DESIGNING CEMETERIES FOR PERSONAL EXPRESSIONS

IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

by

JODWIN SURIO

Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of

The University of Texas at Arlington

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of

MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON

August 2022
SUPERVISING COMMITTEE

Chair (Fall 2020-Spring 2021): Diane Jones Allen, D.Eng., PLA, ASLA

Chair (Fall 2021-Spring 2022): Austin Allen, Ph.D., ASLA

Committee Members:

Kathryn Holliday, Ph.D.

Taner R. Özdil, Ph.D., ASLA

Copyright © by Jodwin Surio 2022

All Rights Reserved

 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The death of a loved one is a deeply painful experience. Beginning at the young

age of 10 years old, I have dealt with the grief and sadness that accompanied the several

deaths of close loved ones throughout the years. The cemetery has been a place for me

to mourn and grieve. The open space to run around in as kids, the trees, the birds in the

sky, the fresh air, and the family gatherings that the cemetery facilitates have provided

for me a landscape for healing. I understand the power of a cemetery’s impact on a human

being going through the pain of death and have been intrigued by this type of landscape

ever since. I am grateful for the guidance and support of my supervising committee in

helping me pursue this topic that is intrinsically meaningful for me.

I would like to thank my initial chair, Dr. Diane Jones Allen. Throughout my time in

the program, she has inspired me to look at landscape architecture through the lenses of

social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. She has taught me to become a great

research-based designer focused on people and their needs and wants rather than my

own. I would like to thank her for pushing me further in my investigation of cemeteries

and allowing me to see the beauty in a landscape that many disdain. Additionally, I would

like to thank my current chair, Dr. Austin Allen, who shared just as much enthusiasm as

Dr. Diane Jones Allen and I did for the topic of cemeteries. His knowledge and experience

in community development has influenced me tremendously in achieving this endeavor.

Thank you to the intelligent, creative, and passionate members of my committee.

Dr. Taner R. Özdil and Dr. Kathryn Holliday provided me with great insights into the

research methods, design, and direction of my investigation. I would like to thank them

i
for encouraging me to think critically and to strive for excellence. I appreciate the freedom

given to me in this program to explore this topic of my choice while having the strong

support of my professors. Thank you for working with me and constantly pushing me to

think out of the box to produce something of value to the field of landscape architecture.

This journey has been long and my wife, Geline, has been by my side the entire

time. I would like to thank her for bravely bringing our son, Kaio, into this world during this

process. She has managed to keep our family strong as she allowed me to focus on

finishing this degree and achieving this dream of mine.

Lastly, I would like to dedicate this to my late grandfather, Emerito Surio (1927-

2020) and to my grandmother, Florfina Surio. Their love for plants and gardening have

inspired me to become a landscape architect someday.

ii
 ABSTRACT

DESIGNING CEMETERIES FOR PERSONAL EXPRESSIONS

IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

JODWIN SURIO, MLA

The University of Texas at Arlington, 2022

Supervising Professor: Austin Allen, Ph.D., ASLA

Our country’s largest cities have become more racially and ethnically diverse than

they were in 2010 (US News, 2020). Differences are present and yet, our cemeteries,

originally catering to a predominantly Caucasian market (Sloane, 1991), remain

Eurocentric in design (Jones, 2011). The purpose of this master’s design thesis is to

determine the design principles and elements necessary for a cemetery that is

transformed by the personal expressions exhibited by visitors after the day of burial. The

study focuses specifically on cemeteries in the San Francisco Bay Area. The findings

were used to develop a new kind of cemetery typology that aims to have cemetery design

be led by behavior, activities, rituals, and traditions of its users rather than being led solely

by the personal and business preferences of cemetery designers and professionals.

This study utilizes qualitative research methods (Sommer & Sommer, 2002)

beginning with a literature review to see what issues may be addressed by this study and

to gain insight on how to improve cemetery design (Sommer & Sommer, 2002). Data

iii
collection began with initial site visits to cemeteries that included notes derived from photo

documentation and casual observation (Sommer & Sommer, 2002). Case study sites

were then selected from these initial visits to conduct systematic observations in using

tally sheets and ethnograms/observation sheets (Sommer & Sommer, 2002).

Adopting the case study pattern used by Marcus and Francis in their book, People

Places (Marcus & Francis, 1998), the gathered data was analyzed and synthesized to

reveal insights on the successful and unsuccessful features in cemetery design as it

relates to personal expressions, sufficiently informing the researcher in developing the

final non-sectarian cemetery design (Simonds & Starke, 2006) adapted for the city of

Oakland.

The design concludes the study and addresses the findings on the design features

and elements that conflict with personal expressions such as lack of delineation, missing

features and elements for a gathering space, conflicting rules, and inaccessibility. The

design also reflects the design features and elements that encourage personal

expression such as the gravestones designed as and for personal expression, vertical

elements, and personal maintenance.

The knowledge produced from this research contributes to the field as it aids

landscape architects in creating inclusive cemeteries that encourage personal expression

of its users. These landscapes have the potential of not just ameliorating the pain of death,

but also providing the opportunity for cultural preservation and meaning.

iv
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. I

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. III

LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... VIII

LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... X

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background ................................................................................................... 2

1.2 Problem Statement ........................................................................................ 4

1.3 Purpose of Research ..................................................................................... 5

1.4 Research Questions ...................................................................................... 5

1.5 Definition of Key Terms ................................................................................. 6

1.6 Research Methods ........................................................................................ 7

1.7 Significance and Limitations .......................................................................... 8

1.8 Delimitations ................................................................................................ 10

1.9 Summary ..................................................................................................... 10

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................... 12

2.1 The Evolution of Cemetery Typology ........................................................... 12

2.1.1 The Cemetery Emerges ..................................................................... 12
2.1.2 The Rural Cemetery........................................................................... 13
2.1.3 The Lawn-Park Cemetery .................................................................. 14
2.1.4 The Memorial Park ............................................................................ 15

2.2 Changing Relationships with Death in the United States ............................. 16

2.3 The Cemetery as a Place of Cultural Identity ............................................... 18

2.4. Personal Expression as a Means for Healing ............................................. 20

2.5 Summary ..................................................................................................... 22

v
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................. 23

3.1 Research Design ......................................................................................... 23

3.2 Study Population and Location .................................................................... 26

3.3 Data Collection ............................................................................................ 26

3.3.1 Phase 1: Initial Cemetery Site Visits .................................................. 26
3.3.2 Phase 2: Case Study Site Selection................................................... 29
3.3.3 Phase 3: Case Studies ...................................................................... 29

3.4 Data Analysis .............................................................................................. 30

3.5 Bias and Error ............................................................................................. 31

3.6 Design Process ........................................................................................... 31

3.6.1 Site Selection ..................................................................................... 31
3.6.2 Site Analysis ...................................................................................... 32
3.6.3 Conceptual Design ............................................................................ 32
3.6.4 Schematic Design .............................................................................. 32

3.7 Summary ..................................................................................................... 33

CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS .................................................................. 34

4.1 Phase 1: Initial Cemetery Site Visits ............................................................ 34

4.1.1 Chinese Cemetery ............................................................................. 36
4.1.2 Italian Cemetery ................................................................................. 42
4.1.3 Woodlawn Memorial Park .................................................................. 46
4.1.4 Greek Orthodox Memorial Park ......................................................... 56
4.1.5 Mountain View Cemetery ................................................................... 58
4.1.6 Oak Hill Memorial Park ...................................................................... 60
4.1.7 Los Gatos Memorial Park .................................................................. 65
4.1.8 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery.................................................... 69

4.2 Phase 2: Case Study Site Selection ............................................................ 73

4.3 Phase 3: Case Study Site Visits .................................................................. 75

4.4 Synthesis ..................................................................................................... 81

4.4.1 Successful Features .......................................................................... 81
4.4.2 Unsuccessful Features ...................................................................... 86

4.5 Summary ..................................................................................................... 93

CHAPTER 5: DESIGN................................................................................................. 95

5.1 Site Selection .............................................................................................. 95

vi
 5.2 Site Analysis .............................................................................................. 102

5.3 Conceptual Design and Site Design .......................................................... 107

5.3.1 The Master Plan .............................................................................. 107
5.3.2 The Community Spaces ................................................................... 111
5.3.3 The Cemetery Plot Designs ............................................................. 119

5.4 Summary ................................................................................................... 127

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION .................................................................................... 128

6.1 Research Questions Revisited .................................................................. 128

6.2 Relevance to Landscape Architecture ....................................................... 130

6.2.1 Inclusion .......................................................................................... 131
6.2.2 Climate Change ............................................................................... 131
6.2.3 Cultural Enrichment ......................................................................... 132
6.2.4 Intangible Value ............................................................................... 132

6.3 Future Research........................................................................................ 133

6.4 Summary ................................................................................................... 135

REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. A

APPENDIX .................................................................................................................... D

Appendix A: IRB Approval Letter ......................................................................... d

Appendix B: Interview Questions ......................................................................... e

Appendix C: Subject Recruitment Process .......................................................... g

Appendix D: Recruitment Scripts ......................................................................... h

Appendix E: Informed Consent for Minimal Risk Studies with Adults .................... j

Appendix F: Confidentiality and Data Security ..................................................... n

vii
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1 Research Design ........................................................................................ 25

Figure 3.2 Observation Sheet/Ethnogram Template .................................................... 28
Figure 3.3 Criteria Matrix for Case Study Site Selection ............................................... 29
Figure 3.4 Systematic Observation Tally Sheet ............................................................ 30
Figure 4.1 Phase 1: Initial Cemetery Site Visits............................................................ 35
Figure 4.2 Chinese Cemetery ...................................................................................... 36
Figure 4.3 Chinese Cemetery ...................................................................................... 37
Figure 4.4 Chinese Cemetery ...................................................................................... 38
Figure 4.5 Chinese Cemetery ...................................................................................... 39
Figure 4.6 Chinese Cemetery ...................................................................................... 39
Figure 4.7 Chinese Cemetery ...................................................................................... 41
Figure 4.8 Italian Cemetery .......................................................................................... 42
Figure 4.9 Italian Cemetery .......................................................................................... 43
Figure 4.10 Italian Cemetery ........................................................................................ 44
Figure 4.11 Italian Cemetery ........................................................................................ 44
Figure 4.12 Italian Cemetery ........................................................................................ 45
Figure 4.13 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 46
Figure 4.14 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 47
Figure 4.15 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 47
Figure 4.16 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 48
Figure 4.17 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 49
Figure 4.18 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 50
Figure 4.19 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 50
Figure 4.20 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 51
Figure 4.21 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 52
Figure 4.22 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 52
Figure 4.23 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 53
Figure 4.24 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 54
Figure 4.25 Woodlawn Memorial Park ......................................................................... 55
Figure 4.26 Greek Orthodox Memorial Park ................................................................. 56
Figure 4.27 Greek Orthodox Memorial Park ................................................................. 58
Figure 4.28 Oak Hill Memorial Park ............................................................................. 60
Figure 4.29 Oak Hill Memorial Park ............................................................................. 61
Figure 4.30 Oak Hill Memorial Park ............................................................................. 62
Figure 4.31 Oak Hill Memorial Park ............................................................................. 63
Figure 4.32 Oak Hill Memorial Park ............................................................................. 63
Figure 4.33 Oak Hill Memorial Park ............................................................................. 64
Figure 4.34 Los Gatos Memorial Park .......................................................................... 65
Figure 4.35 Los Gatos Memorial Park .......................................................................... 66
Figure 4.36 Los Gatos Memorial Park .......................................................................... 67
Figure 4.37 Los Gatos Memorial Park .......................................................................... 68
Figure 4.38 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery ........................................................... 69
Figure 4.39 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery ........................................................... 70
Figure 4.40 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery ........................................................... 71

viii
Figure 4.41 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery .......................................................... 71
Figure 4.42 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery .......................................................... 72
Figure 4.43 Criteria for Case Study Site Selection ....................................................... 73
Figure 4.44 Recorded Observations ............................................................................ 75
Figure 4.45 Top Activities/Behaviors Observed…………………….………………………79
Figure 4.46 Objects Most Left at Grave……................................................................. 80
Figure 4.47 Gravestones Designed as Personal Expressions ...................................... 81
Figure 4.48 Gravestones Designed for Personal Expressions ..................................... 83
Figure 4.49 Vertical Elements ...................................................................................... 85
Figure 4.50 Vertical Elements ...................................................................................... 85
Figure 4.51 Delineation ................................................................................................ 87
Figure 4.52 The Plot as Gathering Space .................................................................... 88
Figure 4.53 Rules Conflicting with Personal Expressions ............................................. 90
Figure 4.54 Inaccessibility ............................................................................................ 92
Figure 5.55 Diversity .................................................................................................... 96
Figure 5.56 Parks: Oakland, San Jose, & San Francisco ............................................. 97
Figure 5.57 Cemeteries: Oakland, San Jose, & San Francisco .................................... 98
Figure 5.58 Urban Displacement Map: San Francisco Bay Area .................................. 99
Figure 5.59 City Selected: Oakland ............................................................................ 100
Figure 5.60 Site Selected: Oakland Coliseum ............................................................ 101
Figure 5.61 Sports Teams at the Oakland Coliseum .................................................. 102
Figure 5.62 New Ballpark at Howard Terminal ........................................................... 104
Figure 5.63 BIG's Proposal for the Oakland Coliseum Site ........................................ 105
Figure 5.64 Sea Level Scenarios ............................................................................... 106
Figure 5.65 The Oakland Sacred ............................................................................... 107
Figure 5.66 The Oakland Sacred: Master Plan .......................................................... 108
Figure 5.67 The Oakland Sacred: The 4th Ring ......................................................... 109
Figure 5.68 The Oakland Sacred: The 4th Ring ......................................................... 110
Figure 5.69 The Oakland Sacred: Community Spaces ............................................... 113
Figure 5.70 Community Space: EARTH ..................................................................... 114
Figure 5.71 Community Space: AIR ........................................................................... 115
Figure 5.72 Community Space: FIRE ......................................................................... 116
Figure 5.73 Community Space: WATER .................................................................... 117
Figure 5.74 Community Space: TREE OF LIFE ......................................................... 118
Figure 5.75 Plot Design Example 1 ............................................................................ 120
Figure 5.76 Plot Design Example 2 ............................................................................ 121
Figure 5.77 Plot Design Example 3 ............................................................................ 122
Figure 5.78 Plot Design Example 4 ............................................................................ 123
Figure 5.79 Plot Design Example 5 ............................................................................ 124
Figure 5.80 Plot Design Example 6 ............................................................................ 125
Figure 5.81 Plot Design Example 7 ............................................................................ 126

ix
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 Tally Results for Activities/Behaviors ............................................................ 77

Table 4.2 Tally Results for Objects Left at Grave ......................................................... 78
Table 4.3 Top Activities/Behaviors Observed ……… .............................................................. 79
Table 4.4 Objects Most Left at Grave…. ...................................................................... 80

x
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The history of cemetery design literature reveals that cemetery form came about

by the need “to solve an urban land use problem” (History, n.d.). As the space in cities

began to be limited due to the number of people migrating in, so did the space in

churchyard burial grounds due to the poor conditions that caused a rise in death rates

(Herron, 2012). The cemetery emerges as the main solution to these issues (Curl, 1993).

