Cemetery Design and Planning
Visitor experiences and economic vitality. History, culture, and architectural context. The LA Group’s holistic approach to cemetery design has fostered a reputation for excellence.
Decades of study. Daily practice. Our design team deeply understands the human experience and the emotional role cemeteries have within them. Pairing necessary sensitivity with practical problem-solving and design, we’ve earned long-standing relationships with the Department of Veterans Affairs, private cemetery organizations, and industry collaborators in New York State and across the country.
Whether it’s designing a new facility or developing a master plan to preserve and expand a historic one, our name precedes us, and our work leaves a lasting impression.
Cemetery Design Services
With a comprehensive slate of services under a single roof, The LA Group minimizes impact, maximizes value, and ensures every project begins and ends on solid ground. For private, municipal, state, and federal facilities, the firm’s cemetery design services include:
- Feasibility studies
- Program development
- Site analysis
- Preparation of construction documents
- Budgeting and cost analysis
- Project administration
- Site planning
- Master planning
- Building siting
- Facility design
- Grading and drainage design
- Landscape design/restoration
- Road layout and design
- Hardscapes
- Plantings
- Site furnishings
- Wayfinding systems
- Outdoor lighting plans
- Green infrastructure design
Decades of experience. Hundreds of cemetery design projects.
With an in-house studio of licensed architects, professional engineers, and accredited designers dedicated to cemetery clients, The LA Group has proven expertise in planning and designing the following cemetery facilities and features:
- Casket and cremation burial sites
- Meditative and memorial gardens
- Columbaria
- Lawn crypts and cremation gardens
- Green or natural burial sites
- Entrance features, walls and memorials
- Cemetery infrastructure
Explore The LA Group’s cemetery portfolio
Federal and State Cemetery Design
The LA Group is an award-winning, preeminent national and state cemetery design firm. Consistently noted for quality, detailed execution, a team approach, and ability to work around deadlines, the firm has led or collaborated on hundreds of national and state veterans’ cemetery projects across the country.
Learn more about The LA Group’s VA and federal agency experience
Community, Private, and Historic Cemeteries
Pairing a hands-on approach with proven experience in economic development, landscape architecture, and community planning, The LA Group serves as a trusted partner for municipalities and organizations looking to revitalize or expand community and historic cemeteries with strategic long-range planning and a focus on addressing critical needs, such as infrastructure.
How do you help a historic cemetery renew economic vitality? Read our 11 strategic steps
Mount Hope Cemetery
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Texas State Cemetery Master Plan
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Great Lakes National Cemetery
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Recent Posts

The National Cemetery: A Journey Through Design
Lisa Tonneson-McCorkell | Blog, Cemetery Design | No CommentsVisit a national cemetery and you’re sure to feel an immediate sense of reverence for those who have served. It’s only natural to look upon the rows of headstones and feel the awe of those that sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we cherish today. But – there’s more to…

Cemetery Design Solutions – 3 Historic Cemetery Examples
Lisa Tonneson-McCorkell | Blog, Cemetery Design | One CommentFor some, cemeteries are simply gloomy places or forgotten corners of towns and cities across the country. But, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Cemeteries are gateways into history, culture, and community. Often places of historical significance, they’re a critical part of understanding the past and how people who’ve…

Uncover Opportunity in Your Historic Cemetery, 11 Strategic Steps
Lisa Tonneson-McCorkell | Blog, Cemetery Design | No CommentsTimes have changed. Will your historic cemetery be forgotten? Cemeteries, whether they’re urban, rural, public or private, were originally designed and constructed to fulfill multiple purposes within our communities. Often cemeteries functioned as parks as well as a place for burial, with picnicking, strolling and carriage riding as common activities….