Netherhouse Farm in Waltham Abbey is on the edge of north east London where the open landscape of the greenbelt begins. The crematorium is on a very large landscaped site containing burial plots, natural burial grounds and isolated funeral services buildings. This project is to replace a current approval for one of those funeral service buildings with a full service crematorium. The building will be constructed of large timber structural beams and columns, timber shingle roofs and low-level facing brickwork.

The design places the crematory hall and the day to day workings of the crematorium at basement level below the public facing ceremonial spaces to both significantly reduce the impact of the building in the landscape and work within the volumes of building already permitted on the site.

This is a relatively unique approach to the design and layout of a crematorium and required an innovative design solution which utilised the topography of the site and concealed the crematorium flues as part of the structure of the design.