Guildford Crematorium, London – Projects

The original 1965 Guildford Crematorium building has been rebuilt to respond to ‘modern funeral, memorial and mechanical practices’.

The unusual geometric form of the chapel roof was facilitated by providing a series of parametrically-generated fanning struts within the roof volume, ensuring the glulam timber roof elements were kept slender whilst creating additional architectural interest.

The exposed concrete columns around the remembrance court and reflective pool were cast offsite as a cost effective way ensure a high-quality finish.

The scheme also makes use of exposed concrete soffits and masonry internally to provide thermal mass to reduce heating loads with additional heating provided via heat recovery directly from the cremator.

As part of the SuDS strategy, access roads across the site drain to shallow swales and gravel trenches, providing flood, landscape and wildlife benefits. The new visitor’s car park incorporates a permeable paving system, which both attenuates surface water and improves water quality via the removal of hydrocarbons.

These SuDS features are inter-linked to ensure the system is hydraulically optimised, discharging surface water at a heavily restricted rate to a neighbouring stream, which helps reduce the load on the local sewer network and will reduce the overall risk of flooding both on site and within the local area.