Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Covering
Resource Analysis Circulation
Land Use Utilities
Regulation Landscape Design
Land Form Sample Project
1
Table of Contents
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 2
Context
Cultural: Natural:
Ethnicity Land Form
Religion Geography
Social Structure Climate
Political Structure Flora/Vegetation
Economic Structure Fauna/Animals
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 3
Elements
Cultural Natural
Ethnicity: Landform:
lineage topography
composition (soils, stones, water bodies)
traditions
features (streams, rivers, coast, seas, mountn)
heritage
Geography:
customs
elevation
Religion: region (n/s/e/w, hemisphere, lat/longitude)
value systems characteristics (island/land mass)
beliefs Climate (affected by):
burial rites sun
rituals earths rotation
Social Structure: earths surface characteristics
language location on earth
community time of year
Flora (vegetation):
values
Aquatic;
Political Structure: estuarine palustrine
democratic marine lacustrine
riverine
socialist
Terrestrial;
monarchy forest desert
dictatorship savanna tundra
grassland
Economic Structure:
Fauna (animal):
tradition
Habitat;
mutual or democratic 1. Food 2. Water
command 3. Cover 4. territory
veiled power or physical coercion
market
supply/demand and a striving for universal upward
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 4
Climate
Atmosphere: Temperature:
climatology measured by wet bulb and dry bulb
meteorology Degree days:
Weather - a brief event given - a base temp. of 65: take the difference between the
Climate - an ongoing accumulation of weather at a place over a base temp. and the average temp for the month and multiply
by the number of days in the month.
number of years
This is used in calculating fuel requirements as the number of
Dr. Koppens scales of reference: BTUs gained by a unit of fuel is relative to the number of
macro (global, affected by sun and earth)) BTUs required to offset the degree-days above or below the
mese (intermediate variations influenced by land mass, bodies base temp.
of water, etc.) Factors that affect Temperature:
micro climate of a particular region of distinct characteristics) landform and affects on temp.:
Climate conditions: air movement
1. Sun 4. Humidity temp decreases 3.5/1000 ft. of elevation rise
2. Temperature 5. Wind water bodies and valleys posses natural ventilation as humid
air can become warmer and cool air sinks
3. Precipitation
aspect or orientation of slopes
Sun: affects the water cycle and along with winds, forms clouds leeward side of water bodies can be cloudy - clouds insulate
and rain - a key factor of life cycle through photosynthesis. The against both insolation and evening radiational cooling
sun produces electromagnetic energy, reaching the earth as (macro=north American jet stream, mese=great lake region,
direct radiation which gets reflected and refracted. micro=Buffalo, NY)
flora, through transpiration affects temp through various
Albido is the % of solar radiation reflected by the earth;
ground-cover characteristics
Sun position described by: albido (reflectance), i.e. snow cover (95%) water (3-10%),
altitude (angle of measure off the horizon {horizontal}) meadows and fields (1-5%)
azimuth (lateral angle of measure in relation to compass)
isogonic maps (corrected 14.5 east of north for magnetism)
glare: primary (direct solar glare) and secondary (reflected
off biotic {natural/alive} or abiotic {man-made/not alive}).
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 5
Climate Contd ...
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Hydrology
Flooding (positive occurrence of nature): Water: has vital effect on human and animal emotion.
riverine: all water moving over land draining slopes into the Emotional: recreational aspects include fishing, skiing,
ordered networks or systems - flooding occurs when channel swimming, boating, etc.
capacity is exceeded. water transpires negative ions and this is felt emotionally
BFE = base flood elevation Aesthetic: every culture has its own values of beauty yet water
dealt with through: dams, levies, water storage, banks, wetlands can be perceived through he senses
coastal: all ocean and sea fringes impacted by tidal wave Symbolic: water symbolizes life, birth, rebirth and is related to
movement rites and passages
B Zone: special permission required for development
A Zone: same as above and subject to flooding
Religious: closely related to symbolic as it represents
V Zone: same as above and subject to high winds and waves
purification, washing away of sins, protecting.