These landscapes are now a main option for us to bury our deceased loved ones in. They

also provide a venue for the loved ones of those buried in these spaces to come and visit.

Communities are rapidly diversifying and hence, the user population of cemeteries

is changing. Although this is the case, most of the cemeteries here in the United States

remain Eurocentric in design and do not account for the different cultural expressions of

grief and mourning that users exhibit as they visit their deceased loved ones (Jones,

2011). This presents an opportunity for landscape architects to utilize their skills and

knowledge to address the changing needs of cemetery users, both for the living and the

dead.

Chapter One gives an overview of the study by providing a background that leads

into the definition of the problem statement and purpose of the study. It will then state the

research questions, definitions of some key terms in the study, the significance of

answering these questions, and then lastly, the delimitations of the study.

1
1.1 Background

“Form follows culture, but once developed, form often follows form” (Rogers, 2001,

p. 24). This is sometimes seen throughout the history of landscape architecture and as

this lens is utilized in the study of cemetery design, this concept is reinforced. The history

of burial grounds shows the changing relationships Americans had with death. As these

cultural paradigm shifts presented themselves, the cemetery transformed as well.

“Culture is always both a cause and effect” of one’s context and circumstances

(Rogers, 2001, p. 20). As cemetery typologies were established as a physical

manifestation of the culture of that time and place, the prevalent cemetery form began to

influence culture itself and its evolution. The response of designers would be creating

new typologies based on one’s personal philosophies on aesthetic value and cemetery

management. The overall shared culture of the nation would inform the designer’s

philosophies, especially when it came to the commercialization of cemetery management,

but the final form and appearance of the cemetery would mainly come down to the

designer’s or the cemetery operators’ own preferences.

“The built environment is the product of human decisions” and some of these

decisions have the tendency to either include or exclude certain people (Armborst, D'Oca,

Theodore, & Gold, 2017, p. 16). Apparently, this is evident in the evolution of the cemetery

throughout the past two to three centuries.

Although many appreciated the environment that Mount Auburn provided, rural

cemeteries were still inequitable due to the high price of plots that made it inaccessible

for the less wealthy to have ownership in it (Jackson & Vergara, 1989). As much as the

founders tried to make the rural cemetery the ideal place for burials for the whole

2
community, it still only met the needs of a privileged few in a rapidly diversifying urban

community (Sloane, 1991).

As Strauch introduced the lawn-park cemetery to the nation, family control over

graves diminished and practices of immigrants or their children could not be expressed

in this new cemetery typology like they were able to do in the rural cemetery. Aesthetics

was the main priority in the lawn-park cemetery as opposed to the individuality and

grieving behaviors of lot-holders dictating the landscape design. The emotional impact of

the cemetery disappeared (Sloane, 1991).

The memorial park took the concept of the lawn-park cemetery even further. It was

designed to eliminate differentiation. Social distinctions were no longer an issue as

monuments were restricted from being placed. In doing so, each section of the cemetery

became a communal space that represented all the graves. The standard memorial

marker prevented ostentatious displays of wealth and prestige through varying monument

designs. The memorial park was successful at removing social distinctions, however, it

completely failed in racial integration. The memorial park was a private, commercial

enterprise and they catered to the white, Christian family that was perceived to be the

builders of America’s booming economy. This professionalization of the cemetery meant

that the landscape had to cater to their target market. In doing so, policies had to be

enforced such as the one at Forest Lawn that stated, “no interment of any body or the

ashes of any body other than that of a human body of the Caucasian race shall be

permitted” (Sloane, 1991, p. 187). As inclusive as the memorial park strived to be, one’s

race or lack of funds would still be a hindrance to the purchasing of a lot.

3
 The professionalization of the institution transformed the appearance of the

cemetery and its management. In the twentieth century, the memorial park emerged, and

lot-holders were no longer interested in being involved in cemetery operation like in the

nineteenth century. The death and burial process was the responsibility of professionals

with families being interested only in the embellishment of their own family graves.

“Mourning had become a personal, private custom” (Sloane, 1991, p. 197).

1.2 Problem Statement

Cemetery design may be dictated by the designer or cemetery operator, reflecting

their own personal preferences or the national culture in general, but within this

landscape, subcultures can still be expressed and preserved. Since there is an individual

responsibility to maintain the lots of our loved ones, various forms of personal expressions

can be found exhibited at gravesites. Cemeteries are designed and managed based on

Euro-American concepts but in perpetuating this, the opportunity to preserve and protect

cultural meaning is missed (Jones, 2011).

This can be observed in existing cemeteries, such as those in the San Francisco

Bay Area. The way cemeteries are currently laid out limits the behaviors, activities,

cultural practices, rituals, traditions, and personal expressions of the communities they

serve. Current cemetery design benefits the corporation more than its users as it

prioritizes profit maximization, ease of maintenance, and aesthetics over cultural value.

With the history of cemeteries revealing inaccessibility due to racism and unaffordable

prices, landscape architects have the opportunity to change that by designing cemeteries

4
that enhance and celebrate the personal expressions of these racially and ethnically

diversifying communities around these cemeteries.

1.3 Purpose of Research

The purpose of this master’s design thesis is to determine the design features and

elements necessary for a cemetery that is transformed by the personal expressions

exhibited by visitors after the day of burial. The study focuses specifically on the San

Francisco Bay Area. The findings were used to develop a new kind of cemetery typology.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the investigation on designing

cemeteries for personal expressions:

1. What are the conflicts that arise between how cemetery plots are designed and

how people use them after the day of burial?

2. What programming elements and design features can encourage the various

personal expressions exhibited by cemetery visitors after the day of burial?

3. How does a well-designed cemetery that encourages freedom of personal

expression after the day of burial look like?

5
1.5 Definition of Key Terms

Terms found throughout this paper are defined in the following paragraphs in

alphabetical order:

Cemetery is defined as a physical site or an area that provides space for

containing the remains of the deceased. It may contain graves, tombs, or funeral urns.

These graves may be housed in various structures such as a columbarium or a

mausoleum aside from the traditional, in-ground burial. A cemetery is a separate location

from a churchyard where traditionally, the deceased were buried. Originating from Greek

and Latin roots in the 1300s, the word “cemetery” refers to a room for sleeping

(Dictionary.com, 2021).

Culture is what distinguishes one group from another in terms of behaviors,

values, beliefs, and attitudes. When a group of people have a shared culture, they think

and act in similar ways (Parker & McDonough, 1999).

Cultural Expression is defined as “those expressions that result from the

creativity of individuals, groups and societies, and that have cultural content.” Cultural

Content “refers to the symbolic meaning, artistic dimension and cultural values that

originate from or express cultural identities (UNESCO, n.d.).” In this paper, “Cultural

Expression” will be used interchangeably with “Personal Expression” and vice versa.

Diversity is defined as “an intentional state of mixed people, institutions, and

cultural norms” (The Just City Lab, 2018). ASLA sees diversity as a celebration of

differences when it comes to “gender, race, sexual orientation, identity, culture, or

ethnicity” (American Society of Landscape Architects, 2021). When diversity is mentioned

in this paper, researcher refers to racial and ethnic diversity unless indicated otherwise.

6
 Expression is defined as 1: “an act, process, or instance of representing in a

medium. It is something that manifests, embodies, or symbolizes something else.” 2: “It

is an act or product of pressing out (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).”

Inclusion is defined as “the acceptance of difference and the intention to involve

diverse opinions, attitudes, and behaviors” (The Just City Lab, 2018). The American

Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) defines inclusion as “for all people” (American

Society of Landscape Architects, 2021).

Personal is defined as 1: “of relating to or affecting a particular person” and 2:

“done in person without the intervention of another. It is carried on between individuals

directly (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).”

Personal Expression, also known as self expression, is “expressing one’s

thoughts and feelings. These expressions can be accomplished through words, choices,

or actions (Kim & Ko, 2007).” In this paper, “Personal Expression” will be used

interchangeably with “Cultural Expression” and vice versa. Although, the word “personal”

can often refer to something individual, in this paper, a personal expression can include

the choice to be with people in a gathering or a group setting.

1.6 Research Methods

This study utilizes qualitative research methods (Sommer & Sommer, 2002) to

explore the topic of cemetery design that encourages personal expression. The

researcher began the investigation with a review of related literature to learn what is

known about the topic at hand (Sommer & Sommer, 2002, p. 31). Previous research was

reviewed to see what issues may be addressed by this study and to gain insight on how

7
design can be utilized to improve cemetery design. Data collection began with initial site

visits to cemeteries that included notes derived from photo documentation and casual

observation (Sommer & Sommer, 2002). Sites were selected for case studies from these

initial site visits. Once these case study sites had been selected, a more in-depth

documentation of observations was executed. Data gathered from the casual observation

in the initial cemetery site visits were categorized and listed down. These prearranged

categories were applied consistently to the case studies in the form of systematic

observation using tally sheets and ethnograms/observation sheets (Sommer & Sommer,

2002, pp. 50-51).

The data gathered through these various methods were analyzed and synthesized

from the case study pattern used by Marcus and Francis in their book, People Places

(Marcus & Francis, 1998). This revealed insights on the successful and unsuccessful

features in cemetery design as it relates to personal expressions, giving the researcher

the benefit of developing the final cemetery design (Simonds & Starke, 2006, pp. 99-

100).

1.7 Significance and Limitations

Significance

Findings in this study reveal programming elements and design features for

cemeteries that encourage and promote personal expressions after the day of burial. This

information can guide landscape architects and cemetery professionals in designing new

cemeteries with the user in mind. Grief counselors typically use a photograph or an empty

chair as substitutes for the dead but when someone embellishes a grave or performs

8
certain activities or grieving rituals at the cemetery, it becomes an act of potentially

relinquishing the deceased to the perpetual care of the landscape (Wilson Baptist, 2013).

Although studies of grief do not provide definitive conclusions, these rituals, activities, or

practices of visitors at the cemetery have the potential of ameliorating the pain of death.

In addition to the strengthened freedom of expression that this study aims to

provide for cemetery visitors, another benefit would be the preservation of culture. Euro-

American design concepts of perpetual maintenance prevail in cemetery design. This

focus can often neglect environmental sustainability, as well as cultural value. Mount

Auburn Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland is an example of a cemetery that celebrates

ritual and ceremony of the African American community in the area. The display of the

unique forms of cultural expression and meaning is preserved by allowing “memory,

nature and ritual to shape the land” (Jones, 2011, p. 239). This study aims to discover

how to allow cultural expression to shape cemetery form, thus sustaining the culture,

history, religious and social customs of a community around a cemetery (Jones, 2011).

Limitations

The researcher understands that the cemeteries visited and observed are

comprised of people, buried or visiting, who are predominantly of the Christian faith. This

can limit the observations made as the graves of people of other faiths or religions, such

as Judaism or Islam, may not have been observed in this study.

Limitations are acknowledged to be present as well in the various research

methods employed in this study. These limitations can be found in Chapter 3 as it

discusses the methodology.

9
1.8 Delimitations

Location

For the purposes of this study, the researcher chose to gather data within the state

of California. In calculations performed by U.S. News to see which cities were the most

diverse in the country, 7 cities in California were found to be in the top 10. This was out

of the 66 U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more. These calculations were made

using a diversity index that USA Today developed (US News, 2020). California is a

suitable location to investigate personal expressions in cemeteries because of its diverse

population.

Cemetery Burial Form

For the purposes of this study, the researcher has chosen to delimit observations

to in-ground burials and the personal expressions that occur when a cemetery visitor

comes to visit after the day of burial. This cemetery burial form provides a more interesting

array of personal expressions to derive data from.

1.9 Summary

The purpose of this master’s design thesis is to determine the design features and

elements necessary for a cemetery that is transformed by the personal expressions

exhibited by visitors after the day of burial. The study focuses specifically on the San

Francisco Bay Area. The findings were used to develop a new kind of cemetery typology.

10
 Chapter One gives an overview of the cemetery issue when it comes to personal

expressions. The benefits of discovering design solutions for this issue have been

described in this chapter.

Chapter Two focuses on a review of related literature when it comes to cemetery

design and other relative concepts. This will give a more in-depth background and a

stronger foundation for the investigation. Chapter Three discusses the methodology

applied in this study. It goes over the research design and the methods employed to

gather data and analyze them. Chapter Four interprets the data gathered and then

synthesizes the successful and unsuccessful features observed at cemeteries. Chapter

Five discusses the design process and presents the final concepts and design for a

cemetery typology that is transformed by personal expression. Chapter Six revisits the

research questions proposed here, discusses the relevance to landscape architecture,

and recommends topics for future research.

11
 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

The purpose of this master’s design thesis is to determine the design features and

elements necessary for a cemetery that is transformed by the personal expressions

exhibited by visitors after the day of burial in order to develop a new kind of cemetery

typology.

