June 99
Committal Service Shelter
Normal operations at the national cemetery provide for away-from-
gravesite interment services. These services are held in a sheltered area,
visually isolated from the administrative, maintenance and burial
operations. It is desirable to have the "complex" of shelters within close
proximity to the Administration/ Maintenance facility.
The shelter is considered a facility that serves the family and
friends of one veteran at any given time and is not intended to be a focal
point or strong visual element of the total cemetery experience. Each
shelter should accommodate approximately (60) funeral attendees and
one (1) casket per service. Larger numbers of attendees should be
accommodated by "overflow" paving and adjacent turf areas.
Locate the shelters far enough apart to preserve privacy of an
individual service, yet close enough to combine service access at the rear
of shelters for removal of caskets. The design of the shelters should
reduce the impact of all operational procedures on the families. Site the
shelters, utilizing existing terrain, trees and vegetation, to obscure views
between shelters and the service access.
Design the building so it is relatively simple and consistent in style
and materials with the Public Information Center and Administration/
Maintenance building(s). The building is a covered structure, which is
open or partially enclosed on the sides and provides limited shelter from
wind, rain, and sun. Provide a limited amount of storage at the shelter to
hold a broom, a shovel, twelve stacking chairs, and two biers.
Provide an area for an honor guard of approximately seven
members to stand adjacent to the shelter. The shelters should provide an
intimate experience for visitors where individual thoughts are not
distracted by the surroundings. Do not provide heating or air conditioning.
Determine the feasibility of providing electrical power and plumbing to the
shelters. Dedicated committal service shelter drives or pull-offs provide
parallel parking for interment services.
Engineering Considerations
Administration/Maintenance Complex
Electric Power
Each workstation in the cemetery requires a four-flex power outlet,
with 2 of the outlets on a dedicated circuit for computer equipment.
VA Design Guide -- National Cemetery Administration
Page 2 -21
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