5/31 Memorial Fountain - Virginia Beach, VA

A Water Feature Supporting a Place of Reflection



The 5/31 Memorial is being constructed at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center to honor the twelve lives lost on May 31, 2019. The memorial also recognizes survivors, first responders, and the broader community affected by the tragedy.

Designed as a permanent place for remembrance and reflection, the memorial landscape includes several areas intended to support quiet contemplation. These spaces include the Survivor’s Grove, the Heroes’ Tree, and a memorial glade where water plays a subtle but important role within the environment.

The water feature within the memorial is not intended as a visual attraction. Instead, it serves as a calm and steady presence within the landscape, reinforcing the reflective atmosphere of the site.

Water as a Quiet Presence

In places of remembrance, water can create an atmosphere that encourages visitors to pause and reflect. The design of the water feature at the 5/31 Memorial focuses on gentle movement and consistent sound rather than dramatic visual effects.

The water element complements the surrounding landscape and architecture while remaining visually restrained within the memorial environment. Its purpose is to support the experience of the space without drawing attention away from the meaning of the memorial itself.

Delivering the Water Feature System

Laughing Waters was brought onto the project team to construct and deliver the water feature systems supporting the memorial installation.

Our role focused on translating the design intent into a functioning system that can operate reliably within a public civic space. Water features within memorial landscapes require careful coordination with the surrounding architecture and site infrastructure so that the technical systems remain unobtrusive while performing consistently.

The goal is to ensure that the water feature functions quietly and reliably while allowing the memorial landscape to remain the focus for visitors.

A Permanent Civic Landmark

When completed, the 5/31 Memorial will stand as a lasting place of remembrance for the Virginia Beach community.

The water feature contributes to that space by introducing a gentle, steady presence within the memorial landscape. Through careful construction and long term reliability, the installation is intended to serve the memorial and its visitors for decades to come.

Laughing Waters is honored to play a role in helping bring this important civic space forward.