Some projects are not just built - they are felt. This project is a memorial landscape created for a mother who lost her daughter at the age of 31.
This landscape began with a mother’s quiet wish: to honor her 31-year-old daughter, lost to suicide, with a space that didn’t mourn her absence but instead celebrated her spirit. Her daughter loved music, dancing, and joy — things she had so little time to experience. The result is a landscape that holds both grief and celebration in equal measure.
What began as a concept for a curved wooden bench evolved into a sculptural, monolithic granite seat — grounded into the hillside like a permanent extension of the earth. Granite was chosen not only for its durability, but for its symbolism: strength, resilience, and the endurance of memory. The bench became both anchor and altar — a place to rest, reflect, and reconnect.
Around it, we carved open spaces that invite movement and sound. These dance-floor-like clearings allow gatherings to shift between stillness and celebration — echoing the life that inspired them. Every decision in this project was intentional: natural stone and wood, used in harmony with the land, kept the space timeless and quiet. By working with the site's slope and natural contours, the design gently holds the visitor — never imposing, always welcoming.
This is not just a memorial. It is a living landscape, where music can rise, laughter can return, and memory can move — not as something frozen in stone, but as something that flows with the people who gather here.
Message from Fred Anderson
This was not a monument to grief, but a sanctuary for joy. By grounding the bench in stone and opening space for movement, we created a place where sorrow could give way to music, laughter, and love.
The challenge was to design a memorial that avoided solemnity and instead celebrated life. It had to embody permanence while blending seamlessly with the contours of the site, offering both intimate moments of grounding and open areas for community joy.
