{"id":4262,"date":"2020-07-01T10:38:21","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T15:38:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mkec.com\/?p=4262"},"modified":"2020-10-19T15:54:34","modified_gmt":"2020-10-19T20:54:34","slug":"veteran-cemetery-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mkec.com\/veteran-cemetery-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Our Freedom, Honoring Their Sacrifices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Celebrating our nation\u2019s independence is intertwined with honoring the men and women who gave their lives so we may enjoy that freedom. But rather than paying respects to these fallen veterans once or twice a year, we are fortunate that our profession allows us to honor them through our design as well. The next time you visit a national, state or tribal veteran cemetery, we hope you will keep in mind the thoughtful planning that went in to creating a resting place worthy of America\u2019s military heroes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design for the ages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a society, we ask a lot of cemeteries: We need them to offer a feeling of tranquility and provide a sense of harmony with nature. They must serve the deceased, as a serene resting place; and the living, as a sanctuary where we can sit peacefully with our thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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Rarely do people stop to consider how that cemetery came to be or who helped make it so. That is \u2013 of course \u2013 by design. But like all engineering projects, there are many factors that go into cemetery design \u2013 starting with the idea of eternity.<\/p>Ken Kallenbach, AICP
Manager of Planning, Development and Marketing <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


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MKEC’s nationally-respected cemetery master planner Ken Kallenbach, who literally wrote the book on cemetery design, describes cemeteries as \u201cforever spaces\u201d that are unlike any other. According to Kallenbach, \u201cWhen we first look at a site we ask ourselves how we can design a space that is both unique and will last in perpetuity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awe and comfort<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer to that question depends in part on how we can best serve our client\u2019s needs, balanced with the natural aesthetic of the landscape. Our goal is for visitors to appreciate the awe and reverence that cemeteries should inspire. When designing national cemeteries \u2013 or \u201cnational shrines,\u201d as the Veterans Administration refers to them \u2013 MKEC\u2019s Civil Design Manager Dwayne Lancaster says: \u201cThat\u2019s the goal of designing a national shrine – on making something that is going to last and that is there for visitors to be able to reflect and take a moment and just be at peace with where their loved ones are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way we accomplish that is by designing an impressive entrance \u2013 like this one below at The National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ \u2013 that shows visitors right away the place they\u2019re entering is special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n