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Mount Auburn Cemetery Birch Gardens

Garden Cemetery Design | Cambridge, Massachusetts

Running along the eastern edge of Mount Auburn Cemetery, Birch Gardens occupies a space that previously contained a chain link fence and overgrown vegetation, which offered little in terms of desirable gathering space or interment opportunities. Halvorson transformed this perimeter and developed an extensive program to house burial space for 500 and a central garden. Featuring a seven-foot-tall memorial wall that provides a significant density of interment, Birch Gardens forces a paradigm shift away from the traditional single-family plot.

Birch Gardens exemplifies the union of architecture and landscape that echoes throughout Mount Auburn Cemetery. It seamlessly integrates into the historic fabric, resulting in a landscape of quiet, respectful reflection that embraces a fundamental human need with dignity and grace. The diversity of interment options thoughtfully interlace within the landscape and have contributed to the Cemetery’s ongoing success and future viability.