Alumni Design Memorials: Three Projects

August 16, 2006

Northeastern University Veteran's Memorial - Boston, MA

Mo Zell (BSArch'94), her husband Marc Roehrle (BSArch'92) and colleague Steve Fellmuth have been named the winners of a contest to design the first Veteran's Memorial on the Northeastern University campus in Boston, MA to honor the more than 300 alumni who lost their lives in combat. Zell is an assistant professor of architecture at Northeastern and earned a MA in architecture from Yale University. The design consists of three parallel elements, two vertical and one horizontal. The first vertical element is made of black marble and will be adorned with individual stainless steel plates meant to resemble dog tags, each one memorializing a Northeastern student who lost his or her life in military conflict. The second vertical element is a series of four flag poles, representing the four branches of the military. The horizontal element is a granite bench with the name of each major conflict engraved upon it. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 14th.

Northeastern University Veteran's Memorial, Boston, MA—Mo Zell & Marc Roehrle

Flight 93 National Memorial - Somerset, PA

School of Architecture alumni and faculty are well represented on the winning team for the Flight 93 National Memorial Design Competition. Paul Murdoch (BSArch’78) of Paul Murdoch Architects (Los Angeles, CA) is the leader of the team which also includes Warren T. Byrd, Jr, (MLA’78) Professor Emeritus of Landscape Architecture and the following alumni at Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (Charlottesville, VA): Emmanuel Didier (MArch’04, MLA’04), Breck Gastinger (BSArch’98, MArch’04, MLA’04), Sara Myhre (BSArch’92, MArch’96, MLA’96), Todd Shallenberger (MLA ’94), Theresa Steward (BSArch’04, Col’04) and R. Kennon Williams (Col’87, MLA’97).

In an open letter on the memorial’s website, Murdoch describes the philosophical and sensory underpinnings of the overall project, “We have created a memorial design that is open to natural change, variety through the seasons and maturity over time; open to emotional experience, individual interpretation and personal contemplation; and open to the spirit of truth and freedom of expression that the passengers and crew fought to defend.” Team members aimed to create a space that both honors the history of the swath of land on which Flight 93 crashed, and also is a tribute to the courageous acts of the persons who lost their lives in the attack.

At the entrance to the memorial will stand a concrete tower, visible from the nearby highway, which will house forty white, aluminum wind chimes recalling the forty lives lost at the site. The tower’s skin will be formed by white, glazed glass mosaic tiles so as to reflect the night lighting that will shine upon it.

The main section of the memorial is “The Bowl,” an almost perfectly circular landform that is intersected by an open path that marks the trajectory of Flight 93 as it crashed. Concrete walls frame the entrance to the area, and focus the visitor’s vision on the crash site. A visitor’s center and plaza located nearby provide an opportunity to see the expanse of the circular area and the crash site below. Forty groves of native sugar and red maple trees will be planted in “The Bowl,” and a row of maples will define the space’s outer boundary. These and other plantings have been specially selected to bloom or turn color near significant dates, such as September 11th and Memorial Day. The “Sacred Ground”, the actual crash site of Flight 93, is the primary focus of the memorial. A black slate plaza and a sloping wall with insets for the public to leave tributes to the dead front the area. To the west, a wall holds a folded band of polished, translucent white marble with the forty names inscribed and the date of September 11, 2001 in an area visible to the public but accessible through a gate only to the families of the deceased and to others at special events. American Beech Trees punctuate the walls and provide shade for those resting on benches. Wildflowers will be planted over the crash site, which is the final resting place of the forty passengers and crew members. Construction of the memorial is underway and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in 2011. For more information about, visit the Flight 93 National Memorial website..

Flight 93 National Memorial, Somerset, PA—Paul Murdoch Architects and Nelson, Bryd, Woltz Landscape Architects

American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial - Washington, DC: 'Fire in the Grove'

Michael Vergason Landscape Architect, led by Michael Vergason (BLA’72, MArch’75), won the design competition for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in 2004. The memorial will be located on a triangular section of land at the intersection of the National Mall, the U.S. Capitol grounds, and the Southeast Federal Center. The design consists of several symbolic components. At the center of the design is a raised, star-shaped fountain supporting an eternal flame that represents loss, renewal, and hope. The fountain is fed through a weir by a triangular-shaped reflecting pool. Adjacent to the pool is a grove of gingko trees recalling the “sacred life force” that has long appeared in western literature and art. Across from the pool are 180ft. laminated glass walls etched with quotes from a variety of conflicts representing “Voices of Gratitude” and “Voices of Courage.” The memorial’s paths are marked by 12ft. high white marble walls unadorned except for the inclusion of small glass prisms at their joints. Construction is expected to begin this fall and to take approximately two years to complete. For more information about the memorial, visit the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial website.

