ECOLOGY &

SITE ANALYSIS

▪ Ar. Gracy H. David

▪ M.Arch (Sustainable Architecture)
 SITE ANALYSIS
NATURAL UTILITY/
SITE CONTEXT CLIMATE
FEATURES SERVICES

CONSEQUENCE TRIANGLE
It is impossible to place the building on the site without changing
the existing conditions.
Hence we must determine what:
USER
• Retain
• Reinforce
• Accent (emphasize)
• Modify
• Eliminate

CONTEXT BUILDING The implanting of our site will always result in remodeling of the
site, out goal should always be to leave the site better than we
found it.
Making sure the analysis is thorough
It is important when carrying out a site analysis, that we endeavor to
research as much as possible and collect all available data that relates
to the site and our design. A poorly executed site analysis can lead to a
sub-standard design due to the designer not having all available
information to respond to and develop solutions for.

You can never know too much about the site.

SITE CONTEXT AND DENOTION

HARD DATA SOFT DATA
site boundaries, site areas, Data that can be changed:
dimensions, Views
utility locations – electric pole, Neighborhood
pipeline, etc.
contours, topography, water On site activities
body, site features,
climate, legal information Noise
DENOTION
DENOTION

TO DENOTE PEOPLE GROUPS

 BASICS

BOUNDARIES AND SITE AREA STREET RIGHT OF WAY

Is there a scope of
future Expansion ?

SETBACKS BUILDABLE AREA

 'context' refers to the circumstances

SITE CONTEXT or interrelated conditions that are

relevant to something that exists.

SMALLER CONTEXT
Contextualism/contextual architecture
, is a principle of design in which
a structure is designed in response to its
specific urban and natural
LARGER CONTEXT environment.
WHAT TO INCLUDE? The idea is to differentiate between site data and climate data,
To move from general overview to detailed overview

1. LOCATION 2. VEHICULAR CIRCULATION 3. PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

Relationship with the road, traffic flow
Distances (Travel time) to key places
 WHAT TO INCLUDE?
6. Land use Zone

4. MAJOR LAND FEATURES 5. NATURAL PHYSICAL FEATURES 7. SURFACE DRAINAGE PATTERN

8. NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT
 OPEN STREET MAP – Street layers

https://www.openstreetmap.org/ Scalable vector maps

Svg format can be exported to illustrator
 MAPBOX – Street layers, 3D Layout around site

https://www.mapbox.com/
 OLFACTORY (Smells) –
SENSORY AUDITORY (noise) – sound
pollution, quiet areas on site
Fragrance and foul smells (if any)

VISUAL – Views, visibility,

positive, negatives

TACTILE (touch) – Textures / Materials

 HUMAN & CULTURAL
People groups - ?

(Ethnicity)

Occupation - ?

Culture - ?

Age groups - ?

Recreational preference ?

Study of people in the neighborhood

 THE PUDDING – comparison of population data

https://pudding.cool/2018/10/city_3d/
2. ECOLOGY – NATURAL FEATURES
• Protected species

• Protected zones

• Impacts
ECOLOGY - NATURAL FEATURES
SOIL TYPE :
SLOPE:
soil type below the ground level Topographical contours – high points, low points, slopes,
bearing capacity of the soil ridges, valleys, flat areas
soil distribution over the site area
Soil to be conserved for landscaping

SOIL TYPOLOGY SLOPE ANALYSIS

 CAD MAP CREATOR – for contour levels on site

https://contourmapcreator.urgr8.ch/
EXISTING NATURAL FEATURES:
trees (type and size) holes/ditches
ground cover Mounds
rock outcropping site water

ground texture stable – unstable areas of the site

SURFACE DRAINAGE PATTERNS

EXISTING TREES ON SITE

DEVELOPMENT ON CONTOURS
SLOPE
ANALYSIS
SLOPE<1: 8
(12.5% OR LESS)

SLOPE 1: 8 – 1:4
(12.5% - 25%)

SLOPE 1:4 – 1: 2
(25% TO 50%)

SLOPE >1: 2
(50% AND OVER)
SLOPES NEED TO ACCOMMODATE
ACCESS TO ALL PARTS OF THE SITE
▪ Ramps should have slopes of 1 in 3 and never
more than 1 in 10
▪ Steps – 1 in 4
▪ Disturbed soils should be graded 1 in 5 for safety
▪ Agriculture – 1 in 6
▪ Forestry – 1 in 4.
▪ Grass does not grow well in 1 in 1 slope. Machine
mowing slopes are usually 1 in 4.
▪ Grassy slopes for pedestrian use should be 1 in 10
for comfort or else tend to get muddy.
▪ Football and other grounds – 1 in 30 to 1 in 80.
3. CLIMATE
 VENTUSKY – Climate data on site

https://www.ventusky.com/
a. SUN PATH Sun path in summer and winter solstice
b. TEMPERATURE
Include the altitude and azimuth at particular time of the day Temperature range in each month of the
year

Diurnal Temp. range throughout the day

c. WIND d. HUMIDITY e. RAINFALL
Prevailing wind direction and speed in each month Average humidity in each month Rainfall variation through
months, Including max.
rainfall expected in one day

NATURAL
CATASTROPHES
Earthquake zone that our
site lies in
PROXIMITY TO FOREST AREA WILL IMPACT :
1. Wind speed

2. Temperature

3. Humidity

4. Evapotranspiration
 C. WIND b) DIRECTION OF AIR

c) PRESSURE OF AIR
a) VELOCITY OF AIR

d) TEMPERATURE AND DENSITY OF AIR e) VENTURI EFFECT

4. UTILITIES
 UTILITIES to be marked on site

Location of power , gas, sewer,

telephone and water utilities

Location of power poles

Location of chambers on site

UNDERGROUND STORM SEWER SYSTEM

EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES