"I'll plan anything a man wants, from a cathedral to a chicken coop," architect H.H. Richardson famously said. Stephen Cassell has done exactly that—designing a chicken coop, a synagogue, and now comes full circle with a cemetery welcome and education center in Brooklyn.

Green-Wood Cemetery is transforming from an active burial ground into a cultural institution. With art installations, concerts in the catacombs, and educational programming, the cemetery is preparing for a future when burial plots run out. Stephen Cassell and his team at Architecture Research Office (ARO) designed the Education & Welcome Center to support that transition.

The project sits adjacent to a delicate 1890s greenhouse made of cast-iron and glass. ARO chose a deep burgundy terracotta with fine-grained baguette patterns, resulting in vertical fins that catch light differently depending on their angle. The design serves as an elegant backdrop, allowing the Weir Greenhouse to remain the focal point while providing exhibition space, classrooms, and offices for the cemetery's expanding cultural programming.

This conversation explores the strategic decisions behind designing within a landmark, from research in Green-Wood's archives to collaboration with landscape architects. Stephen also reflects on lessons from his years at Steven Holl Architects, ARO's research-driven approach to practice, and how constraints can actually lead to better design solutions.

Episode Outline

(02:01) Early lessons from Steven Holl on craft and materiality

(03:14) Meeting Adam Yarinsky at Princeton and starting ARO in the early 1990s

(12:21) Green-Wood Cemetery's history, landscape, and transformation into a cultural institution

(18:07) The Green-Wood RFP process and interview 

(22:40) Design details that tie into the historic greenhouse and cemetery grounds 

(31:17) When to contrast with historic context versus when to serve as backdrop

(33:15) Navigating Landmarks Preservation Commission regulations 

Additional Resources

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Kim Yao of Architecture Research Office | Milgard Hall in Tacoma | A School for Everyone

The Green-Wood Cemetery Education and Welcome Center

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc 

Green-Wood Cemetery T-Shirt

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