Time: Design for a mausoleum as timeless architecture

Statement of issue/problem. Cemeteries in the U.S. and throughout the world are becoming very overcrowded with traditional gravesites. Many have become landlocked within growing towns and cities where development has sprouted up around them and are unable to add more land in anticipation of future business. For many of these cemeteries the answer is the mausoleum. Not unlike 19th century cities in the world of the living when space became more valuable, building up can also solve the space problem in the world of the dead. I feel that designers and builders aren't looking at this type of structure as permanent and what it means to create a timeless architecture.; Statement of significance of issue. These buildings are meant to transcend what we think of as a lifespan of a building. Mausoleums are houses of the dead, large memorials to those who reside within the walls. Just like a tombstone, they are meant to be solid yet simple. The structure should be strong and solid for an extended period of time and be able to weather and age well.; Methods of inquiry. I will research both various precedents in order to find methods that have worked and are proven to last, and methods that have not worked and why they failed. These will include both historical and contemporary designs. Investigation of materials will also be a main part of the research. I will need to know what materials are resilient to weather, earthquake, neglect, and age.; Expected outcome. I hope to come up with a design for a mausoleum on a specific site. I will design with materials researched through testing by myself or through other independent agencies. The methods of construction will be laid out in drawing and model form and will also be derived from investigation and research. I expect to complete a full mausoleum design that will encompass aspects of this building type.