Communal Resonance

About The Entry

Death can be highlighted and reframed. Human composting commemorates death by efficiently returning the organic potential of the dead to the ecological cycle, where death becomes the continuity of another form of life. This project proposes a new infrastructure landscape that acknowledges the significance of individual deaths, extends the ecosystem of burial processes, and creates a new public memorial place. Located on Hart Island in New York, the soil produced through recomposing is distributed to support the expansion of the saltmarsh and adapt to sea-level rise. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the island serves as a temporary location for interring bodies of individuals. Three main elements are proposed: columns, connected walkways, and buildings. Each column consists of three main parts: The top serves as a bird's nest, providing habitat for wild animals, while the column surface bears the names of the deceased. Between the columns, the floating marsh structure is situated. Underwater, the columns provide a large surface area for mussels to thrive. All three forms a microecology. The structure of the floating marsh enables it to move according to water level changes. In response to daily tide fluctuations, it can move up and down along the columns. If sea levels continue to rise and potentially threaten part of the natural marsh and original ecosystem, the floating marsh could be transferred to ensure its continuation as part of the beneficial ecosystem.Three wooden-structure buildings are situated on a curved surface with wooden structures that create slits adaptive to flooding, providing public space for gathering. Over two thousand human compostings happen on site each year. The process involves laying the body in a cradle, placing it into a recompose vessel, and covering it with plant material for 30 days. Each body produces one cubic yard of soil amendment, which is removed from the vessel and allowed to cure. Once complete, a small portion will be placed in a commemorative box along the building facade and footpath. A fluid elevated footpath connects waterfront memorials and cemetery structures, where the built network and ecological sanctuary engage the dynamics of the water and wildlife.