Olson Kundig recently unveiled the design of the world’s first facility for “natural organic reduction,” a process that gently converts human remains into soil in about 30 days. The project was designed in partnership with, and for, Recompose, the company that offers this natural organic reduction service.
Dubbed Recompose|SEATTLE, the 18,500-sf facility will be built in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood (Washington became the first in the world to legalize this process for the disposition of human remains in April of this year). This third alternative to traditional burials and cremations uses one-eighth the energy of cremation and saves one metric ton of carbon dioxide per person. About one cubic yard of soil is created per person. Friends and family can take some or all of the soil home to grow a tree or garden, with the rest going to nourish conservation land in the Puget Sound region.
The Recompose process is centered around individual natural organic reduction vessels that transform the human remains into clean, usable soil. About 75 of these vessels will be stacked and arranged via a modular system to create a central gathering space in the core of the facility.
See Also: Kisawa Sanctuary will be a luxury resort 3D printed from sand
While it may sound a bit macabre at first, the facility is designed to be bright and open, with an emphasis on nature, which makes sense, considering nature was the basis for the recomposition process. “We asked ourselves how we could use nature, which has perfected the life-death cycle, as a model for human death care,” said Katriba Spade, Founder and CE, Recompose, in a release. “We saw an opportunity for this profound moment to both give back to the earth and reconnect us with thee natural cycles.”
The facility is slated to open in spring 2021.
Related Stories
Sustainability | Jun 29, 2017
The Dutch ‘Windwheel’ wants to create a new sustainable landmark for Rotterdam
The sustainable structure will be a mixed-use development with a hotel, apartments, and office space.
Hotel Facilities | Jun 29, 2017
Luxury, plant-covered hotel unveiled for site near the River Seine
Kengo Kuma is designing the hotel, which will feature a large garden and a plant-covered façade.
Sustainability | Jun 28, 2017
Mohawk College will have one of the region’s first net-zero energy institutional buildings
The project’s net-zero goals led to the development of a new curtain wall system.
Hotel Facilities | Jun 28, 2017
This floating hotel in Sweden freezes in place during the winter
The hotel will feature a cold bath and be in a good location for viewing the northern lights.
Building Team | Jun 27, 2017
Bruner Foundation announces 2017 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence gold and silver medalists
The SteelStacks Arts and Cultural Campus in Bethlehem, Pa., receives the gold medal and $50,000.
Green | Jun 23, 2017
Want a healthy building? Follow this primer on two new wellness standards
Since its development in the 1990s, the LEED rating system has been applied to over 19.1 billion total commercial square feet.
Codes and Standards | Jun 21, 2017
World Green Building Council: All buildings must be net zero by 2050 to avert 2°C rise
Building efficiency essential to tempering global climate change.
Green | Jun 16, 2017
Could this become London’s greenest building?
Curl la Tourelle Head Architecture wants to create a school powered by the River Thames.
Green | Jun 15, 2017
45-meter spiraling tower lets you walk above the trees
A 600-meter treetop path culminates with a 45-meter-tall spiraling observation deck.
Wood | Jun 13, 2017
The first timber high-rise in the U.S. set for construction in Portland
The building’s design, building materials, and commercial tenants are all focused on the key aspect of sustainability.