Degree

Bachelor of Architecture

Major(s)

Architecture

Document Type

Immediate Open Access

Abstract

Humans have been dealing with death since the beginning of time. More specifically, architects, artisans, designers, and engineers throughout the ages have had to create structures to handle the practical and emotional processes associated with saying goodbye to members of their societies. While not always a welcome subject to discuss, death and mourning are very real in everyone’s lives, and these facts must be addressed thoughtfully by a new generation of designers to accommodate the needs of today’s society more fully and appropriately. This programming document seeks to look at a wide array of practices, projects, and people that will be able to provide insight into how to successfully develop a funeral structure for this generation of Mississippians. Several important areas of research will be outlined throughout this document. While initially investigating the historical context of a downtown Jackson, Mississippi site in conjunction with critical spatial relationships and history of the typical funeral home, the research will then move into more specific information. A series of case studies and interviews give insight into the successful workings of funeral complexes both around the world and also locally. This knowledge will be used to create a proposed program for a Jackson area funeral structure, complete with allotted square footages for each space, important code information to be adhered to throughout the design process, and a preliminary cost estimate. The goal of this document is to outline the key considerations needed to successfully design a funeral complex that serves the people of Jackson and the state of Mississippi in a modern, forward-thinking, tradition-respecting, and thoughtful way. This guidebook, if followed with care, should yield a design that both serves people practically and emotionally, and serves the city appropriately and positively.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.54718/KTML5246

Date Defended

4-1-2021

Thesis Director

Vaughn, Mark

Second Committee Member

Callender, Jassen

Third Committee Member

Elder, Anastasia

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