Literature review chapter describes the history of cemetery typology from a

Christian context given that the churchyard preceded cemeteries. It explains how the

cemetery emerged as a landscape form and how it has evolved to its form today. Along

with this evolution was the changing relationships Americans had with death as it shifted

from a direct relationship to a distant one. Chapter Two explains how this took place and

how that changing relationship has transformed the cemetery. The chapter then goes into

this case study on how the personal expressions in an African-American cemetery were

the main influence on the landscape form in that site. Lastly, the chapter shows examples

from some tragic events that occurred in 2020 and how forms of personal and creative

expression served as a means for healing for the collective grief of people and for the

individual as well.

2.1 The Evolution of Cemetery Typology

2.1.1 The Cemetery Emerges

Prior to the Agrarian and Industrial Revolutions, the need for cemeteries was

practically non-existent since churchyards served as the burial places for the deceased

as they were buried beneath or around the church’s grounds. Towns then industrialized

12
rapidly causing an influx of people who were migrating from the rural areas into the city

(Curl, 1993). With the significant increase in population in these industrializing towns

came urban issues related to health and hygiene such as sanitation, potable water supply,

and solid waste management. The environment was not conducive for a thriving

population. Life expectancy for an industrial worker was only seventeen years while that

of a professional worker being only thirty years. Consequently, these conditions resulted

in an increasing number of deaths and the need to find burial space became more urgent.

Churchyards began to reach beyond their capacity for burials and this caused health and

hygiene issues that further contributed to the harsh urban conditions (Herron, 2012). “It

became clear that a radical approach to the burial of the dead would have to be devised”

(Curl, 1993, p. 206). The cemetery emerges (Curl, 1993).

The first models for cemeteries emerged in places such as Scotland, Ulster, India,

Louisiana, and France. These cemeteries were hygienic models where the deceased

could be buried a distance away from the densifying populations in the city centers. These

sites maximized what the natural environment provided through picturesque views. They

became the preferred place for recreation in the neighborhoods they were in (Curl, 1993).

These examples became influential in how burial sites would be formed in England and

the United States as they addressed urban issues that these same cities were

experiencing as it pertained to sanitation and rising population rates (Herron, 2012).

2.1.2 The Rural Cemetery

In 1831, Mount Auburn Cemetery becomes the first rural cemetery in the United

States. Found just outside of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the cemetery

13
provides an inviting natural setting for families to commemorate their loved ones amidst

the pieces of artwork, such as monuments, scattered throughout the landscape to

memorialize the dead (History, n.d.). The acceptance by the public was quite successful.

Nine rural cemeteries throughout the country used Mount Auburn as its prime example

for designing this landscape form. These new rural cemeteries were located and placed

on the outskirts of industrializing towns to escape the commercial environment that

urbanization produced (Sloane, 1991).

The rural cemetery provided a picturesque atmosphere that people desired during

the mid-nineteenth century. Pathways were wide and serpentine roadways were visually

pleasing as they followed the contours of the land. It was a horticultural splendor as each

lot holder had the freedom to plant various species of trees and plants on their plots to

honor their deceased loved ones. These rural cemeteries reflected the culture of

“reestablishing some of the virtues of country life in the cities” (Sloane, 1991, p. 94).

People enjoyed visiting these burial grounds and treated these sites as recreational parks

where they could stroll around with their families and have picnics. It provided a place not

just for the dead, but for the living as well (Herron, 2012).

2.1.3 The Lawn-Park Cemetery

New cemetery designers saw the success of the first generation of rural

cemeteries, but they were disturbed by the inefficiencies in the layout and maintenance

of the landscape. There was overcrowding of people, as well as a lack of unity in the

plethora of monuments and plant material found throughout the rural cemetery. The

14
circulation design of roadways and pathways made it difficult for people to navigate

throughout the park (Sloane, 1991).

The lawn-park cemetery emerges in the 1850s as a response to the design issues

found in the rural cemetery. Efficiency in design was achieved by creating standards in

monument production and planting design. Their placement within the landscape was no

longer fully dictated by lot holders but by new cemetery owners and managers (Sloane,

1991).

2.1.4 The Memorial Park

In 1917, nearly one hundred years later after the movement of rural cemeteries

around the United States, the Memorial Park then emerges with Dr. Hubert Eaton’s model

at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California (Jackson & Vergara, 1989). In this

model, Eaton took the concept of the lawn-park cemetery even further and proposed the

lawn to become the most essential feature of the cemetery with flush monument tablets

as opposed to the traditional, vertical monuments and memorials (Jackson & Vergara,

1989). This model only gained popularity at the conclusion of World War Two. The culture

changed and so did the interest and importance given to cemeteries and monuments as

it was much less (Jackson & Vergara, 1989). The memorial park model eventually

becomes the most popularly developed model for the new cemeteries that we see today

in the United States (Herron, 2012).

15
2.2 Changing Relationships with Death in the United States

The changes throughout the history of cemeteries reveal the cultural shifts that

took place when it came to the relationship that Americans had with death. Early America

saw the heavy involvement of the family in the processes necessary for a proper burial

such as cleaning the body, digging the grave, building the coffin, and even carving the

gravestone at times. Death was deeply personal to those mourning and grieving (Sloane,

1991).

Upon the establishment of rural cemeteries, private, secular associations became

the owners and managers of the graveyard. These associations had their focus on further

developing the cemetery landscape. Families became members for the purpose of

preserving and protecting their own plots within the cemetery. The direct involvement of

Americans in the death process began to diminish, although more quickly in the

urbanizing towns than in the rural areas. City people appreciated the escape from the

commercialism and industrialization of urban life. The rural cemetery created a physical

isolation of the dead from the living, however, the naturalistic landscape and picturesque

atmosphere that it provided through its hills and valleys made that distancing publicly

acceptable (Sloane, 1991).

This public acceptance of the cemetery’s isolation from its lot-holders exposed the

cultural shift and evolving attitudes toward death. Society secularized and the idea of the

afterlife became bleak, increasing people’s fear of death. In avoidance of these realities,

families distanced themselves further by allowing professionals to manage the tasks they

would personally execute in the past. When someone was dying, people relied on nurses

and doctors to provide the care. Upon death, people relied on morticians to handle the

16
body. Once buried, it was the cemetery superintendents that maintained and beautified

the grave. The death and burial process gradually professionalized. Entrepreneurs

entered the scene and saw the cemetery as an opportunity for business, as well as

community service (Sloane, 1991).

This professionalization of death gave rise to the lawn-park cemetery where the

responsibility of maintaining the grave and designing monuments was in the hands of the

cemetery superintendent. Their goal in taking this responsibility was achieving a simplicity

in design aesthetic combined with the practicality of easy maintenance. The cemetery

landscape transformed from a naturalistic, picturesque style to a pastoral one with its vast

lawns. Monuments looked almost uniform by prescription. The professionalization of

death and burial altered the appearance of the cemetery but also its character.

Entrepreneurs had stimulated the American economy significantly and that commercial

culture crept into the landscape of burial grounds (Sloane, 1991).

America had seen sales and advertising strategies in the real estate and insurance

industries that could well be applied to the cemetery. Dr. Hubert Eaton saw the opportunity

and the culture of “open commercialism” (Sloane, 1991, p. 160) gave way to a new

cemetery typology, the memorial park. In 1917, Eaton established Forest Lawn Memorial

Park in Glendale, California, a suburb in the county of Los Angeles. It was the first of its

kind. With several people migrating in from various parts of the country, Los Angeles was

an appropriate location to experiment with cemetery form. Cemetery operators were

fascinated by the vast lawns found in the urban parks emerging in cities, but they were

not pleased with the contemporary monument styles found in the lawn-park cemetery.

This informed the design of the memorial park. The pastoral landscape of the lawn-park

17
cemetery was maintained in the new cemetery typology. Monuments on plots or in

sections of plots were eliminated. They were replaced with simple, bronze memorial

markers that were flush to the ground, making it more of a private reminder for the family

rather than a public statement. The appearance of the cemetery changed but what truly

differentiated it from other cemeteries was its business model. The memorial park

provided all the services needed in the death and burial process. It was the culmination

of the culture where Americans completely distanced themselves from the cemetery and

left all the responsibility to the institution (Sloane, 1991).

2.3 The Cemetery as a Place of Cultural Identity

In a case study of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, Jones contrasts

this African American cemetery with Euro-American cemeteries. The rural cemetery,

which was Euro-American in nature, was designed to be park-like, romantic, and formal

with its planting design, grand monuments, mowed lawns, and tidy rows of graves. It was

often a denial of the reality that the cemetery was a place for the dead (Jones, 2011, pp.

234-235).

Baltimore’s Mount Auburn Cemetery, although originally designed as a traditional

rural cemetery, was built and owned by the United Methodist Church comprised of African

Americans (Sharp Street Memorial United Methodist Church n.d.). This meant that the

use or actions of those to whom the cemetery belonged would transform the place and

shape the land based on the cultural imprint or overlay that they left behind (Jones, 2011,

p. 227). These owners were responsible for the care and maintenance of their individual

gravesites. Hence, upon observation, many forms of cultural expressions can be seen

18
throughout the cemetery landscape. Jones describes the Holsey Plot, located in the

northeastern part of the site, showing an example of how these cultural expressions

occur. The Holsey Plot includes a monument shrouded with a fabric rich in color and

pattern. The tree behind the monument is utilized as well by the visitor(s) as ribbons,

plastic flowers, and water jugs hang from it. There is a diversity and a freedom of

expression encouraged by the informal atmosphere provided by the malleable cemetery

form. The lack of restrictions prevented the deprivation of visitors from executing traditions

founded upon one’s history (Jones, 2011, p. 236).

Culture, stemming from a rich African American history through the lens of slavery

and landscape, is expressed within the cemetery. The naturalistic design and random

form reflect the relationship that African Americans had with the land since traditionally,

slave burial grounds were not just family plots, but they were also community gathering

spaces (Sloane, 1991, p. 15). Culture informs the design and appearance of Baltimore’s

Mount Auburn Cemetery as historical, religious, and social customs of African Americans

are represented within the site. The cemetery, Baltimore’s Mount Auburn Cemetery along

with other African American cemeteries, is preserving community. However, when this

cemetery is juxtaposed against Euro-American cemeteries with their geometric order and

perpetual care, some start to see the condition of Baltimore’s Mount Auburn Cemetery as

a sign of neglect and chaos. This view disregards the value to culture, and to environment

which Jones explains in the article as well, that places like this hold. Euro-American

cemeteries prioritize form and perpetual maintenance practices, but it comes at the cost

of ritual, ceremony, cultural expression, and its preservation (Jones, 2011).

19
 Jones sees the African American cemetery and how its inherent improvisational

aesthetic coming from its cultural overlay can transform this landscape of the dead. Aside

from the environmental benefits it provides, Mount Auburn Cemetery becomes a place of

cultural identity. It allows for the preservation of cultural meaning by letting memory,

nature, and ritual shape this landscape. It becomes a place not solely used for mere

mental remembrance but also for preservation of and participation in cultural expressions

rooted in one’s history, background, and traditions. The challenge now lies in discovering

how to move forward in terms of cemetery design with cultural preservation and

maintenance as important considerations (Jones, 2011, pp. 238-239).

2.4. Personal Expression as a Means for Healing

In 2020, the collective grief that resulted from recent traumatic events spurred a

flourishing of personal and creative expression. This often occurred through the use of

image- and object-based media. Following the unexpected death of Kobe Bryant, one of

the most beloved players of the Los Angeles Lakers, murals and shrines began to appear

throughout Los Angeles and around Southern California. On the side of a store off of

Melrose Avenue, fans created a makeshift shrine where they could gather and place

candles and purple and gold flowers (the team colors of the LA Lakers) under a mural

depicting the basketball player’s likeness. Visitors also wrote notes of grief and mourning

on yellow sticky notes and placed them upon the purple wall in order to commemorate

Bryant’s legacy (Burch & Habeshian, 2020).

A few months later, during the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the

resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, murals and portraits of Floyd and other

20
police brutality victims began to appear in Minnesota and across the nation. The newly

created images of these victims were often “spontaneous” acts that were meant to call

for justice and celebrate community. The sites where these murals live have not only

functioned as memorials for the deceased but also as ad hoc gathering locations for vigils

and ceremonies for those who survive him (Stoilas, 2021).

Altogether, this reflects the current research surrounding grief, healing, and

personal expression. Psychologists Robert Neimeyer and Barbara Thompson in their joint

discussion of grief therapy note that grief and anguish have existed as long as humanity

itself. Those who have lost loved ones have often found solace in art, rituals, music, and

spiritual traditions, among other forms of expression. Their work specifically suggests that

a wide range of creative procedures or means of expression can help people find meaning

and direction during an emotional and turbulent experience (Neimeyer & Thompson,

2014).

Scholars from other disciplines form similar conclusions. In his study of the

relationship between landscapes and grief, geographer Hywel Griffiths acknowledges

that physical, virtual, and embodied-psychological spaces are all interdependent. Shared

experiences of bereavement and grief are overlain by one’s own personal experiences.

In other words, Griffiths’ partly argues that although geographies of grief, memory,

commemoration, and absence tend to be shared amongst groups, it is the experience of

the individual that provides it with dynamism and affect (Griffiths, 2021).

21
2.5 Summary

This chapter shed light on how throughout cemetery history, form changed based

on the decisions of a few people in authority. Most of these decisions were founded on

personal preferences as it related to design aesthetic and eventually to economic factors

as the cemetery commercialized. The distanced relationship with death has left users of

the cemetery less involved in cemetery design, with concern mainly on the cemetery plot

of their loved ones. This is seen through the embellishment and decoration of the

cemetery plots by visitors. In this paper, this is considered as personal expressions.

Mount Auburn Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, provides an example of a

cemetery that is transformed by personal expressions. Less focus is given to the design

aesthetic or the economic benefits of the cemetery, but the priority is given to cultural,

and even ecological value.

The significance of creating a cemetery that encourages and promotes personal

expression was illustrated as well as research showed how solace can be found in various

forms of expression as seen in the responses to the events of 2020.

This research aims to produce a cemetery typology design that takes the personal

expressions found at the cemetery plot to the scale of an entire cemetery site. It proposes

a cemetery that is transformed by people rather than by prescribed Euro-American design

or by profit maximization. In Chapter Three, the methodology in gathering data to inform

this design goal is laid out.

