Site Planning and

Landscape Architecture
Asst. Prof. Josefina S. de Asis, M.Arch, DURP, RLA
What is Site Planning?
Site Planning (Kevin
Lynch)
The art of arranging The art of arranging
buildings and the external physical
structures on the environment to
land in harmony to support human
each other behaviour
Site Planning (Kevin
Lynch)
The art of arranging The art of arranging
buildings and the external physical
structures on the environment to
land in harmony to support human
each other behaviour

MUST NOT BE DONE AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT

 STRUCTURE

HUMAN
SITE
BEHAVIOR

SITE
PLANNING
TYPES OF SITE PLANNING

Organic Subconscious
Planning Planning

Formal Conscious
Planning Planning
 PROCESS OF SITE PLANNING

Identifying the Analysis of Site Form

Users Site Conditions Programming Planning
 SITE ANALYSIS
Oriented to human Oriented to the site itself
purpose as an ongoing system
 USAGE OF SITE ANALYSIS

SITE SELECTION PROCESS

• Selects a site that suits best the given use and
requirements of the project
DEVELOPMENT SUITABILITY PROCESS
• Selects the best use and development suited for a
given site
 PROCESS OF SITE ANALYSIS
• Aimlessly watching out for interesting features
PRELIMINARY • Includes history of the site to understand how it evolved
RECONAISSANCE

• No information shall be sought unless it later influence the design

• Use of base maps
SYSTEMATIC
ANALYSIS • Visits the site under varied circumstances

• Graphic written statement describing the essential nature of the site

for the purpose at hand
CONCEPT OF SITE
AS BASEIS FOR • Image of the site guides the design
DESIGN
 SITE ANALYSIS
involves the study of the site in terms of the
following:

NATURAL CULTURAL AESTHETIC

FACTORS FACTORS FACTORS
• Geology • Existing land use • Natural features
• Geomorphology • Traffic and transit • Spatial patterns
• Hydrology • Density and zoning • Visual resources
• Vegetation • Socio-economic
• Wildlife factors
• Climate • Utilities
• Historic factors
NATURAL Geology and
FACTORS Geomorphology

Geology Geomorphology

•Natural science •Branch of

that studies the Geology that
Earth deals with the
origin, nature,
and distribution
of landforms
 NATURAL Geology and
Soil Properties
FACTORS Geomorphology

ALLOWABLE
Composition CLASS MATERIAL BEARING
VALUE (psf)
• Mineral Particles 1 Massive crystalline bedrock (e.g. granite, gneiss) 200,000
2 ROCK Metamorphosed rock (e.g. schist, slate) 80,000
• Organic Matter 3 Sedimentary rock (e.g. shale, sandstone) 30,000

• Water 4 Well-compacted gravel and sand 20,000

5 Compact gravel; Sand-gravel mixture 12,000
• Air 6 Loose gravel; Compact coarse sand 8,000
Loose coarse sand; Loose sand-gravel mixture;
7 6,000
Compact fine sand; Wet coarse sand
SOIL
8 MATERIALS Loose fine sand; Wet fine sand 4,000
9 Stiff clay (dry) 8,000
10 Medium-stiff clay 4,000
11 Soft clay 2,000

Value as Value as 12 Fill; Organic material; Silt (fixed by field tests)

Engineering Plant SOURCE : Code Manual, New York State Building Code Commission
Material Medium
 NATURAL Geology and
Soil Properties
FACTORS Geomorphology

Texture

•Describes the
composite sizes
of particles in a
soil sample

Value as Value as
Engineering Plant
Material Medium
 NATURAL Geology and Topography
FACTORS Geomorphology and Slopes

ANGLE OF REPOSE
SLOPE MATERIAL
Basic Slope Forms (in degrees)
Loose Clay (Saturated) 15 – 25
Sand (Well-drained) 33
• Straight Boulders and Cobbles 35 – 45

• S-shaped Compact Clay (Well-drained) 45 – 60

Bedrock (Consolidated) 65 – 90
• Concave Loam (Well-drained) 35 – 45
• Convex Loess (Well-drained) 50 – 90
Sand or Loam (Forested) 35 - 50
 NATURAL Geology and Topography
FACTORS Geomorphology and Slopes

Pattern of Contour Circulation Visibility Unique

Landforms Analysis Analysis Analysis Features
 NATURAL Geology and Topography
FACTORS Geomorphology and Slopes

LAND USE MAXIMUM MINIMUM OPTIMUM

Housing Sites 20% - 25% 0% 2%
Playgrounds 2% - 3% 0.05% 1%
Public Stairs 50% - 25%
Lawns (mowed) 25% - 2% - 3%
Septic Drainfields
15% 0% 0.05%
(special designs are required at slopes above 10-12%)
Parking Lots 3% 0.05% 1%
Sidewalks 10% 0% 1%
20mph 12% - 1%
30mph 10% - 1%
Paved Surfaces
Streets and Roads 40mph 8% - 1%
(15% - 17%) 50mph 7% - 1%
60mph 5% - 1%
70mph 4% - 1%
Factories 3% - 4% 0% 2%
Industrial Sites Lay Down Storage 3% 0.05% 1%
Parking 3% 0.05% 1%
 NATURAL Geology and
Soil Erosion
FACTORS Geomorphology

Factors

•Vegetation
•Soil type
•Slope size and inclination
•Frequency and intensity of rainfall
 NATURAL
Hydrology
FACTORS

Existing Water Bodies Natural and Man-made Surface Drainage Pattern

(location, variation, Drainage Channel (amount, blockages, and
and purity) (flow capacity and purity) undrained depressions)
 NATURAL
Hydrology Drainage
FACTORS

Good Drainage Poor Drainage

• Ability of soil to transfer • Condition of soil that is
gravity water frequently or
downwards permanently saturated
• Non-conduciveness of and may often have
soil to long periods of standing water on it
saturation
• Local accumulation of
• Infiltration surface water
• Permeability • Rise in the level of
• Rates are measured at cm or inches
per hour groundwater
 Vegetation
NATURAL and
FACTORS Wildlife
Wildlife

• Relates closely to the habitats provided by plant communities

Vegetation

ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHITECTURAL AND

CLIMATIC CONTROL
• Reduces solar radiation
• Buffers wind
• Intercepts precipitation
ENGINEERING
• Assists in air purification
• Absorbs noise
• Reduces glare and reflection
• Helps in erosion control
AESTHETIC USE
• Assists in defining space
• Efficient in view control
• Affects people’s moods

Dominant
Plant/Animal Dependence to Mapping of Plant List of Trees to
Communities Existing Factors Cover be Retained
(location)
NATURAL
FACTORS Climate

COLD TEMPERATE HOT ARID HOT HUMID

Sound Level, Smell,

Regional Data Local Microclimates Atmospheric
Quality
NATURAL
FACTORS Climate

SOLAR BEST-FACING WIND FLOWS

ORIENTATION SLOPES

Sound Level, Smell,

Regional Data Local Microclimates Atmospheric
Quality