 
This pair of structures is comprised of an Administration Building and open air
Committal Shelter for the Veterans of North Carolina Cemetery. The buildings are
constructed of predominantly site cast, conventionally reinforced concrete. Noteworthy
about the design is that the plans and three dimensional forms of the buildings grew out
of the site. Instead of having a large barren site, the cemetery was laid out in one acre
"burial rooms" carved out of the heavily wooded site. These square "burial
room" areas are divided into equal quadrants by paths which connect the rooms back to
the committal shelter and the axial automobile approach, and the symmetrical orientation
of the administrative building.
The Administration Building has 8" thick
walls with steel roof framing fastened to weld plates cast within the walls. The
symmetrical wall pattern inherent in the design allowed the reutilization of formwork and
the quick completion of the exterior shell in two pours.
The committal structure consists of a more
substantial concrete presence with round columns, cantilever beams and roof slabs. Both
buildings have steel frame clerestory roofs, though the committal shelter roof floats
above an orthogonal series of curved, rectangular, and round concrete elements.
This architectural duet is a simple expression of
the site and evocative of the nature of emotions felt there: the desire for permanence and
the feeling of a lasting tribute. The cantilevered, symmetrical design, made reinforced
concrete the nature of the building design. |