22
 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this master’s design thesis is to determine the design features and

elements necessary for a cemetery that is transformed by the personal expressions

exhibited by visitors after the day of burial. The study focuses specifically on the San

Francisco Bay Area. The findings were used to develop a new kind of cemetery typology.

Chapter Three presents the qualitative methodology (Sommer & Sommer, 2002)

and research process that have been employed to answer the research questions

presented in Chapter One. These methods have been chosen to reveal the successful

and unsuccessful features of cemetery design through the lens of human behavior.

This chapter discusses the research design. It covers the study population, study

location, the data collection methods used in each phase of the research process,

possible bias and error in the methodology, and how data was analyzed. The design

process is explained in this chapter as well.

3.1 Research Design

The researcher began the investigation with a review of related literature. This was

conducted to learn what is known about the topic at hand (Sommer & Sommer, 2002, p.

31). Previous research was reviewed to see what issues may be addressed by this study

and to gain insight on how design can be utilized to improve cemetery design.

The investigation involved qualitative research methods (Sommer & Sommer,

2002) conducted throughout three data collection phases. In Phase 1, the researcher

conducted casual observation at initial cemetery site visits. The number of cemeteries

23
visited was determined to be sufficient for the study once the observations became

repetitive. To explain further, if researcher had visited an additional site, similar

observations would have been expected. In Phase 2, a criteria matrix, based on insights

derived from the observations in Phase 1, was developed to select 3 case study sites.

Phase 3 employed systematic observation at these selected case study sites. Notes were

documented using tally sheets and ethnograms/observation sheets that included

categories developed from Phase 1.

All the data gathered from these phases were then analyzed and synthesized

using the case study method that Marcus and Francis used in their book, People Places

(Sommer & Sommer, 2002) to determine the successful and unsuccessful features in

cemeteries as they relate to personal expressions. The information helped drive the

researcher in beginning the design process. The final output is the design of a new

cemetery typology at a selected site that encourages and promotes personal expressions

of visitors.

The researcher had initially planned to conduct interviews with cemetery

professionals and visitors to gain insights on the research questions. For this, the

researcher went through the Institutional Review Board’s (IRB) approval process and was

approved. These documents are found in the Appendix. Unfortunately, the researcher

was unsuccessful in gaining approval from the cemetery managers for interviews. Hence,

the interviews were omitted from the research design as a method of investigation. Figure

3.1 visually represents the final research design created for this study. The next few

sections explain this research design in more detail.

24
Figure 3.1 Research Design

25
3.2 Study Population and Location

The study population for this research was the people present in the cemetery sites

during those times of observation. This included people of different sexes, races, and

ages engaging in various activities and behaviors at the cemetery.

The researcher chose to delimit the study location to cemeteries within the San

Francisco Bay Area in California. California is the most ethnically and racially diverse

state in the United States. The Bay Area cities of San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco

happen to all be in the Top 20 most racially and ethnically diverse cities in the United

States (US News, 2020) making this region an excellent location to pursue this research.

3.3 Data Collection

The data collection process includes three phases:

3.3.1 Phase 1: Initial Cemetery Site Visits

To begin data collection, the researcher visited cemetery sites throughout the San

Francisco Bay Area in California to observe the activities of cemetery visitors and

investigate the physical traces on cemetery graves. Without any prearranged categories

or a scoring system, casual observation was performed (Sommer & Sommer, 2002, p.

48) using the following methods for documentation:

i. Photo Documentation

Photos were taken through researcher’s personal iPhone to document the

physical traces of cemetery visitors on graves and what objects they left behind for

the buried. No individually identifiable data of the living were gathered during this

26
phase. Once all photos had been taken, they were then categorized into different

groups based on what was observed and captured in those photos.

ii. Casual Observation

An ethnogram (Figure 3.2) was used to take note of observations on the type

of people and the activities people engage in at the site. The ethnogram includes

fields such as the number of people, age group, race, sex, and activities/behaviors.

Observation was done unobtrusively from a distance and at times, from

researcher’s tinted car. Researcher ensured that the distance from subject/s was

far enough to prevent overhearing and/or documenting any conversations as the

focus was on observing broad behaviors such as talking, standing, sitting, eating,

etc.

27
Figure 3.2 Observation Sheet/Ethnogram Template

28
3.3.2 Phase 2: Case Study Site Selection

After visiting several cemetery sites in Phase 1, a criteria matrix (Figure 3.3) was

developed to determine which three sites would be ideal for conducting a systematic

observation in. The researcher was then able to select case study sites (Marcus &

Francis, 1998) to perform systematic observation in (Sommer & Sommer, 2002).

Figure 3.3 Criteria Matrix for Case Study Site Selection

3.3.3 Phase 3: Case Studies

Once the three case study sites had been selected, the researcher then took a

more in-depth investigation of these cemetery sites. Data gathered from the casual

observation in the initial cemetery site visits in Phase 1 were categorized and listed down.

These prearranged categories were applied consistently to these case studies in the form

of systematic observation (Sommer & Sommer, 2002, pp. 50-51). Categories observed

were tallied on a sheet (Figure 3.4) to give researcher insight as to what the top activities,

29
physical traces, objects, and types of people are found at these case study cemetery

sites.

Figure 3.4 Systematic Observation Tally Sheet

3.4 Data Analysis

Data and information gathered from the data collection methods employed in this

study were analyzed by entering data in spreadsheets, reviewing observation notes, and

reviewing photos taken. Data were visualized with the appropriate graphics such as

graphs and tables. Analysis and findings were synthesized using the case study pattern

used by Marcus and Francis in their book, People Places. This revealed the major uses

and users, successful features, and unsuccessful features (Marcus & Francis, 1998) of

these cemetery sites as it relates to personal expressions. These insights gave the

30
researcher the benefit of developing the final cemetery design (Simonds & Starke, 2006,

pp. 99-100).

3.5 Bias and Error

The researcher acknowledges that the data collection methods employed in this

research, such as photo documentation, casual observation, and systematic observation,

are prone to bias and error as those times spent documenting observations at cemetery

sites may not have covered every aspect of personal expressions at cemeteries. The

observations are made at certain points in time where many factors can affect

circumstances such as weather, holidays, frequency of visits, or time of day.

To prevent human bias and error, the researcher made observations on different

days of the year and at different times of the day or the week to be able to see if there

were big variations in the personal expressions taking place at these cemeteries or not.

3.6 Design Process

The final step in this research process is design. Design takes place in the following

steps:

3.6.1 Site Selection

Site selection requires “investigation and documentation” of (1) the “evaluation of

existing site resources including confirmation of micro and macro site characteristics” and

(2) the “establishment of project goals and intent in terms of program components and

specific design priorities (Dewberry, 2008, p. 23).” The program developed from analysis

and findings were helpful in determining the type of site that would be appropriate to select

31
for a cemetery design. Other criteria were determined as well to achieve the outcomes

desired.

3.6.2 Site Analysis

As the site had been selected, an analysis of that site had to then be conducted.

This “provided the designer with a full understanding of the potential or allowable use” of

the site (Dewberry, 2008, p. 24). The analysis explored several aspects of the site such

as the physical, socio-cultural, environmental, and/or economic attributes of the site

among others.

3.6.3 Conceptual Design

The designer obtained all the information required from the research and design

process and was then able to describe plans for the site through “sketches, functional

diagrams, or concept plans” that could show the “distribution of land use and major

circulation requirements” within the site. This was during the phase of conceptual design.

In this phase, the program was adapted to become site-specific (Dewberry, 2008, p. 185).

This was the point wherein all research and analysis conducted could support the site

design to develop “organically between the natural and the planned environment

(Simonds & Starke, 2006, p. 112).”

3.6.4 Schematic Design

In the schematic design phase of the design process, the conceptual design was

further developed and refined. Specific forms and layouts emerged. In this phase, there

32
was sufficient information to visually communicate the design to others and receive

feedback before finalizing the design and moving on to developing construction

documents. The schematic design was completed with realistic considerations and

feasibility in mind (Dewberry, 2008, p. 221). This study does not go on to produce

construction documents as the schematic design is its final output.

3.7 Summary

In this chapter, the research design to be applied to this study was presented. The

study population and location were stated along with the delimitations as well. Various

data collection methods are used in each phase along with the methods of analyzing the

findings. In these methods, human bias and error can be present and it was explained

how this is addressed. Additionally, Chapter Three explained the design process and how

the synthesis of all these findings can aid in producing the final output of a schematic

design. Chapter Four will discuss the analysis and findings derived from this

methodology.

33
 CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

The purpose of this master’s design thesis is to determine the design features and

elements necessary for a cemetery that is transformed by the personal expressions

exhibited by visitors after the day of burial in order to develop a new kind of cemetery

typology.

Chapter Three describes the research design and methods used to collect and

gather data. In this chapter, Chapter Four, the analysis and findings derived through each

phase of the methodology will be explained. Insights will then be expressed as everything

is synthesized.

4.1 Phase 1: Initial Cemetery Site Visits

The researcher chose a randomized sample of various cemeteries to conduct

casual observation in these initial cemetery site visits (Figure 4.1). These cemeteries are

found in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. This section shows some of the photos

documented at eight cemetery sites visited and some notes on what was observed. More

focus is given here to physical traces and objects left at the grave. More discussion on

the observations of people at the cemetery will be found further on in this chapter.

34
Figure 4.1 Phase 1: Initial Cemetery Site Visits

35
4.1.1 Chinese Cemetery

Address: 4650 Callan Blvd., Daly City, CA 94015

Date of Visit: May 31, 2021

Time of Visit: ~11:20am

Photos and Notes:

Figure 4.2 Chinese Cemetery

Figure 4.2 shows the Chinese ritual of lighting incense at the grave. Photo 1 shows

a new burial with a temporary wooden marker. The incense is placed into the ground in

this instance. The more established graves found in Photos 2, 4 and 5 have tombstones

with holes in them specifically for placing the incense sticks. Photo 3 is a grave with a

bigger plot and against the wall at the back of the plot is a rectangular container of soil,

sand, or pebbles to stick the incense sticks in. This is an example of the cemetery plot

being designed to accommodate ritual and culture.

36
Figure 4.3 Chinese Cemetery

Photo 3 in Figure 4.3 shows a sign prohibiting any kind of planting at the burial

plot. It says, “NOTICE: Planting of any trees, shrubs, weeds, flowers, or any other

vegetation in, around, or upon any portion of the burial plot is prohibited.” Although the

cemetery prohibits this, some of the graves have plants that are established in the soil

such as those seen in Photos 4 and 5. Photos 1 and 2 show some jade plants that have

been placed in the tombstone holes made for holding flowers. Soil was placed within

those holes for the jade plants to grow. This is interesting in the fact that the jade plant

has a spiritual significance as it symbolizes a few positive things in Feng Shui such as

good luck, wealth, prosperity, and friendship (Clark, n.d.). The cemetery prohibits these

plantings, yet visitors are finding ways to still bring in those plantings somehow. This

shows a conflict between cemetery policy and the personal expressions of visitors.

37
Figure 4.4 Chinese Cemetery

Figure 4.4 shows some of the practices in this cemetery during the Qing Ming

festival. Literally translated, it means “grave sweeping day.” In Chinese culture, it is a

traditional time of visiting deceased loved ones, usually falling around the first week of

April based on the lunar calendar. Visitors burn incense and paper and leave an offering

of flowers and a variety of drinks and cold foods (Larson & Vigil, 2006).

Photo 5 in Figure 4.4 shows a new grave with oranges on a plate placed on the

ground. This is on a flatter area of the cemetery. Photo 2 has some fruits as well but

because of the slope, the concrete platform allows the practice of this tradition to be

possible. Otherwise, round fruits or other objects would just slide off of the grave.

Metal buckets were also found in some graves. This is where visitors burn paper.

It is unknown to the researcher if this is brought in by the visitors or provided by the

cemetery. Either way, to practice this tradition, the metal bucket must be present.

38
Figure 4.5 Chinese Cemetery

Figure 4.6 Chinese Cemetery

39
 Figures 4.5 and 4.6 show how the physical attributes of the cemetery can affect

accessibility and personal expressions. In this case, the cemetery has areas where there

are steep slopes making it difficult for some types of visitors, such as the disabled or the

elderly, to access the graves of their loved ones. The objects that visitors use or leave at

the grave may even roll off the grave such as the metal bucket in Photo 4.

Some graves in this cemetery have been adapted to this topography to still

accommodate some rituals and traditions. Photos 3, 7, 8, and 9 show concrete platforms

for placing objects so that they do not just roll off.

In the case of Photo 6 in Figure 4.6, a whole space has been formally created with

walls, hardscaping, and concrete tables for visitors to be able to perform the activities

they desire and have places for the personal expressions that they leave behind.

The elements that allow for visitor activities and personal expressions are revealed

in these photos but in Photo 5 of Figure 4.5, those elements are missing. The graves and

markers are placed so closely together on a steep slope. In this area, there were hardly

any personal expressions to be found except for a few flowers scattered around.

40
Figure 4.7 Chinese Cemetery

Figure 4.7 shows some of the things that visitors leave behind as personal

expressions. There are plastic flowers, fresh flowers, plastic animals, flags, and/or bottles

of water. There are holes in some of the tombstones for placing flowers. This can be seen

in Photos 1, 2, and 4. The tombstone in Photo 3 does not have those holes for flowers.

In this case, the visitors left plastic flowers by pushing them into the soil in the ground for

stabilization.

41
4.1.2 Italian Cemetery

Address: 540 F St., Colma, CA 94014

Date of Visit: May 31, 2021

Time of Visit: ~1:30pm

Photos and Notes:

Figure 4.8 Italian Cemetery

Photo 3 in Figure 4.8 shows a sign near the entrance that says the name of the

cemetery, Italian Cemetery, and under that it states, “SERVING ALL FAITHS &

NATIONALITIES SINCE 1899.” Although, it is a cemetery that is specific to a nation, it

shows that it welcomes people of diverse cultures based on religion or nationality.

