SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

SUBJECT CODE: 16 AR406

SUBJECT NAME: Urban design and renewal

SEMESTER: VIII YEAR: IV

REGULATION: 2016

COURSE: B.ARCH

SPECIALISATION: ARCHITECTURE
 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

Urban Scale is a term that describes the sense of height, bulk, and architectural
articulation of a place or individual building, often in relation to the size of a human
body.Groups of buildings and the spaces between them establish a high, medium, or
low urban scale

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 2

SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 3

SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 4

SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 5

 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

SCALE and proportion

•People will often say something is “large scale”, but we really have
no idea how large “it” is without dealing with proportion.
•Cannot have one without the other. Scale refers to the size
and proportion refers to the relative size.
•Using the relative size of elements against each other can attract
attention to a focal point.
•When elements are designed larger than life, scale is being used to
show drama
•Scale and proportion principles help the viewer organize an image
and they can be used to create or minimize points of emphasis.
•If an object is out-of-scale or oddly proportioned, then it will create a
point of emphasis.
•Also, large scale objects create obvious visual weight. We
automatically perceive larger objects as closer and more important
than smaller objects.
•For instance, government buildings, theaters and churches are often
built to impress and dwarf the viewer, while the proportions in a
private home are usually more according to human measure.

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 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

SYMMETRY
•When there is correspondence in size or shape of parts on either side of a bisected whole
we say it is symmetrical.
•A good starting point for understanding symmetry might be to look in the mirror and
imagine a line drawn down the center of your body.
• You are fairly symmetrical with correspondence between your eyes, ears, arms and legs,
A symmetrical building has the same shapes on either side of an imaginary line drawn
down the middle of its façade.
• Buildings can be asymmetrical as well when different shapes are placed on either side
of a bisecting line.

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 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

TEXTURE
•Texture is the apparent look or feel of the surface of an subject..
•We can interpret a texture with our eyes and can tell visually how it might feel.
•Texture can also be suggested by the rich layering of shapes and forms on a building.
•It helps in identifying the open space and covered area in an area.

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SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 9

 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

LIGHT AND SHADE

•Light and dark are relative perceptions of light.
• Architects use the concept of light and dark as they
create visual interest on a building by choosing
shapes that create a sensation of depth.
•When some shapes stick out, they leave others in
shadow.
•Narrow openings often appear dark, as in a tunnel,
and broad, flat spaces look light.
•Materials can be used to vary the light quality of a
building.
•For instance, a band of tinted windows gives the
illusion of a dark space wrapping around a building.

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 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

URBAN ENCLOSURE AND URBAN MASS

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 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

URBAN ENCLOSURE AND URBAN MASS

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 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

URBAN ENCLOSURE AND URBAN MASS

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 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

The term ‘urban fabric’ describes the physical characteristics of urban areas, that
is, cities, and towns. This includes the streetscapes, buildings, soft and
hard landscaping, signage, lighting, roads and other infrastructure. Urban fabric can
be thought of as the physical texture of an urban area

VISUAL SURVEY
A visual survey is an examination of the form, appearance, and composition of a city…an
evaluation of its assets (to be protected) and liabilities (to be corrected.
As an analysis of a city, its objectives are twofold
:To establish the relationship between spatial components as well as assessment of their
condition
To determine where the area investigated needs improvement /reshaping/remodelling
A visual survey can be made at different urban scales: macro to micro
A visual survey calls for a descriptive vocabulary for identification and relation of spatial
elements in order to understand the form, function, and consequent appearance of given
space.
A good survey generates ideas for action: areas of improvement, correction or total
replacement.
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 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

Components of a visual survey

Image of the city
Landform and Nature
Local Climate
Shape of urban form
Size and Density
Pattern,
Grain, and Texture
Urban Spaces and Open Spaces
Routes of movement
Districts/Enclaves/Sectors
Activity structure
Orientation
Details
Pedestrian areas
Vistas and skylines
Non-physical Aspects
Problem Areas

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SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 16

SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 17

SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 18

 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

Size and Density Size: physical extent; no. of inhabitants

Density: population density; unit (dwellings) density; amount of building floor
area in a given section of the city (floor area index);
automobile density
Relationship of size and density influences the population distribution and
urban massing
Local ClimateTemperatures: implications of seasonal temperatures and
humidity.
averages and extremes comfort zones and periods
amelioration of extremes and discomfort
Light: implications of clear and cloudy days
Precipitation: rain and snow
Sun: angles of the sun (solar altitude) at different seasons affects viewing
conditions…
long and short sunny days
Winds: direction and intensity of seasonal winds; cold and hot winds
.

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 19

 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

Pattern, Grain and Texture

Pattern: the underlying geometry of city form…mostly define by block and street
layouts
Grain: degree of fineness or courseness in an urban area
Texture: the degree of mixture of fine and course elements of urban form (even
vs uneven)

Urban Spaces and Open Spaces

Voids within the city
Urban spaces: formal…usually modelled by building facades
and the city’s floor
Open spaces: natural, representing nature in the city

Routes of movement Principal determinants of urban form:

Routes affect the appearance of the landscape through which they pass as
well as the architecture and form of cities they serve.

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 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

Clarity of routes in form and direction is a design concern

Routes should have physical relationships and help define areas they serve instead
of just slashing through them, causing blight and disintegration
Routes should artfully traverse the landscape, revealing its strong features.
Approach routes present cities to us and enable us to fond our destination…thus
they both inform and conduct us.
Surface arteries are major routes through the city…high volume traffic
Local streets carry a mixture of people and vehicles; through traffic not desirable.
EVALUATION OF STREETS
How streets tie together into the expressway
pattern. Clarity of form. Relationship to
cityscape
How they shape building sites
How they pass through existing districts
Vehicular versus pedestrian traffic…any
conflicts?...or complementary?
Crossing levels…specific or not defined:
stoplights, grade separation Through versus
local trafficScale…how size of streets relates to
size of the districts they serve
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SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 22

SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 23

 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

URBAN OPEN SPACES AND ITS PURPOSE

Urban open spaces are:
All types of spaces between buildings in the town which include pathssquares-
gardens – parks

Functional importance:
• They give form and shape to the city.
• They provide space needed for recreation.
Social importance:
• They Create chances for interaction between people.
Aesthetic importance:
• They Preserve natural beauty .
Economic importance:
• They provide places for economic activities.

COMPILED BY: Shalini , DESIGNATION Assistant professor- SRM SEAD 2019-2020 24

 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

1. Distinctiveness:
• Means that the spaces reflect the local character of the area and have a
variety of uses, built form, features, colors and materials that give the spaces
and buildings their own identity within the overall character of the
surrounding urban environment.
2. Accessibility:
• Means that Good connections lead to open spaces and good connection from
open spaces to other parts of the city.

3. Safety:
• People use urban spaces without fear of tripping or falling, or being attacked.

4. Comfort:
• comfort include:
• environmental factors (shading from sun, wind, etc).
• physical comfort (comfortable and sufficient seating, etc).
• social and psychological comfort (privacy, etc)

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 SRM SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN – TN 26

5. provision of passive and active engagement:

• passive engagement:
• “Means people stay calm and watch” passive engagement are provided in
urban spaces by fountains, views, public art,
active engagement:
• Means more contact with others in urban spaces.
• Design of the urban space can create opportunities for contact
• the arrangement of urban elements such as benches, fountains, can
encourage the social contact.
6. Enjoyable:
• Representing variety of pleasant events. Such as concerts, art
exhibitions, festivals, and other social events.

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