Situated within meadows in London’s green belt, the extension of Bushey Cemetery was designed around the existing landscape. The rammed earth buildings are very much part of their setting and in 70 years, when it is anticipated that the cemetery will be fully occupied, the buildings can be returned to the earth. Two monolithic prayer halls, discretely embedded into a corner of the sloping site, are at the heart of the development. Built of rammed earth, this organic, locally sourced material defines the overall design and was chosen for its symbolic and practical sensitivity to the Jewish faith, echoing the traditional sentiment of the deceased being laid to rest in plain wooden caskets: ‘returning to the earth’. This is an ancient building method that is natural, sustainable, durable and strong. Sand, limestone and earth from the site were mixed with less than 5% cement and very little water, creating a material with very low embodied energy. The reception and mortuary buildings are constructed from well insulated pre-fabricated timber cassettes. Solar panels provide energy while the prayer halls have a high thermal mass and will retain passive heat gains from their intensive daily occupancy, low level heating and exposure to the sun. A linear reed bed and a series of ponds and swales define the edges of the cemetery, facilitating rainwater attenuation and encouraging the biodiversity of Bushey Cemetery’s pastoral setting. The project was RIBA Stirling Prize nominated project in 2018.