The Future of a cemetery in a warming climate

his paper utilises the complex physical and cultural landscape of an inner urban cemetery in Melbourne to position microclimate materiality as a crucial contemporary design framework. Beginning with key concepts from design literature on the design potentials of heat, air and atmosphere, this theory-led framing suggests that small-scale fluctuations in temperature over time can offer insight into spatial and temporal diversity as qualities that can be leveraged through design. This position is further explored in the specific social and environmental context of the Melbourne General Cemetery. This case illustrates the relevance of microclimate materiality for landscape design in navigating urban pressures in our time of climate change – especially in complex sites where cultural, social and environmental values overlap