1.

Identification/ determination of macro context

a. How extensive is the setting?
b. What is the area of influence?
c. Is it the site, the street, the neighborhood, town or the city?

2. Defining the context area and identification based on different aspects

a. Planning context
i. Development planning policies
ii. Applicable zoning
iii. Urban design guide plans
iv. Applicable regulations

b. Natural, environmental context

i. Sun path, shadows, climatic conditions, macro/micro
ii. Wind directions/ wind tunnels
iii. Surrounding natural features, environmentally sensitive area, marshes,
flood zones etc.
iv. Topography
v. Flora and fauna

c. Historical context
i. City, town, immediate surrounding
ii. Applicability of influences
iii. Urban conservation requirements
iv. Conservation principles adopted

d. Social and economic context

i. Demography of the influencing planning area
ii. Income and disposable income
iii. Project affordability
iv. Factors effecting social, economic and financial feasibility
v. Potential changes to social context
vi. Need to integrate, isolate or control

e. Visual context
i. From site and towards site
ii. Cale, height, setbacks, spacing between buildings
iii. Solid void relationships
iv. Architectural character of the surrounding
 f. Connectivity
i. Macro connectivity, mass transit modes- busses, trains, light rail, boats
etc.

3. Analyzing the context

a. Planning context analysis
i. Analyze the planning proposals, accept/ challenge/ justify
ii. Adapt or identify optional solutions to change and analyze the same to
determine the better option
iii. List down influencing parameters

b. Natural environmental context analysis

i. Analyze the influences of each aspect to find out optional solutions,
analyze the pros and cons to determine solutions
ii. By analyzing identifying possible enhancements that can be adopted
iii. Macro and micro positive influences that the project and surrounding
could offer, optional solutions, analysis of pros and cons of them

c. Historical context analysis

i. Analyze the impact to historic context by the project vice versa
ii. Identify answer options and analyze the pros and cons

d. Social and economic context analysis

i. Analyze the social context and identify possible optional answers
ii. Analyze and identify optional solutions to achieve economic or social
feasibility

e. Visual context analysis

i. What is appropriate scale of the external spaces
ii. How to enhance the benefits of vistas, visual links
iii. Whether the project could be a landmark, or a node to the context
iv. Appropriate urban form modifications needed
v. Identify the requirements of improvements needed to achieve an
appropriate architectural character
vi. Analyze the space requirement between the buildings
vii. Use of landscape and environmental features enhance the visual
character of the area
 f. Connectivity analysis
i. Analysis of adequacy of macro connectivity’s
ii. How to improve micro connectivity solutions
iii. Analysis to determine the entry/ exit other different project connectivity
requirements
iv. Smooth connectivity to all transport nodes
v. Special connectivity
- Analyze the existing situation to determine the improvement
required
- Analysis of special inter relationship of micro and macro context
- Analysis of required special hierarchy

4. Respond – how the master plan will be developed to respond to the context
a. Response to planning context
i. Development of a urban design guide plan to the context
ii. Derive parameters to be used in the proposed design
b. Response to natural, environmental context
i. Bring in proposals to master plan improve the nature and the micro
environment
c. Response to historical context
i. Proposals to be derived from the analysis of above for the master plan/
urban conservation proposals
ii. Determine parameters for the proposed development
d. Response to social and economic issues
i. Master plan proposals to be worked out to resolve the social and
economic issues
ii. Physical environment to be created to enhance the social values
e. Visual response
i. Urban design outcome to improve the architectural character of the
context, in terms of massing, scale, height, etc.
f. Connectivity response
i. Incorporating connectivity solutions to master plan
ii. Incorporating visual connectivity solutions to master plan

5. Documentation and presentation of the macro and the micro plan

a. Should illustrate how all the above derived solutions are incorporated in to an
urban design proposal, where the new building will be part of the whole
b. Illustrate with plans, sections and massing elevations. If required could be
presented with a physical model or a 3D model.