The Hemel Hempstead area had a single crematoria, with Watford Borough Council keen to add a contemporary building to give local families more choice.
Sited within a Green Belt, the design needed to provide a calm space for varying scales of congregation whilst meeting complex functional requirements.
Public & Community
Watford Borough Council on behalf of West Herts Crematorium Joint Committee (WHCJC)
Hemel Hempstead, UK
£10m
2023
The new building is embedded in the landscape, carefully planned tot create natural vistas as consecutive groups enter the site.
Clear circulation routes and a sensitive arrangement for spaces offer moments for privacy and reflection.
Overlooking the landscape, a 140 person chapel creates an intimate spaces for mourners with a separate pavilion and gardens for memorial.
The light filled chapel’s asymmetric layout and exposed timber roof creates and uplifting space for the creation service.
Our design has created a sensitive, modern crematorium which has proved to be popular with local families.
The landscape, building and sequence of space have all been carefully curated to prioritise the experience of mourners.
The 140 person facility provides a chapel, memorial pavilion and gardens as well as crematory , administration staff and accommodation and parking.
“Exceeding all expectations, the completed building and beautifully landscaped grounds stand as a testament to the team’s unwavering dedication to this challenging project…
The thoughtful design has been so sympathetic to the needs of the bereaved, resulting in the creation of an atmosphere of tranquillity and calmness…Their keenness to bring bereaved families to this facility amidst the vast choice available speaks volumes about the high praise we've received.”
