Langeland – Sterenberg Funeral Home

This addition reflects a new generation of a family-owned business with a longstanding tradition of excellence in creating a meaningful experience during a difficult time. Langeland-Sterenberg Funeral Home had outgrown their existing space and embarked on a project to upgrade and double the size of their facility. Driven by the owner’s desire to achieve a flexible, comfortable home-like setting, GMB designed a space that is multi-use, technology integrated, yet intimate and aesthetically pleasing, with neutral, nature driven undertones.

A challenge was balancing a comforting atmosphere with state of the art levels of web-casting, video projection and sound equipment. Families are now able to either watch services in real-time or access the recording later. This project function is an example of a new generation and the growing trends of servicing a web savvy community.

The expanded space includes increased square footage for services and parking, a children’s play room, a reception room, outdoor patio space for quiet reflection and visitation areas that utilize cutting edge technology to provide a personal, meaningful and healing experience for every family.

The owner’s desire to be innovative, progressive and proactive in designing a tribute to a life lived is evident in the final design. A primary design objective was to provide flexibility with ease while balancing careful consideration to aesthetics. The arrangement of three spacious chapels can easily be transformed into a medium sized chapel and reception room by retracting one of the two movable walls, or a large chapel can be arranged by retracting both movable walls.

The uniqueness of the large two-layer canopy provides visual enthusiasm and promotes the quality and attention to detail demonstrated by the Owners as they assist their clients’ needs. Design and tastefully appointed spaces are the key components in helping funeral facilities provide clients with a comforting atmosphere affecting clients’ experiences and memories, “It’s all in the details…” as the Owners would say. Other details enhancing the concept; edge lit canopy glass, the one of a kind structure of the canopy, exposed glu-lam beams, and the introduction of natural light in all spaces.