The Clarence Reardon Centre – reflecting nature to commemorate and celebrate life

Integrate administration and memorial facilities, sensitive to each function, people and the botanical context. 

Our design response was conceived to serve as a place of reflection, befitting the commemoration and celebration of life. After considering a range of ways for harmonising the building form with its natural environment, we decided to lever the cemetery’s picturesque surrounding gardens as the most appropriate method. 

The lower level of the building’s panoramic exterior form appears to float just above the landscape. Its contrasting upper floor is enveloped in a specially selected glazing, which pays homage to the beautiful yet transitory patterns of life. It catches and continues the colours and shapes of the surrounding sky and tree canopies, shifting and changing as time passes and the weather turns.

Passive design, the high-performance triple-glazed facade, photo voltaic systems and skylights collectively contribute to the building’s exceptional thermal comfort. Rainwater is harvested to help maintain the verdant gardens.

Eloquently serving as a dynamic hybrid of both its administrative and commemorative functions, amenities consist of seven function rooms, a contemporary kitchen, café, and florist, with office space located on the upper floor.

The result is a carefully considered structure that coexists with its environment, cloaking itself in the image of its natural setting rather than competing with it.