habitat restoration• children’s park• dog park

Passive Space:• contemplation gardens • memory walls

Sacred Space:• new interment method of cremains • green walls

pROGRAM: UsERs:



Layered Access Concept:Goal 2: A New Language

The Porter Ranch area lacks any localized sacred space for the residents of this neighborhood. With many churches in the area, it makes it a perfect candidate for Goal 2 implementation with the Memory Tree Connector, connecting sacred spaces to local churches in a layered access approach of active, passive, and sacred spaces.


image 243: Site Analysis (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

Oakwood Memorial Cemetery

image 244: Site Analysis (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

pORTER RANCH - AREAs Of fOCUs


image 245: Layered access concept applied to site. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

Oakwood Memorial Cemetery



image 246: Site analysis (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

Aliso Canyon





Aliso Canyon




Seasnon Area

image 250: Site analysis: (Base map - Source: Google Earth)



image 252: Layered access concept applied to site.

Sesnon Area


image 251: Layered access concept applied to site.


image 253 Site analysis: (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

Rinaldi Church Connector

image 254: Layered access concept applied to site. (Base map - Source: Google Earth)




Eddleston Park Area





Eddleston Park Area



image 259: Layered access concept applied to site (Base map - Source: Google Earth)

118 OUR LEGACY: REIMAGINING THE CEMETERYREsOURCEs

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