42
Figure 4.9 Italian Cemetery

Figures 4.9, 4.10, and 4.11 show several graves at the Italian Cemetery. Most of

the graves there were placed above ground in these burial vaults. The monuments on

these graves are forms of personal expression. It gives insight on the religious

background of those buried and those related to the deceased. Many of the religious

images observed in this cemetery seem to represent images and symbols of Roman

Catholicism. The intricate stonework was impressive as these monuments had to be done

with skill and precision. The sizes of these monuments were much larger than the

tombstones observed in other cemeteries.

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Figure 4.10 Italian Cemetery

Figure 4.11 Italian Cemetery

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Figure 4.12 Italian Cemetery

Figure 4.12 shows photos of some of the things that visitors leave behind such as

potted plants, plastic flowers, plastic animals, and holiday decorations. The raised graves

provide a platform for leaving these objects and making them more visible to visitors and

passersby.

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4.1.3 Woodlawn Memorial Park

Address: 1000 El Camino Real, Colma, CA 94014

Date of Visit: May 31, 2021

Time of Visit: ~2:10pm

Photos and Notes:

Figure 4.13 Woodlawn Memorial Park

Figures 4.13 and 4.14 show one grave that is heavily personalized. At first glance,

the grave appears as if it is just a grave of flowers and balloons as seen in Photo 2. Upon

closer inspection, there are many more things to discover and observe in this plot. There

are religious symbols, holiday decorations, artwork, toys, lanterns, plastic flowers, fresh

flowers, sports paraphernalia, cake, a can of beer, potted plants, mini-fences and

interestingly, bottles of engine coolant. The visitors used their entire plot to place things

that expressed their love for the deceased in this grave.

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Figure 4.14 Woodlawn Memorial Park

Figure 4.15 Woodlawn Memorial Park

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 The graves seen in Figures 4.15 and 4.16 are adjacent to a temporary fence that

covers an area of the cemetery where maintenance work is staged. The fence is there to

keep the mounds of soil invisible to cemetery visitors. The researcher noted that this area

was the most colorful display of personal expressions among all the cemeteries observed

in this study. The visitors did not own the fence as part of their cemetery plot.

Nevertheless, it is obvious that it was utilized for personal expressions. Visitors hang

wreaths, chimes, plastic flowers, decorations, messages, vines, and religious symbols.

Some of these items, such as the wreaths and chimes, were rarely seen at all the other

standard graves. The vertical element added a different dimension to the embellishment

of the grave.

Figure 4.16 Woodlawn Memorial Park

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Figure 4.17 Woodlawn Memorial Park

Figure 4.17 shows the use of flags at the graves of veterans during the Memorial

Day holiday when this site was visited. Observations throughout the study showed the

prevalent traces of holiday decorations throughout the year.

Figures 4.18-4.21 show some of the flat memorial markers popularized by the

Forest Lawn Memorial Park in 1917. This is very minimal space for visitors and yet,

personal expressions are seen in abundance on and around the markers. In Photo 1 of

Figure 4.18, plastic flowers are poked into the ground to border the marker. In Photo 4 ,

a sign post is located near a memorial marker and is utilized to hang chimes. Just like the

fence in Figures 4.15 and 4.16, when a vertical element is found near the grave, visitors

will utilize it even if it is outside their plot.

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Figure 4.18 Woodlawn Memorial Park

Figure 4.19 Woodlawn Memorial Park

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 Photos 1 and 2 in Figure 4.19 show potted plants bordering the grave. Plantings

may be prohibited but visitors have found a way to bring them in without planting them

into the ground. Photos 3 and 4 show protective coverings around the marker. The visitors

may not be interested in maintaining the cemetery and even the area immediately outside

their plot but here, the care of the visitor for the grave or the marker of the deceased is

revealed.

Figure 4.20 Woodlawn Memorial Park

Photo 8 in Figure 4.20 shows a memorial marker with an image of the city, a picture

of the deceased with a loved one, and a personal message. The memorial marker itself

is a form of personal expression. It gives more information to the visitor about who is

buried there.

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Figure 4.21 Woodlawn Memorial Park

Figure 4.22 Woodlawn Memorial Park

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 Woodlawn Memorial Park represents different faiths and nationalities. There is

freedom to express oneself based on your personal background. Figure 4.22 shows

graves designed based on Chinese culture. These graves are placed around other graves

of people who are of different nationalities and cultures. Cultural, ethnic, and religious

diversity is seen throughout the cemetery.

Figure 4.23 Woodlawn Memorial Park

Figure 4.23 shows another area of Woodlawn Memorial Park, the stone garden.

There is minimal need for landscape maintenance because of the lack of turf. The issue

is accessibility. It is in an area that is steep. It requires a few steps to get to this area. It

would not accommodate many people when visiting a grave since the space is very tight.

Markers have a smaller surface area although they are taller than other memorial

markers. A few personal expressions were observed here including those in Photo 2.

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Figure 4.24 Woodlawn Memorial Park

Figures 4.24 and 4.25 show some more examples of other graves. In Photos 2

and 3 of Figure 4.24, old graves are seen with tall monuments as memorial markers. The

text engraved on these monuments gave some information about those buried. There

were no objects left behind by visitors, but the monument gave some insight about the

buried.

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Figure 4.25 Woodlawn Memorial Park

Photos 2 and 3 in Figure 4.25 show examples of tombstones that were very

personalized with pictures and images of the deceased’s interests in life.

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4.1.4 Greek Orthodox Memorial Park

Address: 1148 El Camino Real, Colma, CA 94014

Date of Visit: May 31, 2021

Time of Visit: ~3:05pm

Photos and Notes:

Figure 4.26 Greek Orthodox Memorial Park

The Greek Orthodox Memorial Park had a building near the entrance that used

colors and forms that were reminiscent of Greece. The Greek flag was waving along with

the U.S. flag. This is seen in Photo 1 of Figure 4.26. The cemetery was not as racially

and ethnically diverse as the other memorial parks as mostly Greek people were buried

in this cemetery. Greek candles were observed to be on many graves such as the one in

Photo 2. Photos 3 and 4 show some landscaping on the cemetery plot. It seems as if this

56
is not prohibited. The hedges show the need of the visitors to delineate their space and

provide for themselves a bit of privacy and a sense of ownership.

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4.1.5 Mountain View Cemetery

Address: 5000 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, CA 94611

Date of Visit: May 31, 2021

Time of Visit: ~3:50pm

Photos and Notes:

Figure 4.27 Greek Orthodox Memorial Park

Mountain View Cemetery was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1863

(History, n.d.). Not many personal expressions were observed at this cemetery since

there weren’t many new graves. What was interesting to note though was the layout of

the cemetery. There were paths for vehicles and many paths for pedestrians. It made

cemetery plots easily accessible. Some paths were covered with turf but they were flat

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and spacious enough to walk someone in a wheelchair through. The meandering paths

provided a contemplative atmosphere.

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4.1.6 Oak Hill Memorial Park

Address: 300 Curtner Ave., San Jose, CA 95125

1st Date of Visit: September 11, 2021

1st Time of Visit: ~2:30pm

2nd Date of Visit: November 14, 2021

2nd Time of Visit: ~4:40pm

Photos and Notes:

Figure 4.28 Oak Hill Memorial Park

Figure 4.28 shows how visitors like to delineate the grave of their loved ones. It

provides a clear limit on where they can add decoration and personalization.

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Figure 4.29 Oak Hill Memorial Park

Figure 4.29 shows that gatherings of numerous people take place at the cemetery.

Photo 1 shows a family with food, drinks, lawn chairs, tables, and umbrellas. There is a

need for umbrellas for shade since shade is very limited at the cemetery. This is due to

the limited number of trees. Cemeteries tend to limit the number of trees in areas where

there are plots so that the roots do not take up valuable space for graves. Photo 2 shows

another large gathering with a band present playing music. Space is taken up over other

graves to accommodate the large number of people. Photo 3 shows traces of people

spending time at the grave.

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Figure 4.30 Oak Hill Memorial Park

Figure 4.30 shows objects that are hung when there is an available place to hang

things. These elements may not be part of the cemetery plot but are nearby enough to

use to hang personal things.

Figure 4.31 shows how special occasions such as birthdays and holidays are

celebrated at the grave with decorations, food, drinks, candles, flowers, and other things

that people leave behind. Figure 4.32 shows more examples of how graves are

personalized with various objects that people leave for the dead.

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Figure 4.31 Oak Hill Memorial Park

Figure 4.32 Oak Hill Memorial Park

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Figure 4.33 Oak Hill Memorial Park

Figure 4.33 shows some examples of graves that host altar tombs. Various images

and text are engraved into the surface of the altar tombs revealing information on the

buried. This style provides more space than the regular tombstone in sharing more

information. However, it does take away some of the space that can be used for visitors

to gather. Since plots are side-by-side, there is space mainly just in front of the plot for

standing and viewing.

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4.1.7 Los Gatos Memorial Park

Address: 2255 Los Gatos Almaden Rd., San Jose, CA 95124

Date of Visit: September 11, 2021

Time of Visit: ~3:25pm

Photos and Notes:

Figure 4.34 Los Gatos Memorial Park

Figure 4.34 shows examples of tombstones that are more personalized with text

and images that share information about the buried. Photo 1 shows a tombstone in the

shape of a book with the images of those buried there engraved in it. The man’s image

seems to have the front of a car showing behind his head, signifying maybe his interest

in cars during his life. Photo 2 shows an image of a woman engraved in the tombstone

giving visitors a recognizable face of the buried. There is also a spiraling symbol at the

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top of the image in Photo 2 that may have been created by relatives to symbolize the

buried with some special meaning. Text is engraved in a different language giving some

indication of the deceased’s native tongue and where she comes from. Photo 3 shows an

image of a half of a sun drawn in some type of Polynesian, Pacific-Islander, or maybe

even Filipino style. The text is poetic as it says, “Prolific hymns descend from dialects

spoken in pen.” This could possibly be an indication of the buried person’s career or

passion in his life to write. Photo 4 shows a large memorial marker with the names and

an image of two people that seem to be married. There is text that is also engraved in a

different language, possibly Farsi, giving an indication of who these people are and a little

bit about their background.

Figure 4.35 Los Gatos Memorial Park

Figure 4.35 shows a grave that can accommodate a gathering of people. There is

enough space along with seating on both sides. It provides a room and a sense of privacy

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for visitors. The space is delineated by the landscaping at the back and the path at the

front. Some of these graves seemed to be empty. It may be that these cemetery plots are

more expensive than the regular ones due to their size and their features.

Figure 4.36 Los Gatos Memorial Park

Figure 4.36 shows the graves of babies that have passed away. The size of the

tombstones, the text and images on them, and the objects that are left behind give the

space a soft and lighthearted feel that is very appropriate for the type of people that are

buried there, in this case, babies. Photo 3 is a tombstone that displays quotes from Dr.

Seuss and Kung Fu Panda. In the other photos, little toys and little stuffed animals are

left behind aside from the things that are usually left behind at adult graves. The personal

expressions visible here produce a different emotional impact than those on adult graves.

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Figure 4.37 Los Gatos Memorial Park

Figure 4.37 shows graves where visitors have left potted plants. Photo 2 shows a

rose bush rooted in the ground next to the tombstones. This may be prohibited but the

plant is growing anyway. Flowering plants seem to be the choice here as they last longer

than cut flowers.

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4.1.8 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery

Address: 22555 Cristo Rey Dr., Los Altos, CA 94024

1st Date of Visit: September 11, 2021

1st Time of Visit: ~4:20pm

2nd Date of Visit: November 7, 2021

2nd Time of Visit: ~4:42pm

Photos and Notes:

Figure 4.38 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery

Figure 4.38 shows once again the desire of visitors to delineate the cemetery plot.

The decorations and objects that people leave behind tend to stay within those borders

that they create.

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Figure 4.39 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery

Figure 4.39 shows how food and drinks are often left by visitors at the grave. Photo

1 shows a bag of Circus Animal crackers left behind. Photo 2 shows a few bottles of beer

and a bottle of wine. Photo 3 shows a can of Coke. Photo 4 shows bottles of water. Photo

5 shows a Starbucks coffee cup and water. At the bottom of the memorial marker is a

burning cigarette held up vertically by the soil.

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Figure 4.40 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery

Figure 4.40 shows objects hanging from trees that are nearby to some graves.

Figure 4.41 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery

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 Figure 4.41 shows more examples of graves that are personalized and decorated

with objects that visitors have left.

Figure 4.42 Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery

Figure 4.42 shows examples of signs found around the cemetery that show some

of the policies. Photo 1 shows the prohibition of the use of tents in the cemetery. It is not

clear whether this is prohibiting a camping tent, a canopy tent, or maybe both. If a canopy

tent is prohibited, that would eliminate an option for shade when people are gathering in

areas where there is no shade provided by trees. Photo 2 shows a sign with the

cemetery’s flower policy. It informs visitors that the lawn is mowed all day on Wednesdays

and that all flowers are removed during that time.

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4.2 Phase 2: Case Study Site Selection

The casual observation conducted in Phase 1 uncovered many realizations about

personal expressions at cemeteries. To achieve a more focused investigation, the

researcher narrowed down the number of sites to 3 from the original 8 cemeteries visited.

In these sites, systematic observation would be conducted for a closer look at personal

expressions.

To select the 3 sites out of the 8 cemeteries visited, the researcher developed

criteria (Figure 4.43) based on insights provoked by the casual observation conducted in

Phase 1. It was predicted that the criteria chosen would yield substantial data from

systematic observations at these selected sites.

Figure 4.43 Criteria for Case Study Site Selection

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 To achieve the desired results from conducting systematic observation in the next

phase, the cemetery sites had to have a strong presence of what needed to be observed.

For the purposes of this research, the sites to be selected had to have a strong,

substantial presence of people and objects that were left at the grave.

Furthermore, the diversity of what is observed at these sites was very important.

