THEJUS COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

AR-12-91-ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN - V

URBAN DESIGN STUDIO- Urban study and Design intervention

SURVEY TECHNIQUES

I. HISTORICAL ANALYSIS:
 Old survey maps
 Structures of Historic or architectural interest
 Identify trees, Buildings or other structures listed for protection including sites of scientific/
ecological interest
 Recent pressures on the urban structure
 Analysis of recent planning document
 Determine those policies which currently affect the development
 Identify those ideas and suggestions for development which for one reason or the other have not
been implemented
 Reasons for activity or inactivity
 Analysis of recent planning application by its potential for development
 Historic force which continue to pattern development

Main form giving components of city development

 Geographical reasons for settlement formation

 TOPGRAPHY
 GEOLOGY
 SOIL
 DRAINAGE
 Dominant areas of development
 LAYLINE
 VISTAS OF SYMBOLIC IMPORTANCE
 Focal points of activity
 Improvement patterns of ancient origin
 Processional route
 Changing seats of power and influence
 Changing economic pattern as evidenced by flow of land value
 Density of development
 Building condition and occupation
 Patterns of population

Intrusion: Invasion and succession

 Developing patterns of functional areas in relation to changing modes of transport

 Walk ability

II. TOWNSCAPE ANALYSIS:

 Legibility of Urban structure
 Ways in which people perceive, understand and react to the environment
 Qualities of a place that give it an immediate identity
 Permeability of the environment
 Choices presented to the user
 Visual analysis of :
- URBAN SPACE
- Treatment of facades, pavement, roofline, street sculpture etc.
 Analysis of the complexity of visual detail which distinguishes one place from another
III. PERCEPTUAL STRUCTURE:
 Parts of the city which have survived 20th century development
 Their qualities
 Why people admire them
 Legibility of traditional (urban) character – using mental mapping to find out
 Groups of city users share features of a common image (
PATHS,NODES,DISTRICTS,EDGES,LANDMARKS)
 Quarters / districts having identifying characteristics
 Boundaries / edges of districts and their character

IV. PERMEABILTY STUDY:

 Privacy and accessibility
 Freedom with which citizens can walk the streets safely
 Citizens privacy
 Interfaces between public realm and private domain
 Permeability
- VISUAL PERMEABILITY
- PHYSICAL PERMEABILITY
 Influence of circulation patterns and building regulations in promotions/ restricting permeability
 What is the acceptance level of permeability? – Relationship with paths and nodes
 Level of choice
 Variety of routes
 Cultural norms of privacy and family seclusion
 Character neighborhoods
 Trouble spots
 No- go areas

V. VISUAL ANALYSIS:
 Serial vision study using photographs, perspective drawings etc.
 Dramatic changes in the composition.
 Solid void character study using figure ground maps.
 Distribution and form of public spaces.
 Study of enclosed spaces.
 Spatial analysis.
 Relationship of the facades of buildings and the space they enclose.
 Surface studies- Strategies adopted with color, materials, and roofline.
 Major junctions between elements and architectural detailing.
 Color swatches and color use.
 Pre dominant building materials.
 Perspective studies of
- ROOFLINE
- BUILDING HEIGHTS
- STREET CORNERS
- PAVEMENTS
- ACTIVE & DEAD GROUND FLOORS