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An Exterior Columbarium or Interior?


Columbariums can be designed and installed almost anywhere. The high density of a columbarium means that relatively little space is required. A columbarium can be almost any size and can be put in areas you may not think to use. A church recently put niches behind their altar in a chapel. It works perfectly for them. Another church put a columbarium in their prayer garden, making it a place of reflection, prayer and a place to remember the loved ones of the church members who are memorialized there. There are endless options.

There are many things to consider when you are planning a Columbarium, one thing to consider is the location.

Columbariums can be designed and installed almost anywhere. The high density of a columbarium means that relatively little space is required. A columbarium can be almost any size and can be put in areas you may not think to use. A church recently put niches behind their altar in a chapel. It works perfectly for them. Another church put a columbarium in their prayer garden, making it a place of reflection, prayer and a place to remember the loved ones of the church members who are memorialized there. There are endless options.

Exterior Columbarium
The columbarium can be designed to accommodate an existing exterior wall or can be designed as a free-standing structure in many different creative configurations. You may want your columbarium to blend with your existing architectural elements of your facilities and to accent the natural aesthetics of the surrounding area. The design-build partner you choose will incorporate this in their design they provide for you. You will want to provide a peaceful, spirit filled place for meditation, visitation and reflection. The most successful columbarium programs are those visible to the congregation or members of the organization. If the members walk by the columbarium each Sunday to join the service or pass through the columbarium gardens to get to their Sunday school class; they are more likely to decide on purchasing a niche for themselves and their family members.

Having the columbarium easily located also makes it convenient for the families to visit loved ones and feel connected to the church or the organization. Location is sometimes limited so working with your design-build team is very critical. Examine the options and rely on past experience and future projections.

Having the columbarium outside may make it easier for the project to grow into additional phases, adding additional niche units as needed.

Today’s columbarium design and construction demands the use of products that will stand the test of time, products that are as maintenance free as possible. Your project needs to be constructed with materials that can weather storms, wind, sunshine, and depending on your location, freezing temperatures, all types of bad weather. And if your area has more days of bad weather than good you may want to include a covered area for the families. Lots of items to consider and your design-build partner should be able to guide and direct you through this part of the program.


Interior Columbarium
The opportunity to create a columbarium inside the church or an organization facility is a rapidly growing portion of the industry. Many churches are finding areas that have no other use and the planning of and installation of a columbarium has been a very successful project. Being inside in a temperature controlled environment is pleasing to the families and many times enjoyed by other visitors.

Having the columbarium inside also opens up other options of materials that can be used since they won’t have to weather a storm and will provide a beautiful memorial. There are many different materials that can be used to construct your columbarium. The use of marbles, glass and sometimes wood can be selected. If the columbarium program is inside a building, glass front niches should be considered as this is the fastest growing segment of the columbarium industry. The glass front niches allow the urns to be seen and many churches allow other memorabilia to be placed inside the niche for remembrance. Grandfathers favorite fishing lure, perhaps a Veterans medal, or a favorite family photograph. These and many other items are being placed in the glass front niches. Interior columbarium programs offer many choices, look at the options; discuss the many possibilities with your design-build partner.


Comments


04/08/2018

David Szewzek Are the ashes protected in a brick outside colabarium


04/16/2018

Phyllis Rice Yes, David the ashes are protected. The vessel that contains the cremains is put inside a niche and the niche is sealed.


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