Therefore, the researcher chose criteria that considered the type of people that visited

these cemeteries. Did the site have numerous people visiting with high ethnic diversity,

high religious diversity, and high age diversity? The researcher also chose criteria that

related to some of the activities that visitors engaged in as observed in Phase 1’s casual

observation. Were the visitors at the cemetery taking pictures of the grave they decorated

and taking pictures of themselves and the people they were with? Were they having

picnics at the grave? Were there a lot of people in groups of more than 2?

The researcher considered the objects and things that people leave behind at the

grave as well when choosing criteria for case study site selection. There had to be many

instances of personal expressions at the grave. Did the cemetery have many potted

plants brought in? Did graves have many objects on them representing the buried or

representing what the buried meant to the people visiting them? Were there many graves

where decorations were not just laid on the grave, but also built up vertically?

Cemeteries visited in Phase 1 were given one point for each of these criteria that

the site met. The points were added, and this delivered the results shown in Figure 4.43.

Woodlawn Memorial Park in Colma, California and Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose,

California met all the criteria chosen by the researcher giving these sites a perfect score

of 10. Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery followed with a score of 8. The cemetery may

74
not have had visitors with much religious diversity since it catered to the Catholic market,

but it still met other criteria qualifying it to be selected as a case study site for systematic

observation. The next section explains the results of the systematic observation

conducted at these 3 case study sites.

4.3 Phase 3: Case Study Site Visits

The researcher documented observations in Phase 1 and listed down the data in

preparation for a tally sheet to be used for systematic observation in Phase 3. Figure 4.44

shows the list of objects left at the grave that were recorded from photo documentation.

It also lists the activities/behaviors that visitors engaged in as recorded from

ethnograms/casual observation.

Figure 4.44 Recorded Observations

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 In Phase 3, the researcher visited the 3 cemetery sites that were selected in Phase

2 using the case study site selection matrix. These sites were Woodlawn Memorial Park

visited on November 7th, 2021 at around 2:50pm, Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery

visited on November 7th, 2021 at around 4:40pm, and Oak Hill Memorial Park visited on

November 14th, 2021 at around 4:40pm. As the researcher walked around these

cemeteries, observations were being tallied on tally sheets as they corresponded to the

list items shown in Figure 4.44. Recordings for objects are based on the researcher

visiting one grave at a time. Each item on the list was given one tally mark if at least one

instance of the list item was observed at the grave. If there were more than one instance

observed, it would remain recorded as solely one tally mark. The observations regarding

people and their activities/behaviors were not based on researcher going from grave to

grave since observations were made from a distance, usually from the researcher’s

vehicle. One tally mark was recorded for each instance of the activity/behavior observed.

Data gathered were then synthesized using spreadsheets. Tables 4.1 and 4.2

show the results at each cemetery site.

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Table 4.1 Tally Results for Activities/Behaviors

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 Table 4.2 Tally Results for Objects Left at Grave

Once the results were synthesized, the researcher then ranked them to see what

the top activities and what the top objects left at the grave were. This can be seen in

Tables 4.3 and 4.4 and visualized in graphs in Figures 4.45 and 4.46.

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Table 4.3 Top Activities/Behaviors Observed Figure 4.45 Top Activities/Behaviors Observed

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Table 4.4 Objects Most Left at Grave Figure 4.46 Objects Most Left at Grave

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4.4 Synthesis

After processing and reviewing all the data gathered, the researcher was then able

to determine the successful and unsuccessful features found at the cemeteries. The

purpose of this master’s design thesis is to determine the design features and elements

necessary for a cemetery that is transformed by the personal expressions exhibited by

visitors after the day of burial to be able to develop a new kind of cemetery typology. The

following insights were derived and aided the researcher in developing the design:

4.4.1 Successful Features

• Gravestones Designed as Personal Expressions and for Personal Expressions

Figure 4.47 Gravestones Designed as Personal Expressions

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 Every grave at each cemetery visited had some type of marker for the buried.

Some gravestones have just the buried person’s name along with the date of their birth

and the date of their death. Other gravestones (Figure 4.47) have engravings, symbolic

images, pictures, quotes, and other elements that represent either the person buried or

the love and sentiments of the buried person’s loved ones. The form can also be an

expression of someone’s religion or give insight into one’s nationality. This is an important

feature to note since it is usually the gravestone, as compared to other forms of personal

expressions at the grave, that can last decades and even centuries with the right material

and care. It can inform and give insight into who is buried there at the grave even to

people visiting hundreds of years from now. There is a big opportunity for people to take

advantage of expressing their emotions and sentiments towards their deceased loved

ones through gravestone design. It can be more than just a dash between the dates of

their birth and their death. The dash, representing the life lived, can be interpreted more

for visitors as the gravestone is designed as personal expression in terms of its content

as well as its form.

It was also observed that cemeteries have been and are being transformed already

by the personal expressions of people to some extent as specifically seen on the

gravestone. Visitors leave many things at the grave such as flowers or incense. Figure

4.48 shows some examples of the gravestone design considering some of the rituals or

practices of visitors and some of the objects they leave behind. Some gravestones had

small holes in them to place incense. Some had bigger holes on the sides to place flowers

in. At Oak Hill Memorial Park, the flat memorial markers had a vase that you could turn

upright from the ground to put flowers in. There is an opportunity for gravestone designers

82
to understand the various personal expressions of visitors to be able to incorporate

features into the gravestone that accommodate, and maybe even encourage more

personal expressions at cemeteries.

Figure 4.48 Gravestones Designed for Personal Expressions

• Vertical Elements

When the Memorial Park cemetery typology was introduced in 1917 at Forest

Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, the monuments and upright gravestones

were done away with and replaced with memorial markers that were almost flush with the

lawn. It was designed to blend in so that it looked like one uninterrupted pastoral

landscape of turf grass. Memorial markers were prevalent in the cemeteries that were

observed. It was interesting to note that even though these gravestones were flush to the

83
ground, visitors still managed to find a way to make the grave more visible through

personal expression. Visitors would stake objects into the ground such as pinwheels,

flowers, or plastic animals that floated in the air. They would put lanterns, candles,

religious objects, holiday decorations, and many other things on the gravestone. This

showed the desire of visitors to display their personal expression for the buried and share

it to the public as well.

Many graves did not have vertical elements readily available at the grave for them

to decorate and embellish but when there are vertical elements nearby, visitors are

inclined to use them for personal expression as seen in Figures 4.49 and 4.50. Sometimes

nearby, there would be a fence, or a tree, or maybe even a signpost. Whatever it was,

visitors found a way to extend their personal expressions beyond the plot by hanging

things. In these areas, there would be objects that aren’t usually observed at other graves

that do not have that vertical element. These areas were observed to have flower wreaths,

chimes, and suspended crafts to name a few. Vertical elements are a good feature to

have at graves for adding another dimension to the beauty of personal expression for all

to see.

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Figure 4.49 Vertical Elements

Figure 4.50 Vertical Elements

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• Personal Maintenance

Cleaning was the Top 3rd activity/behavior observed in the systematic observation

conducted at the 3 case study sites. Several instances of people cleaning the grave were

observed at each of those sites. This shows a sense of ownership of visitors in

maintaining their own cemetery plot. The act itself is a form of personal expression as

care, honor, and respect for their buried loved one. Knowing this can transform the way

cemetery management and maintenance is set up. Maintenance is involved in mowing

the lawn around gravestones and for maintenance professionals to do that effectively, the

objects left at the grave as personal expressions need to be cleared. There is an

opportunity in minimizing maintenance costs for the corporation and for the people paying

for the cemetery plot. More responsibility in grave maintenance can be given over to the

family/plot owner and this in turn, can allow more freedom in personal expression by

visitors.

4.4.2 Unsuccessful Features

• Lack of Delineation

Many graves were observed to be delineated by visitors using flowers,

decorations, mini-fences, plants, and other objects. There seems to be a desire for visitors

to do this as it gives them a clear boundary of where they can decorate up to if they want

to maximize the space on their plot for the objects they want to leave behind. One reason

this is done is to maybe avoid encroaching on the plot of other people out of respect and

consideration. In delineating the cemetery plot, the space becomes defined into an

outdoor room of their own of some sort. It gives a sense of privacy and ownership allowing

86
them the freedom to express themselves the way they would like or prefer to in relation

to those who are buried.

Figure 4.51 Delineation

Figure 4.51 shows examples of the delineation observed at cemeteries. The

cemetery does not often provide this visible delineation on the ground and must be

created by visitors themselves. If there was delineation, it was often due to the cemetery

plot owner’s design decisions, usually at more formally constructed graves which

probably cost more for the customization. If cemeteries provided this feature, it would help

visitors become less hesitant in using up all the space that they own for personal

expression. It would save them the hassle of looking up the boundaries of their cemetery

plot and provide them more time to be with their deceased loved one at the grave.

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• Missing Features and Elements for a Gathering Space

Figure 4.52 The Plot as Gathering Space

In Phase 3, it was determined from systematic observation that “gathering” was

the Top 4th activity/behavior at the cemetery. People who were gathered had brought in

lawn chairs, umbrellas, coolers, tables, food, drinks, and other elements and features

needed for an effective gathering. Otherwise, the conditions provided by the cemetery

would not have been conducive for families and friends gathering at the grave.

First, there is a lack of space at the cemetery plot. A regular plot is usually 2’ x 8’.

It is just enough to fit the body of the deceased in the ground. Sometimes, families buy

several plots and so that may help in terms of gathering. There is also some flexibility as

a group can expand outside of the plot onto other people’s graves. This shows though

that these cemeteries have not designed for groups gathering at the grave but have

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mainly just considered the space for the dead when planning the plot size. The living are

also users of the cemetery and must be considered in the design and plot sizing.

Altar tombs, those graves with raised tombs above the ground, take up the whole

plot leaving just room at the feet of the grave for visitors to stand and view. It does not

consider whether the visitors will be using the space to gather in or not. When using this

type of tomb, it is important for a designer to assess the needs and desires of the visitors

and balance the space utilized for the dead and for the living.

Second, aside from the lack of space, the cemetery plot must also provide the

features and elements needed for people to use the space for gathering. These include

features for shade, seating, and/or tables. An assessment should be made to determine

what the plot owner’s needs and desires are and how it will be utilized throughout the

years. If these features aren’t provided by the cemetery, there should at least be space

to accommodate these features when they are brought in by visitors themselves.

There were several groups of more than 2 observed at every cemetery. These

groups of people were paying quick visits at the grave. “Looking down at the tombstone”

and “Standing” were the Top 1st and 2nd activities/behaviors respectively that visitors

engaged in. How would it change if cemetery plots were bigger in size and had the

features and elements of a gathering space like shade and seating? This could encourage

visitors to spend more time in personal expression for their buried loved ones and

increase the quality time they spend with their families and friends that they visit with.

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• Rules Conflicting with Personal Expressions

Figure 4.53 Rules Conflicting with Personal Expressions

The cemetery provides a landscape where people can go and express their

emotions and sentiments towards a deceased loved one at their grave. The activities that

they engage in, the people they choose to be with when they visit, and the objects they

leave behind are all forms of personal expression. Observing these things is a look into

cultural rituals and practices as they relate to death. When there are cemetery rules and

policies that conflict with this, it hinders the freedom of people to express themselves at

the grave.

Figure 4.53 shows different examples of the rules/policies that conflict with

personal expressions of visitors. One example is the policy to clear all flowers on a certain

day of the week to allow mowing of the lawn to be done. This prioritizes the lawn aesthetic

90
over cultural and spiritual value. The visitor would have to think twice about spending

money on flowers or other objects to leave at the grave. If the visitor would want it to

remain on the grave for as long as possible, it would only last up to a week before the

objects are removed and thrown away.

Another example is the prohibition of planting anything in, around, or upon any

portion of the burial plot. Potted plants ranked 4th in objects most left at the grave. People

love to leave potted plants at the grave and sometimes, as observed, they end up planting

it into the ground or into the holes at the bottom of the tombstone. If this helps them

through the situation of death, it should be allowed and designed for. Of course, there

should be some parameters but if it is something that is practiced, it should not be

prohibited. It would just require cemetery plots to be designed while considering an ritual

or practice such as this.

Instead of prohibiting certain rituals or practices that can hinder personal

expressions, cemeteries should be designing to accommodate them. The main purpose

of the cemetery should be for its users, whether dead or alive, rather than just for a

prescribed aesthetic, ease of maintenance, or for more profit.

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• Inaccessibility

Figure 4.54 Inaccessibility

The observations made in this study revealed that there is a wide diversity in the

age of people that visit the cemetery. Babies in strollers, senior citizens in wheelchairs,

children skateboarding on the road and running around on the grass, middle-aged adults

kneeling at the grave, younger adults having drinks, and many more people of all various

ages were observed to be present. Although the hills and the pastoral landscape of turf

grass may be the way most cemeteries are designed, it does not always make it easy on

certain people to be able to access the grave they would want to visit.

The researcher observed a man who looked to be in his 90s exiting his car while

being assisted by 2 other ladies who were maybe in the same age range as well but

maybe a little younger and stronger. The man was assisted onto the wheelchair and after

several minutes of pushing uphill, the 2 ladies were then able to get him to the grave on

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a steeply sloped area. The picturesque landscape may be perceived as beautiful to many

but if a cemetery is to encourage the personal expressions of people, the cemetery should

be designed so that any type of person can easily access the grave they would like to. If

it is inaccessible or difficult to access like a wheelchair going several feet deep into a big

expanse of lawn, then it hinders people from visiting the grave and expressing themselves

there before their buried loved one.

It is also important to design cemeteries for the objects that people leave behind.

If the grave is on a steep slope, the plot must be designed in a way where the objects

wouldn’t just roll down the hill. The Chinese Cemetery that was observed in this study

had a very steep slope in some areas. Some graves adapted to that and included flat

concrete pads in front of the gravestone for visitors to leave objects such as metal buckets

for burning things, fruits, flowers, drinks, and other objects. Those areas that weren’t

adapted to the terrain had very minimal evidence of personal expression. If there were

any objects left behind recently, they would have just rolled downhill. To design for the

objects and for the people visiting is to design to preserve rituals and practices in death

and grieving.

