WHAT IS GIS?

A geographic information system or geographical information system (GIS) is a

system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyse, manage, and present all
types of spatial or geographical data. The acronym GIS most commonly refers to
Geographic Information Systems, the interconnected hardware, software,
users, data, and procedures that together form a system for geospatial analysis.
GIS can be used to study, analyse, and visualize any phenomenon that has a
spatial component. If location plays a role in your research, GIS offers a way to
include these spatial features in your analysis.

GIS AND ARCHITECTURE

GIS has many potential uses in architectural research and practice, especially in
the areas of urban design, community planning, and the site selection process.
GIS can also be used in conjunction with other visualization tools, such as
AutoCAD, Google Earth, Adobe Illustrator, and Google SketchUp®, to create
dynamic and complex models. The benefit of GIS lies in its analytical capabilities,
wherein multiple phenomena can be linked by location and viewed through a
spatial lens. Information on an area's geology, soil type, infrastructure, and
demographic information, for example, can all be taken into consideration when
planning a structure or selecting a site.

Using GIS for urban planning

Traditional methods of information management are hard to use in the planning

process of problematic urban areas such as squatter settlements. GIS provides
the capability for dynamic query and analysis, display of information and a more
understandable representation. By introducing GIS, the authors analyse the
social and infrastructure possibilities of the squatter settlements in Eskisehir
Municipality. They determine areas with inadequate public services and
infrastructure, and provide basic solutions.

The problems of large metropolitan cities have been comprehensively studied

by many researchers. Nevertheless, a country that just consists of a few very
large urbanised areas arbitrarily embedded in a rural context is not viable and
not optimally sustainable. A network of medium-sized cities that are evenly
distributed over the territory is more feasible.

Planning involves determining appropriate future decisions and actions through

a series of choices. Making choices requires, in addition to thorough planning
knowledge, comprehensive (geo-) data about the past, present and future. The
information may be descriptive, predictive or prescriptive in nature. Appropriate
and efficient management of information greatly improves the quality of
planning. Generation of the proper type of information is very difficult with
manual methods. GIS provides many basic functions for appropriate and
efficient management of geo-information. Essentially, GIS supports the
collection, maintenance, analysis and display of spatially related information.
GIS data enable multiple viewpoints to be considered and provide the capability
for dynamic query and display of information, and a more understandable
representation. On the other hand, the accessibility of digital data may cause
abuse and misuse, raising fundamental issues of data security, responsibility and
reliability.

Statistics, reports, articles, aerial and close-range photos, satellite images, maps
and drawings all aid in understanding the planning area and its problems.
Alternative solutions may be developed by importing this data into computer
models. These models may predict, for example, demographic changes and land
use modifications or simulate traffic flow. Often these computer models are
implemented as stand-alone software. GIS facilitates by providing digital geo-
data and display of intermediate and final results. Arriving at the most
appropriate solution requires communication and collaboration among many
stakeholders. Communication is best done through visualisations such as images
and maps rather than through bare text. GIS is a perfect visualisation aid. So, GIS
makes model creation and interpretation easier and provides understanding
that may otherwise not be achieved.

Using GIS for CAD

CAD models things in the real world. GIS models the world itself. Therefore, GIS
uses geographic coordinates systems and world map projections while CAD
coordinates are relative to the object being modelled and are not usually relative
to any particular place on earth.

CAD objects include lines, circles, arcs, text, etc. using layers, blocks, internal
data, and dimensions. CAD objects don't know about each other, even though
they may touch or overlap.

GIS objects know about each other:

 GIS understands networks. For instance, the lines describing streets are
related to one another.
 GIS understands enclosed areas (polygons) and their associativity with
other objects.
 GIS understands connectivity, conductivity, and associativity which
enables spatial analysis.
The primary difference between CAD and GIS is topology. GIS has it, CAD
doesn't. In a CAD environment, the objects (lines, polylines, points, etc.) have no
relationships between them. Topology brings these objects together into logical
groups to form real world models.

 Node topology allows spatial analysis, such as buffering to determine

other objects within a certain range.
 Network topology allows modelling of direction and resistance. Path
tracing finds the fastest or best route. Flood tracing determines the
maximum flow from a given point and network resistance. As with node
topology, buffer analysis can be applied to networks too.
 Polygon topology enables polygons to have relationships. Polygons also
have centroids which can be used to hold data relevant to the polygons.
Polygon spatial analysis includes overlay analysis such as determining
parcels in a floodplain. Polygons can be "dissolved" using attributes with
common values to remove interior lines, in effect aggregating polygons
with in the same class.

Topology and spatial analysis differentiate GIS from CAD.

Using GIS in the conduction of EIA before designing

Geographic Information System can be used and applied extensively for

environmental impact assessment issues prevalent in many other developing
nations including Nigeria.

Some areas where GIS will be useful include:

  Storage, analysis and display of large data sets. Often EIAs are in
undeveloped areas resulting in new and valuable databases for future
monitoring or environmental management programs.
 Database creation, documentation and management; Environmental
impact modelling. Models and GIS are both computer based and thus
easily integrated (Erickson, 1994).
 Environmental data and EIA analyses.
 Aid in decision-making or policy formulation.
 Environmental Impact Auditing.

Raster data images for presentation drawings

In its simplest form, a raster consists of a matrix of cells (or pixels) organized into
rows and columns (or a grid) where each cell contains a value representing
information, such as temperature. Rasters are digital aerial photographs,
imagery from satellites, digital pictures, or even scanned maps.

Raster data is more easily understood by a non-geographically learned client,

and so can be easily used by architects when producing presentation drawings.

Using GIS in landscape architecture

Landscape architecture is simply the art and practice of designing the outdoor
environment, especially designing parks or gardens to harmonize with buildings
and roads. It is the design of outdoor public areas, landmarks, and structures to
achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves
the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and soil conditions and
processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions that will produce the
desired outcome.
GIS is a powerful tool for spatial research, design and planning in the field of
landscape architecture. GIS will be presented as a powerful platform for visual
representation, analysis and modelling of complex landscape architectonic
environments. Mapping plays a very significant role in spatial design, while
mapping is an important component of GISc.

Other evident relevant uses of GIS in architecture are using GIS to locate sites
and conduct case studies, using GIS in the understanding of design laws and
guidelines, etc.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This paper has discussed some of the evident advantages of the geographic
information system, GIS. The list has not been exhausted. It is therefore
recommended that these advantages be taught in schools of architecture, so
that modern GIS methods be employed for effective architecture.
REFERENCES

 http://libguides.wustl.edu/gisforarchitecture
 http://www.gim-international.com/content/article/benefits-of-gis-in-
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