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A columbarium is a big project and various people are involved in each step: advising, planning, implementing, supporting, etc. After the decision is made to implement a columbarium, you will need a columbarium supplier.
An architect can select a columbarium supplier for you. An architect’s primary criteria will be form, fit and durability. With columbaria, architects often will also consider the ability to customize the product to the client’s environment. Architects will also make an effort to understand any client requirements that affect the columbarium, such as the ability to relocate it at a later date.
Contractors sometimes are asked to bid on an entire project, including the columbarium. A contractor’s primary concerns are cost and schedule. Note that a contractor considers the cost to be the price of the columbarium and its installation. Costs do not factor durability, maintenance, functionality or operation.
Both architects and contractors will look at a columbarium as a component in a plan. They may not envision its usage. For example, a particular style of columbarium may require constant maintenance to preserve its appearance, may be very expensive to engrave, may have minimal security features or may be very expensive to relocate. In addition, they rarely factor a supplier’s related offerings relative to planning or operation.
Sales representatives from manufacturers will talk about the benefits of their product. They may also misrepresent the products of other manufacturers, as Architarium recently experienced. If so, it may be a sign that they lack confidence in their own product. Sales representatives have a vested interest in selling you their columbarium.
As a columbarium committee, it is your right to select your columbarium. In fact, it is highly recommended. You work, not to have a columbarium at the end, but to have one that fits your requirements. Requirements typically include appearance, function, longevity, cost, and support. But each organization is different and usually has unique requirements in addition to these. You gather information but you should be the entity which filters it and maps it to your requirements. Ultimately you want the satisfaction of knowing that you worked to select a columbarium and build a memorial garden specifically for your organization. Visit most non-commercial memorial gardens and you will plainly see the results of such work, creativity and individualism.