4.5 Summary

In this chapter, the data gathered from the methodology that was applied was

processed and analyzed in phases. Phase 1 showed and described the observations

gathered from the initial cemetery site visits. In Phase 2, the insights derived from Phase

1 informed the site selection process for case study sites. A criteria matrix was developed,

and the 8 cemetery sites were narrowed down to 3. At the 3 cemetery sites, systematic

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observation was then conducted. This was Phase 3 and this produced data on the top

activities/behaviors and the top objects left at the grave.

All this processed information was then synthesized to determine the successful

and unsuccessful features cemeteries had when it came to the freedom for personal

expression by visitors after the day of burial. These were the successful features that

were determined in the synthesis:

• Gravestones Designed as Personal Expressions and for Personal

Expressions

• Vertical Elements

• Personal Maintenance

These were the unsuccessful features that were determined in the synthesis:

• Lack of Delineation

• Missing Features and Elements for a Gathering Space

• Rules Conflicting with Personal Expressions

• Inaccessibility

The findings in this chapter are sufficient to begin the design process. Chapter Five

will discuss this design process as it begins with the site selection, site analysis,

conceptual design, and will conclude with the final design as the main deliverable of this

study.

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 CHAPTER 5: DESIGN

The data gathered from this investigation was helpful in achieving the purpose of

this master’s design thesis to determine the design features and elements necessary for

a cemetery that is transformed by the personal expressions exhibited by visitors after the

day of burial. Chapter Four revealed the findings from the methodology used and these

findings were analyzed and synthesized to provide information for designing a new

cemetery typology.

Chapter Five applies the information derived from Chapter Four to the final output

of this study, which is a site design. This chapter discusses the design process that leads

to the site design. This includes the site selection, site analysis, and finally, the conceptual

and site design.

5.1 Site Selection

The study was conducted in the state of California as it hosts some of the most

racially and ethnically diverse cities in the United States (US News, 2020). It was delimited

to the San Francisco Bay Area. To determine which city should be selected to place a

new cemetery typology in, the researcher looked at the most racially and ethnically

diverse cities in the United States. Oakland and San Jose were found to be in the Top

10 while San Francisco was in the Top 20. Figure 5.55 shows this information.

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Figure 5.55 Racial and Ethnic Diversity

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 Figure 5.56 Parks: Oakland, San Jose, & San Francisco

(Trust for Public Land, 2021)

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 The researcher looked at the park coverage in these 3 cities. Figure 5.56 shows

how Oakland had the least amount of park coverage with only 4,029 park acres. San Jose

had the smallest percentage of the population served by parks with only 79.9% but they

had a high coverage with 17,609 park acres.

The number of cemeteries in each city were also reviewed. San Francisco had

only 2 and they are historical cemeteries. The city buries it dead in a city south of San

Francisco. Oakland had 10 and San Jose had 16 cemeteries (Figure 5.57).

Figure 5.57 Cemeteries: Oakland, San Jose, & San Francisco

The susceptibility of these cities to displacement due to gentrification was also

investigated in selecting a site. There were many areas on the East Bay that were low-

income areas that were susceptible to displacement. Oakland, located on the East Bay,

was shown to be advancing in gentrification in many areas of the city. This can be seen

in Figure 5.58.

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Figure 5.58 Urban Displacement Map: San Francisco Bay Area

With all this data and information, the researcher decided to select Oakland (Figure

5.59) as the city to build a new cemetery typology in. The most prominent cemeteries in

history that were established around the mid-1800’s onwards catered mainly to a

Caucasian market with its Euro-American design. This would showcase the picturesque

landscape and eventually evolved to a pastoral landscape with its geometric rows of

graves. The researcher wanted to design a cemetery that would be transformed by the

personal expressions of visitors and to choose Oakland would be choosing a city where

there was the highest percentage of minorities among the 3 cities being chosen from.

With minorities representing 64.5% of the city population, Oakland is an ideal place to

introduce a new type of cemetery that shows what a cemetery would look like if it

represented an ethnically and racially diverse population.

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Figure 5.59 City Selected: Oakland

100
Figure 5.60 Site Selected: Oakland Coliseum

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5.2 Site Analysis

Figure 5.61 Sports Teams at the Oakland Coliseum

After going through the extensive site selection process, the researcher decided

that Oakland would be the ideal city to establish a new cemetery typology in. After

studying and gathering information on the city, the researcher decided to specifically

select the Oakland Coliseum area as the site to design a new cemetery in (Figure 5.60).

The space is currently in transition as 2 major sports teams, the Oakland Raiders (football)

and the Golden State Warriors (basketball), have left the city to make their homebase in

other cities (Figure 5.61). The Oakland Athletics a.k.a. Oakland A’s (baseball) have

remained in the city but are moving to a new stadium that could possibly be built soon at

Howard Terminal (Figure 5.62). This is not just a physical circumstance that has taken

place at this site. The community around this site has devoted their loyalty to these teams

102
and have benefited from the investment in their city. With these teams leaving Oakland

comes the emotional consequences on the community of that feeling of the loss of hope

for their city. Feelings of abandonment, betrayal and anger are present within the

community. These sports teams lifted the spirits of the locals and gave them a sense of

pride and liveliness in their neighborhood. Just like that, the community is left with an

empty space full of asphalt with no benefit to them. These people have been robbed of

so much value and have been left with a space that is just detrimental in terms of urban

heat island effect, impervious surfaces, and loss of economic, ecological, and cultural

value. This is the perfect site to give back to the community something that is theirs.

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(BIG, 2021)

Figure 5.62 New Ballpark at Howard Terminal

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(BIG, 2021)

Figure 5.63 BIG's Proposal for the Oakland Coliseum Site

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 Figure 5.63 shows the proposal of the firm, BIG, for the development of the old

Oakland Coliseum site. After understanding the history of the site in relation to the

community, the researcher decided that rather than designing the site for profit

maximization and corporate development, the site would be designed to be a place of

ecological and cultural value. It could become a sacred center for the people of the

community and a habitat for local marsh wetland wildlife. The cemetery is a landscape

that can provide both. It preserves culture and, in this case, it can mitigate sea level rise

as well (Figure 5.64).

(Surging Seas Risk Finder, 2021)

Figure 5.64 Sea Level Scenarios

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5.3 Conceptual Design and Site Design

Figure 5.65 The Oakland Sacred

5.3.1 The Master Plan

The Oakland Sacred is a new cemetery typology that is transformed by the

personal expressions of visitors at the grave and not designed based on the sole

preferences of cemetery designers and professionals. It responds to the activities that

visitors engage in and the objects they leave behind for their deceased loved ones at the

grave. The form of the master plan (Figure 5.66) is a radial form inspired by the existing

site plan. The site is comprised of 7 cemetery rings. The rings symbolize eternity,

completion, and perfection. The number 7 represents perfection as well. In Christian

numerology, 3 is the number of God, as in the Holy Trinity. 4 is the number of man/woman

or of Earth, as in the 4 corners of the earth. 3 plus 4, the combination of God and

Man/Woman, is 7. It is perfection. It is the connection of the soul with the Higher Being.

The Oakland Sacred is a place of spirituality but of ecology as well as a marsh wetland is

introduced to the city at this site.

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Figure 5.66 The Oakland Sacred: Master Plan

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Figure 5.67 The Oakland Sacred: The 4th Ring

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Figure 5.68 The Oakland Sacred: The 4th Ring

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 The logo of the city of Oakland, as seen in Figure 5.67, is the inspiration behind

the form of The 4th Ring at The Oakland Sacred. The cemetery form is taken from the

aerial view of the city logo of an oak tree. It is not only a tribute to the tree symbol of this

great field of landscape architecture, but it is a tribute to the city of Oakland and its natural

history as the city used to have a widespread presence of oak trees.

5.3.2 The Community Spaces

The form also reflects good circulation that is symbolic of how everything is

connected. Community spaces (Figure 5.69-5.74) are placed throughout the landscape

and themed with the foundation of all things: Earth, Fire, Air, and Water. The cemetery

encourages visitors to not just express themselves at the grave of their loved ones but to

also express themselves at the community spaces for others around them. It is ritualizing

the objects that people leave behind at the grave as was observed in this study. It

encourages the act of walking to each space to leave something behind for the dead in

solidarity with others. For Earth, potted plants and flowers can be placed in that space.

Candles can be placed in the Fire community space. Balloons, pinwheels, flags, and other

things that interact with the air can be tied to posts in the Air community space while at

the Water community space, drinks can be placed to leave for the dead.

The Tree of Life grounds the whole cemetery together in the center of the site

where a huge oak tree is placed. The roots represent going into the ground and

connecting with the dead. As this is done, the tree, with its trunk, branches, and leaves

above ground reach out to the heavens. The space around it is a place for the living

located between what is underground and what is in the heavens. Here, people can

111
suspend things from the tree as was observed in this study. Visitors can hang chimes,

bottles, notes, flowers, and many other things as they connect to the spiritual world

according to their background and perspective.

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Figure 5.69 The Oakland Sacred: Community Spaces

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Figure 5.70 Community Space: EARTH

114
Figure 5.71 Community Space: AIR

115
Figure 5.72 Community Space: FIRE

116
Figure 5.73 Community Space: WATER

117
Figure 5.74 Community Space: TREE OF LIFE

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5.3.3 The Cemetery Plot Designs

In Chapter Four, the successful and unsuccessful features of cemeteries for

personal expressions were derived from the data gathered as they were processed and

analyzed. With that information, the researcher was able to design various examples of

what a plot could look like in this new cemetery typology as seen in Figures 5.75-5.81.

The researcher made sure to take advantage of those successful features and to

avoid the hindrance to personal expression that the unsuccessful features caused. Here

are some features and elements that are shown in the plot design examples:

• Gravestones Designed as Personal Expressions and for Personal Expressions

• Vertical Elements

• Personal Maintenance

• Delineation

• Features and Elements for a Gathering Space (e.g. shade, seating, tables)

• Elimination of Rules Conflicting with Personal Expressions

• Accessibility (this is seen more in the master plan design of The 4th Ring)

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Figure 5.75 Plot Design Example 1

120
Figure 5.76 Plot Design Example 2

121
Figure 5.77 Plot Design Example 3

122
Figure 5.78 Plot Design Example 4

123
Figure 5.79 Plot Design Example 5

124
Figure 5.80 Plot Design Example 6

125
Figure 5.81 Plot Design Example 7

126
5.4 Summary

Chapter Five presented the design process of this study. It discussed the Oakland

Coliseum site and how it was selected. The significance of establishing a cemetery there

was explained along with its impact on the community in the area. The final concepts and

designs were then presented. It showed a new cemetery typology that is not just inspired

by the personal expressions of people observed in this investigation at cemeteries but it

is also a landscape that will continually transform by the personal expressions of people

as they visit this new cemetery.

Chapter Six will discuss the synthesis of this entire study and what it means for the

future of the field of landscape architecture as it pertains to cemetery design.

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 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION

Chapter Five presented the completion of the investigation by presenting the final

output of a new cemetery typology in the City of Oakland located in the San Francisco

Bay Area. The final design consists of the design features and elements determined

necessary by this study for a cemetery that is transformed by the personal expressions

exhibited by visitors after the day of burial.

Chapter Six revisits the research questions proposed in this study and answers

them based on the data gathered, analyzed, and synthesized in this research. The study’s

relevance to the field of landscape architecture will then be discussed as well as the

possible topics for future research.

6.1 Research Questions Revisited

The following research questions guided the investigation on designing cemeteries

for personal expressions. These questions will now be answered based on the data

gathered, analyzed, and synthesized in this research.

1. What are the conflicts that arise between how cemetery plots are designed and how

people use them after the day of burial?

• Lack of Delineation

Cemeteries do not provide a clear delineation of cemetery plots when it is needed

by visitors for clarity to express themselves at the grave.

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 • Missing Features and Elements for a Gathering Space

Many people use the grave as a gathering space. Cemeteries must either provide

shade, seating, tables, more space or other features and elements for gathering

or they should at least design cemetery plots to accommodate those things if

brought in by visitors.

• Rules Conflicting with Personal Expressions

Cemetery rules and policies should not prohibit or hinder personal expressions of

visitors. Cemeteries should instead be designed to accommodate them. The

current maintenance practices that bring about these rules and policies conflict

with personal expressions.

• Inaccessibility

Graves are not accessible to everyone, especially for the disabled. Cemeteries

must be designed so that every grave is accessible by anyone.

2. What programming elements and design features can encourage the various personal

expressions exhibited by cemetery visitors after the day of burial?

• Gravestones Designed as Personal Expressions and for Personal Expressions

People should not miss the opportunity for personal expression on the gravestone.

The form and content of gravestones can be personal expression and can be

designed for personal expression, like the objects that people leave at the grave.

• Vertical Elements

When there are vertical elements added at the grave, the variety of personal

expressions increases.

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 • Personal Maintenance

When people are given more freedom for personal expression, the sense of

ownership increases for maintaining, decorating, and embellishing the plot.

3. How does a well-designed cemetery that encourages freedom of personal expression

after the day of burial look like?

The Design Chapter (Chapter Five) can be referred to for how a cemetery could

look like in the city of Oakland. The findings of this study illustrate that adaptation of

design to its local context is critical when it comes to personal expression since the

cemetery design should reflect how its users utilize the space and what their

preferences are. Cemeteries should not always look like the Euro-American cemetery

designs seen throughout the country with its perpetually maintained lawns and evenly

laid out rows of graves. The maintenance of perfect lawns can be a hindrance to the

personal expression of visitors. Cemeteries should reflect and represent the personal

expression of people that use the cemetery. Furthermore, the cemetery does not only

have cultural value but ecological value as well. Cemeteries can bring back what is

native to the ecoregion through good ecological design incorporated in.

6.2 Relevance to Landscape Architecture

This investigation has focused on cemetery design and the possibility of what it

could be if it was based on the personal expressions of visitors. The findings go beyond

the topic of cemeteries as one thinks about the relevance of this study to the field of

130
landscape architecture. This section discusses the study’s contribution to the field in

various ways.

6.2.1 Inclusion

The findings from this study reveal ways that help landscape architects become

more inclusive in our designs. Cemetery history literature brought to light the racism that

was underlying in some of the designs of cemeteries. The observation methods used in

this research can be employed to combat our personal preferences or biases as

designers. Data gathered can inform cemetery professionals and designers on how

people use this sacred landscape enabling them to design for the user instead of solely

for the owners.

