Place Called Home

Sydney is out of space. Not only for the living, but also for the dying. By 2050, all existing crown cemeteries will have reached burial capacity, leaving the future of death care in the hands of the private sector, known for monopoly. With interment options becoming limited in inner city areas due to spatial constraints, organic reduction (human composting) was considered for its potential implementation in urban environments. As older cemeteries become parks and new ones are pushed outwards, how may local parks with shared memories open up to allow the presence of death in places close to home?

Depiction of the arrival and departure journey over a 4-6 week period inside the composting pod. (1:20 Plan)

Arrival corridor with handwash and wait space to the left and compost pod entrance to the right. The rhythm of beams creates varying levels of privacy and divisions of space.

The composting room is the private space provided for a body to be composted, and the space is available for loved ones to visit during the 4-6 weeks of composting.

The circulation for this space has been designed to be an open-air space, symbolic of the return to nature and the transformation of matter from a person into soil.

The final goodbyes are whispered as families and friends embark on the final journey with the remains of their loved one before the soil become a part of the park.