Eleven most important things to analyze in any Case Study

1.

Environment

and

micro-climate

Analyzing the surrounding environment and the micro-climate of that place will help understand the
reason of the orientation of the structure, the kind of roof chosen and the materials used in its
construction.
2.

User behavior and requirementsStudying the functioning of a particular place, say a Hospital, is
very important; without which you will not be able to figure out the requirements and the area that should
be allotted for each of the requirements.Talking to people working at that place (Hospital), will help you
figure out if the requirements that are provided are adequate and he area that is allotted is sufficient for
its efficient working.

3.

Utility

and

space

enhancement

Study of Utilitarian facilities of a particular case is also important. Various measures taken to enhance a
particular space should be analyzed.
4.

Form

and

Function

Analyzing the reason behind the form of that particular buildingand how it merges with the surrounding
environment. Form and Function go hand in hand. The form of the building should be able to convey the
function of the building. A lot of Architects say Form follows Function.As an example, an institutional
building should not end up looking like a museum or a disco.Some other Architects might disagree with
that philosophy. Theyd say that the function of a structure keeps changing but changing the form of the
building everytime its function changes is not possible. They say, Adopt a Universal Design Scheme.
5.

Horizontal

and

vertical

circulation

Horizontal circulation consists of elements such as the corridors and lobbies. Vertical circulation includes

elevators, staircases, ramps etc. The efficiency of the placement of these services should be analyzed.
Site Planning and Landscape detailing
Refer to the Article on the blog A Guide to Site Planning, which deals with different aspects

considered in site planning in greater detail.

Structural details such as Column and Beam Design, Steel and Composite structures
Understanding and analyzing the structural details is also important. For example, large span structures
such as Auditoriums use trusses or heavy I-section steel beams and sometimes shell-roofing that involve

construction of Ring beams whereas in small span structures, RCC construction is used.
Building Services such as Fire Alarm system, HVAC, Water supply systems
The working of Fire Alarm system, HVAC and Water supply systems should be examined and their space

requirements are to be analyzed.

Design detailing considering the Barrier-free environment
Implementation of the Barrier-free architecture for comfortable access to disabled people. Most public
buildings have mandatory accessibility systems for the disabled. Check out Guidelines to the Disability

Standards for Access to Premises 200X. (Australian law)

Socio-economic profile of user group
It might also be important to find out the socio-economic profile of the people using the services so as to

determine their requirements and available resources.

Parking
details

and

standards

Measure the allotted parking area on site, say for ten cars, then calculate the average area for each car
and compare it with the areas specified in TSS (Time Savers Standards).

Conducting a case study is hard work. Sometimes, it is so small, it could be done in days, but on other
occasions, it takes weeks to document and compile all the data. It involves going on-site, meeting and taking to
people, lots of traveling, plenty of photography, and some fun. It is the most important of assignments you
might get as an architectural students.
This is where you learn from reality, actual stuff, as opposed to only theoretical knowledge. Looking at places
first hand and documenting information would give you many insights and ideas and let you peek into the
minds of professional architects and designers who have used years of experience and improvisation to design
and create incredible structures.

Site Selection and Analysis | Architectural

Thesis
Site Analysis for Construction
Site Analysis is very important before we initiate our construction. Detailed study of site and its
surroundings will help justify our design proposal. Detailed study of the site and surrounding areas of the
site helps in designing the project efficiently.

Site Selection
A site is selected on the basis of the demand of the construction
An already existing site is taken, is analyzed and the kind of project to be proposed on that particular site
is decided.

An empty site to be analyzed for construction

New Trend: Environmental Friendly or Green Building Construction

When analyzing the site, we also have to consider the impact of the structure on the surrounding
environment. If the proposed structure would have any negative impact on the environment. In one of

our earlier articles, we have discussed Site selection and Site Analysis with respect to the
environmental impact.
Check it out:
Selection of a suitable site | Environmental Sustainability
Site Analysis and Development

Here are some of the steps to be followed for Site Analysis:

Google Maps
Locate your site on the google maps.
It will give you an idea of the:
Site contours
The connectivity to the main road and other sub roads
The distances from the major landmarks such as:

Shopping centres

Railway Station

Airport

Bus stand

Visit the site.

Dimensions of the site

Get the exact dimensions of the site.

Site Surveying
Hire a surveyor and get the survey of the land. It will help you figure out the geological and hydrological
structure of the site.

Accessibility to the site

The main entrances and the main road abutting the site also has to be noted. Easy accessibility to the
site is very important for any kind of project. But of course, the significance varies if we are to compare
an industrial project with residential project.

Major Landmarks
After spotting the major landmarks, analyze the integrity of their existence in close proximity to the site.
It is essential to know as to what kind of impact would these structures have on our site.

Orientation of the site

Mark the orientation of site. Orientation of site will help you in orienting the structure correctly in the
process of designing.

Climatology Factors
Climate can be subdivided into two major divisions:
1.

Micro climate

2.

Macro climate

We have to study the micro climate and macro climate of the place in order to design a Bio-climatic
structure. We have already discussed Bio-climatic Architecture. You must give a read before advancing
further. It will give you a clear idea of the Bio climatic aspects to be considered while designing.

Economic feasibility
The site location and detailed site analysis will give you an idea of the economic feasibility of the project.
It means that the type of building or construction you are looking forward to proposing on that site would
be a successful venture or not depending on the conditions of the site.
For example:
If you propose to build a five star hotel on a highway, it would not be economically feasible because you
would not have the kind of users you would like to target for your venture to become successful. Hence,
going for a construction of a Highway Restaurant would be much more feasible.

Sustainability Factors
Apart from environmental Sustainability, we are also looking at Sustainability in terms of construction.
That is, it is important to satisfy three important principles of Green Architecture which aims at
Sustainability:

Energy Efficiency

Water Efficiency

Material Efficiency

Site Services
Study of services on site is also very important. The major site services include:
1.

Water Supply

2.

Electricity Lines

3.

Drainage Lines

After the absolute study of the site, one can conclude on the kind of project to be executed,
its feasibility and also its sensitivity to be shown towards designing the structure and the
site as well.