American Veterans Disabled for life Memorial, National Mall, U.S Capitol grounds—Michael Vergason

	Home > Calendar > In the News > Alumni Design Memorials: Three Projects August 16, 2006 Northeastern University Veteran's Memorial - Boston, MA Mo Zell (BSArch'94), her husband Marc Roehrle (BSArch'92) and colleague Steve Fellmuth have been named the winners of a contest to design the first Veteran's Memorial on the Northeastern University campus in Boston, MA to honor the more than 300 alumni who lost their lives in combat. Zell is an assistant professor of architecture at Northeastern and earned a MA in architecture from Yale University. The design consists of three parallel elements, two vertical and one horizontal. The first vertical element is made of black marble and will be adorned with individual stainless steel plates meant to resemble dog tags, each one memorializing a Northeastern student who lost his or her life in military conflict. The second vertical element is a series of four flag poles, representing the four branches of the military. The horizontal element is a granite bench with the name of each major conflict engraved upon it. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 14th. Northeastern University Veteran's Memorial, Boston, MA—Mo Zell & Marc Roehrle Flight 93 National Memorial - Somerset, PA School of Architecture alumni and faculty are well represented on the winning team for the Flight 93 National Memorial Design Competition. Paul Murdoch (BSArch’78) of Paul Murdoch Architects (Los Angeles, CA) is the leader of the team which also includes Warren T. Byrd, Jr, (MLA’78) Professor Emeritus of Landscape Architecture and the following alumni at Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (Charlottesville, VA): Emmanuel Didier (MArch’04, MLA’04), Breck Gastinger (BSArch’98, MArch’04, MLA’04), Sara Myhre (BSArch’92, MArch’96, MLA’96), Todd Shallenberger (MLA ’94), Theresa Steward (BSArch’04, Col’04) and R. Kennon Williams (Col’87, MLA’97). In an open letter on the memorial’s website, Murdoch describes the philosophical and sensory underpinnings of the overall project, “We have created a memorial design that is open to natural change, variety through the seasons and maturity over time; open to emotional experience, individual interpretation and personal contemplation; and open to the spirit of truth and freedom of expression that the passengers and crew fought to defend.” Team members aimed to create a space that both honors the history of the swath of land on which Flight 93 crashed, and also is a tribute to the courageous acts of the persons who lost their lives in the attack. At the entrance to the memorial will stand a concrete tower, visible from the nearby highway, which will house forty white, aluminum wind chimes recalling the forty lives lost at the site. The tower’s skin will be formed by white, glazed glass mosaic tiles so as to reflect the night lighting that will shine upon it. The main section of the memorial is “The Bowl,” an almost perfectly circular landform that is intersected by an open path that marks the trajectory of Flight 93 as it crashed. Concrete walls frame the entrance to the area, and focus the visitor’s vision on the crash site. A visitor’s center and plaza located nearby provide an opportunity to see the expanse of the circular area and the crash site below. Forty groves of native sugar and red maple trees will be planted in “The Bowl,” and a row of maples will define the space’s outer boundary. These and other plantings have been specially selected to bloom or turn color near significant dates, such as September 11th and Memorial Day. The “Sacred Ground”, the actual crash site of Flight 93, is the primary focus of the memorial. A black slate plaza and a sloping wall with insets for the public to leave tributes to the dead front the area. To the west, a wall holds a folded band of polished, translucent white marble with the forty names inscribed and the date of September 11, 2001 in an area visible to the public but accessible through a gate only to the families of the deceased and to others at special events. American Beech Trees punctuate the walls and provide shade for those resting on benches. Wildflowers will be planted over the crash site, which is the final resting place of the forty passengers and crew members. Construction of the memorial is underway and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in 2011. For more information about, visit the Flight 93 National Memorial website.. Flight 93 National Memorial, Somerset, PA—Paul Murdoch Architects and Nelson, Bryd, Woltz Landscape Architects American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial - Washington, DC: 'Fire in the Grove' Michael Vergason Landscape Architect, led by Michael Vergason (BLA’72, MArch’75), won the design competition for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in 2004. The memorial will be located on a triangular section of land at the intersection of the National Mall, the U.S. Capitol grounds, and the Southeast Federal Center. The design consists of several symbolic components. At the center of the design is a raised, star-shaped fountain supporting an eternal flame that represents loss, renewal, and hope. The fountain is fed through a weir by a triangular-shaped reflecting pool. Adjacent to the pool is a grove of gingko trees recalling the “sacred life force” that has long appeared in western literature and art. Across from the pool are 180ft. laminated glass walls etched with quotes from a variety of conflicts representing “Voices of Gratitude” and “Voices of Courage.” The memorial’s paths are marked by 12ft. high white marble walls unadorned except for the inclusion of small glass prisms at their joints. Construction is expected to begin this fall and to take approximately two years to complete. For more information about the memorial, visit the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial website. American Veterans Disabled for life Memorial, National Mall, U.S Capitol grounds—Michael Vergason	This Week This Month : November In the News Feature Stories Archive Lectures & Symposia Exhibits Podcasts UVa Academic Calendar UVa Events Calendar UVa Student Activities Calendar Northeastern University Veteran’s Memorial. Flight 93 National Memorial. Flight 93 National Memorial. Flight 93 National Memorial: View of Portal. American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.
		Back to top