December 2009
44 posts
Forget me when I'm gone - The Globe and Mail →
This was on the newspaper today. It’s such an interesting opinion piece. I can just hear a lot of people moaning and disagreeing, but this opinion could be the future view of humanity on death and memorial. Makes me think that the stance on my project isn’t so far-fetched…or that I’m all alone on it.
excerpts:
“But what are we supposed to do when someone dies? If,...
13 tags
6 tags
5 tags
5 tags
7 tags
5 tags
WatchOUTSIDE THE BOX: HOW THE FUNERAL BUSINESS IN CANADA IS CHANGING
(via Google Video)
5 tags
6 tags
6 tags
1 tag
7 tags
5 tags
UPDATE: December 23
Christmas is just around the corner! Meanwhile, I’ve been procrastinating the work I want to do and have been sleeping 12 hours a day. Yeah, that’s right. 12. Like, the number of apostles.
Still, I somehow managed to develop my thesis more.
First, I’ve decided on the relationship of the three major players of my site (the trinity of death: St. James Cathedral; Court Square; and...
11 tags
6 tags
WTC Memorial Landscape Architect Peter Walker... →
SOME NOTES (mostly verbatim):
Because of subterranean structures, there is no real ground soil in which to plant trees. A special system was deviced that was 6’ deep including irrigation and fertilization layers.
From the public’s perspective, the waterfalls and the pools of the voids will be perhaps the most dramatic element of the memorial. Secondly, water is imperative for the...
8 tags
7 tags
Cities, Cemeteries, & Resistance: Paris & the... →
This academic paper talks about how modern culture came to its current view on death - essentially, the sanitation of death. Discussions revolve around the rationalization of the cemetery and the separation of the classes in Paris. I had a bit of a tough time trying to fully grasp the language, but it’s an interesting paper to read.
excerpts:
“the inhabitants of surrounding...
3 tags
5 tags
UPDATE: Recapping the crit - ZONING/FUNERARY...
This will be the last of the recaps.
These zoning diagrams illustrate several options for the arrangements of the main programs in my funerary complex (a condolonce/gathering hall; waiting room; ceremonial hall/hall of death; watching room; crematory; admin; morgue). These arrangements all work to a certain extent and have pros and cons of their own. I really haven’t figured out how many...
5 tags
8 tags
7 tags
8 tags
6 tags
6 tags
5 tags
UPDATE: Recapping the crit - FORM STUDY
Apologies. I just realized I never posted a picture of the building I was using for my project (during my crit too…eff). Anyway, it’s currently a hostel. I’m also using the parking lot next to it.
So now that you’ve seen what I’m working with, it’ll be easier to visualize these form studies. I was playing around with different forms that the complex could...
7 tags
3 tags
4 tags
6 tags
5 tags
UPDATE: Recapping the crit - DEATH REGISTRY
I feel like I completely ignored this part of my program during my presentation. I talked about it briefly saying that…
…the program needed to have a street presence that’s why it’s where it is (with the main access from the sidewalk)
…that it’s like Facebook and the Swiss Bank (a highly secure storage facility for sentimental items, including a digital...
6 tags
9 tags
UPDATE: Recapping the crit - SITE
UPDATE: RECAPPING THE CRIT
So, I’ve had a few days to figure out how to post my feedback from my crit and I thought this would be the best way to do it. I’m posting images, saying a few things about them, then I’m going to type in my profs’ comments after.
This segment is about my SITE.
BASIC SITE STUDY
My site is in the aqua in this image. I’m probably going to make this look nicer over the...
4 tags
Tomb with a View | Frederick Law Olmsted’s eternal... →
It’s about a landscape architect’s vision about a cemetery, “the eternal city”, and how he tried to accommodate the future of the landscape by taking some factors in consideration. It’s given me some things to think about.
excerpts:
“less concerned with beautifying the grounds than furthering what he saw as the main objective of building a new cemetery. In a...
3 tags
6 tags
8 tags
2 tags
UPDATE: December 5
Please excuse the following whiny rant.
I am so busy with thesis that I cannot honestly remember in too much detail what’s happened since my last update. With only a few days left, everyone has gone absolutely mental.
I’m still feeling like a limp dog dragging behind the rest of the pack as they race to the finish line. I’ve got about half a semester’s worth of work to do...
7 tags
6 tags
3 tags