Designing cemeteries that are more inclusive allows a broader range of users to

have the freedom of personal expression at these sites. These are healing landscapes

and when done right, landscape architects have the potential of improving the mental,

emotional, and spiritual health of the users of the site.

6.2.2 Climate Change

One of the major challenges that landscape architects tackle is climate change.

Drought and sea level rise are some of the issues related to climate change, especially

in the Bay Area. With cemeteries serving as open space and having high permeability,

the opportunity arises for landscape architects to take these landscapes and restore or

preserve ecology and its systems. The majority of cemeteries that are established are

covered with turf that require weekly mowing and heavy irrigation. This contributes to

131
carbon emissions and a high consumption of water. If cemeteries were designed based

on personal expressions and the regional context, then there would be less of a need for

the lawn cemetery as seen in the design output of this study and the native vegetation

and ecological systems could be incorporated into these sites. The cemetery can then

maximize the ecological benefits derived from this landscape that can even help mitigate

the negative effects of climate change.

6.2.3 Cultural Enrichment

Many sites have been designed based on the decisions of the client and the

designer. When these decisions are made based on personal preferences, the danger of

exclusion arises. If this is the case, is the culture of the users of a space truly reflected in

the design or is it the property owner’s, client’s, or designer’s culture that is expressed?

Do these landscapes accurately represent the culture of the people in the surrounding

area? Landscape architects have the opportunity to design spaces that are community-

based and give us insight on the way people live and how they use space. It is a physical

contribution to our history.

6.2.4 Intangible Value

Many of our landscapes in the United States are located where they are at partly

because of our land use policies. In this study, a cemetery was designed in a space that

is existing for commercial land use, specifically at the Oakland Coliseum area. It is in a

transitional phase as sports teams move to other locations to play, leaving this site

obsolete in its use. There are proposed plans to redevelop the area for retail, housing,

132
educational facilities, and recreational use. The site is very accessible by freeway and

public transportation and could be a prime location for these developments, however it

could also be a prime location for a cemetery that may not provide the same economic

benefits and financial gain for the city, but it can provide many intangible benefits that

contribute to the wellness of the people and the community. A cemetery like the one

proposed in this study, can provide the cultural, mental, emotional, spiritual, and

ecological value and enrichment that a typical mixed-use/urban development cannot

provide at the same level. It is important for landscape architects, urban planners, and

other professionals involved to be able to see the possibilities of having cemeteries,

memorial landscapes, social services, and other use cases of land in these prime

locations as these commercial areas are usually very accessible to those who may use

the site. It may not deliver the same financial value, but it is time to expand our way of

thinking to see how the value of human beings can surpass that of money.

6.3 Future Research

This research achieved its purpose in determining the design features and

elements necessary for a cemetery that is transformed by personal expressions of

visitors. The following questions would be helpful in propelling this study forward in future

research:

133
1.) How would a cemetery design based on the personal expressions of visitors look like

in a different region of the world in a different context?

This study focused on the San Francisco Bay Area. The region is comprised of

a certain racial and ethnic diversity that may not be found in many parts of the world.

Additionally, the cemeteries that were visited and observed were predominantly

Christian-centric cemeteries. If the same methodology was applied to a study in a

different part of the world, what findings would be derived in terms of determining what

design features and elements encourage and promote freedom in personal

expression at the cemetery? Since this type of study is site specific, there is a plethora

of design results that can be delivered from using the same methodology in various

places. Some examples of design theses that can be done are looking at how the

cemetery could look like in a Hindu, Native American, Chinese, African, Scandinavian,

Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, or any other type of community context if it was designed

with personal expression as the basis. The cemetery design would also vary

depending on the geographical context of the site adding to the surprise of what

cemeteries could look like in various contexts.

2.) How could a cemetery design that is transformed by personal expressions of visitors

impact a person’s wellbeing when dealing with grief?

As the cemetery design is produced from data and evidence in this study, so

should the results of what impact this type of design could make on a person’s

wellbeing as they deal with grief. Will evidence show that it can significantly improve

the visitor experience at cemeteries? Will it help people in healing from the pain of

134
 death? What would people say are the factors at this new type of cemetery that

contribute to a positive or negative experience? There is significance in measuring the

impact of landscape architects and the places we design on people as our work has

power to make a difference even at the individual level.

3.) What would prevent or hinder a cemetery like the one proposed in this study from

being built?

The benefits that can be derived from a cemetery designed like the one in this

study can only provide those possible benefits if it is built. It would be helpful to

determine what would prevent or hinder a cemetery like this from being built. Research

would involve tasks such as investigating current policies and regulations, interviewing

people of influence on what their perceptions are, and/or working with engineers to

figure out the physical limitations that can be found at a site for building a cemetery.

In doing so, designers can adjust accordingly to what the findings show as to work

around any obstacles and make the proposed design a reality for the community.

6.4 Summary

Chapter Six concludes this master’s design thesis by revisiting the research

questions that guided the investigation and answered them based on the findings. The

researcher then explained the relevance of this study to the field of landscape

architecture. Questions for future research were also developed to help bring the

proposed cemetery design closer to a built reality. May this research help in advancing

the field of landscape architecture as it enriches people and communities.

135
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US News. (2020, January 22). How Racially and Ethnically Diverse Is Your City? (D.
McPhillips, Editor) Retrieved April 26, 2021, from U.S. News:
https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/2020-01-22/measuring-racial-and-
ethnic-diversity-in-americas-cities
Wilson Baptist, K. (2013). Reenchanting Memorial Landscapes: Lessons from the
Roadside. Landscape Journal, 35-51.

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 APPENDIX

Appendix A: IRB Approval Letter

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 Appendix B: Interview Questions

• Cemetery Managers/Operators

1. What are some of the objectives of this cemetery’s design?

2. Who are the different stakeholders you consider when designing the cemetery and
how do you design for them?
3. (Post-burial day) What are some rituals/practices/traditions of visitors have you
had to decide on whether to allow them or not?
4. (Post-burial day) How do you feel about these rituals/practices/traditions? Would
you describe them as expressions of culture?
5. (Post-burial day) What are some issues/conflicts that arise with how people use
the cemetery?
6. (Post-burial day) What would you say encourages cultural expression in the
cemetery?
7. (Post-burial day) What changes or improvements would you make in this cemetery
to accommodate more freedom in cultural expression?
8. What is your definition of a well-designed cemetery?

• Cemetery Landscape Architects/Designers

1. Can you explain your design process for cemeteries?

2. Who would you say your clients are? Who do you design for?
3. (Post-burial day) Are there rituals/practices/traditions of visitors that you consider
when you design the cemetery or cemetery plot?
4. (Post-burial day) How do you feel about these rituals/practices/traditions? Would
you describe them as expressions of culture?
5. (Post-burial day) What are some issues/conflicts that arise with how people use
the cemetery?
6. (Post-burial day) What encourages cultural expression when users visit?
7. (Post-burial day) How would you redesign cemeteries or cemetery plots to be able
to accommodate more freedom in cultural expression?
8. What is your definition of a well-designed cemetery?

• Cemetery Maintenance Professionals

1. (Post-burial day) What are some issues/conflicts that arise with how people use
the cemetery?
2. (Post-burial day) How do you feel about rituals/practices/traditions that cause
conflict with maintenance? Would you describe them as expressions of culture?
3. What do you think could be done to resolve these issues/conflicts?
4. If you could redesign the cemetery for easier maintenance, what would you change
or improve upon?
5. What is your definition of a well-designed cemetery from a maintenance
perspective?

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• Cemetery Visitors/Users

1. Describe some of the cultural practices/traditions/rituals you have.

2. What aspects of the cemetery make you feel welcome to express your cultural
practices/traditions/rituals?
3. Do you have cultural practices/traditions/rituals you feel you are not able to express
at the cemetery and why?
4. What changes or improvements would you want in the cemetery or the cemetery
plot to give you more freedom for cultural expression?

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 Appendix C: Subject Recruitment Process

The following steps show the researcher’s standard procedures for recruiting
subjects for the interview process. Standard scripts (Appendix C) will be followed to
initialize conversations with the potential interviewees.

1. Once cemetery case study sites have been selected, researcher will begin to
contact the said professionals to set up interviews. This will be done by reviewing
the cemetery’s website and looking for contact information.

2. Researcher will call the contact number and will ask to be referred to a cemetery
manager/operator.

3. Once the researcher gets in touch with the cemetery manager/operator, an

appointment for an interview will be set.

4. After the interview has been conducted, the researcher will ask the cemetery
manager/operator if he/she could refer them to a cemetery landscape
architect/designer and a cemetery maintenance professional. Researcher will also
ask for written permission to informally approach and interview cemetery visitors.

a. Cemetery Landscape Architect/Designer: Researcher will then contact the

cemetery landscape architect/designer and try to set up an appointment for an
interview
b. Cemetery Maintenance Professional: Researcher will then contact the
cemetery maintenance professional and try to set up an appointment for an
interview
c. Cemetery Visitors/Users: Once written permission has been obtained and
approved by the IRB, researcher will go to the cemetery and informally
interview visitors if they agree to being interviewed.

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 Appendix D: Recruitment Scripts

For Recruiting Cemetery Managers/Operators

1. Initial Contact: Admin/Reception
Hi! My name is Jodwin. I’m a landscape architecture grad student at The University
of Texas at Arlington. I’m currently working on my thesis on cemetery design and I
wanted to learn about how to design for the cultural expressions of people when they
visit a grave after the day of burial. Is there any manager or operator that you could
put me in touch with? I’m wondering if I could set an appointment for a possible
interview with someone who is involved in cemetery design or operations over there?
I’ll be asking questions about what makes a cemetery well-designed.
2. Possible Interviewee: Cemetery Manager/Operator
Hi! My name is Jodwin. I’m a landscape architecture grad student at The University
of Texas at Arlington. I’m currently working on my thesis on cemetery design and I
wanted to learn about how to design for the cultural expressions of people when they
visit a grave after the day of burial. I was just wondering if I could set an appointment
with you for a possible interview either via Zoom or in person (if between the ages of
18-65) or via Zoom (if age of interviewee is above 65)? I’ll be asking questions about
what makes a cemetery well-designed and I’d love to hear your perspective.
For Recruiting the Other Categories of Interviewees
1. Cemetery Manager/Operator
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to interview you. There are a few other
categories of people that I’d like to interview. Would you be able to refer me or get me
connected to a cemetery landscape architect/designer that has been involved in
cemetery design and a cemetery maintenance professional as well? I would love to
interview them and get their perspectives on a well-designed cemetery too.
I would also love to get the perspective of visitors. I’d like to ask for your permission
to approach visitors and informally interview them for a few minutes. You could expect
sensitivity and tact from me during these intimate moments. If this is possible, could I
request written permission from you? If not, I will not be interviewing any visitors from
this site.
2. Possible Interviewees
a. Cemetery Landscape Designers/Architects
* Same as script for setting up an interview with cemetery manager/operator
b. Cemetery Maintenance Professionals
* Same as script for setting up an interview with cemetery manager/operator

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c. Cemetery Visitors/Users
Hello! Good [time of day]. How’s it going? My name is Jodwin. I’m a landscape
architecture grad student at The University of Texas at Arlington. I’m currently
working on my thesis on cemetery design and I wanted to learn about how to
design for the cultural expressions of people when they visit a grave after the day
of burial. I was wondering if I could just ask you a few questions on your thoughts
on cemetery design either now or later? It would just be around 10-15 minutes.

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 Appendix E: Informed Consent for Minimal Risk Studies with Adults

• Informed Consent for Managers/Cemetery Operators

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• Informed Consent for Cemetery Designers

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• Informed Consent for Cemetery Maintenance Professionals

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• Informed Consent for Cemetery Visitors

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 Appendix F: Confidentiality and Data Security

To help protect confidentiality of interviewees in the cases where identifiable data

is collected, a 6-digit code will be used for publication and presentation purposes in the
following manner:
• 1st 2 Digits: Case Study Site Number

• 2nd 2 Digits:
- MO: Manager/Operator
- LA: Landscape Architect/Designer
- MP: Maintenance Professional
- VI: Visitor

• 3rd 2 Digits: Interviewee Number

Here are a few examples of the coding system for a few interviewees hypothetically at

Case Study Site #1:

• 01MO01: Case Study Site 1 – Manager/Operator – Interviewee 1

• 01LA01: Case Study Site 1 – Landscape Architect/Designer – Interviewee 1
• 01MP01: Case Study Site 1 – Maintenance Professional – Interviewee 1
• 01VI01: Case Study Site 1 – Visitor – Interviewee 1
• 01VI02: Case Study Site 1 – Visitor – Interviewee 2
• 01VI03: Case Study Site 1 – Visitor – Interviewee 3

Data will be collected using the following tools:

• Electronic

- Researcher’s iPhone for voice recording during in-person interviews

- Researcher’s Zoom account to record virtual interviews
- Researcher’s iPhone for taking photos and videos

• Paper

- Ethnograms for recording observations

- Interview Questionnaires for writing down notes on interviewees’ responses

All electronic data will be uploaded to UTA’s O365 OneDrive through researcher’s
account. All paper documents with recorded data will be scanned in and uploaded to
UTA’s O365 OneDrive as well. The Principal Investigator will be responsible for the

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disposition of paper and electronic files after all files have been uploaded to OneDrive. All
identifiable data will only be accessible by authorized research personnel, UTA and the
IRB. These security measures and precautions will be communicated to interviewees
during informed consent.
The identifiable data collected from each category of interviewee are listed below:
a. Cemetery Managers/Operators
- Cemetery Name
- Interviewee Name
- Title/Position

b. Cemetery Landscape Architects/Designers

- Cemetery Name
- Interviewee Name
- Title/Position

c. Cemetery Maintenance Professionals

- Cemetery Name
- Interviewee Name
- Title/Position

Data collected from interviews with cemetery visitors will be anonymous as only the
following data will be recorded:
- Cemetery Name
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Age Group
- Religion