Ecosystem (a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms
within their environments)
Aquatic Ecosystem:
estuarine forest
Dilution is the solution to pollution!
marine savanna
riverine grassland
palustrine desert
lacustrine tundra
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 8
Soils
Soil: the transition between air, water, and life on the Sediment: organic material with sediments;
surface of the earth and the bedrock of the Regolith: solid rock mineral of same material as bedrock
subsurface. The breaking-up of bedrock is the Bedrock: the parent material
creating of soil, occurring rapidly or over hundreds
of years. Comprehensive Soil Classification System:
To: engineers, it supports structures; SCS-Soil Conservation Service; an international
effort to classify all types of soils (in the 1950s) into
farmers, its a plant growing medium; six classification categories:
geologists, its an instruments to understand the 1) Orders, 2) suborders, 3)great groups, 4) subgroups, 5)
underlying bedrock. familiar groups, 6) series.
Changes: Series: have similar profiles; morphology: a general
apparent material; term for the form or structure of something.
climate Series>phases.
living organisms Soil Composition (soils of organic/inorganic)
relief water
time air
sediment organics
regolith plants
animals
bedrock mineral particles
gravel 2mm +
sand 2mm to .05mm
silt .05mm to .002mm
clay .002mm <
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 9
Soils Contd ...
Gravel & Sand - increase ariation and little moisture Texture classifications based upon particle size,
containment; effects include bearing capacity, drainage, and
Silt & Clay - good moisture containment capacity and erosion.
contains nutrients. Unified Soil Classification System (based on texture
Soil Morphology Cross-Section: described in terms of and performance) is broken down into three basic
layers (horizons) assumed parallel to the earths groups;
surface. Major horizons have been given specific coarse grain soils
code designations (see board illustration) fine grain soils
highly organic soils
O = organic material form this layer O horizon and
range from unadulterated upper level layer (duff-that (see USDA texture triangle handout)
which falls upon the forest floor) down to the humus
layer (formed by decomposition of duff). clay silt
A = the uppermost layer of the mineral profile and
holds the most organic matter of the horizon.
Ap = topsoil layer borders between A & B horizons.
sand
B = subsoil, very fine particle and mineral
accumulation
C = substratum, layer of unconsolidated material and Bearing Capacity:
rock
formed from the breakup of bedrock and uninhibited
coarse grain soils (sand and gravel)
by organic materials (regolith).
fine grain soils (clay and silt)
R = underlying consolidated bedrock (bedrock).
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 10
Soils Contd ...
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 11
Flora
Flora: plants of a particular region. Biotic Community: a local association of plant and
Biosphere animals which are inter-dependent and often
Aquatic: found together.
estuarine Habitat: a type of physical environment which has
marine a characteristic biotic community.
riverine Connecticut: a forest biome - mid latitude,
palustrine predominantly disciduous, concentrations of
lacustrine conifer.
Terrestrial: Vegetation (flora):
forest floristic: (Latin {botanical} names of plants.
savanna Structural elements:
grasslands upper story (trees)
desert under story shrubs/herbs/grasses)
tundra size stratification
Biome: a complex or assemblage of plant and coverage (barren or continuous coverage)
animals characterized by a distinct type of
vegetation.
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 12
Flora Contd ...
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Historic Elements
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Design Elements
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Zoning, Codes & Ordinances
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Zoning, Codes & Ordinances Contd ...
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 18
Accessible/Barrier-Free Design
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 19
Landform
Geomorphology: The study of the origins & Tectonic activity: bending, breaking and sliding at
characteristics of land form (contour). the boundary of plates;
Earths cross section: atmosphere; Volcanic activity: the upheaval of magma between
hydrosphere; lithosphere +/- 25 miles thick. opposing plates;
Lithosphere: Mercalli intensity scale: (not Richter) measures
Continental crust damage on a scale of 1 thru 12, Richter
Oceanic crust measures earth movement magnitude at a
Theyre dynamic masses broken down into 12 logarithmic rate;
plates floating on the mantel.
Sequential landform: denudation the forces
Collision: plates coming together;
influential in shaping landform, i.e.. Weather,
Subduction; ocean plate sliding under
erosion, mass-wasting, etc. or the
the continent plate;
transformation of matter brought upon by an
Opposing: plates going in opposite
direction;
agent (water, glacial ice, wind, gravity.
Accretion: mantel comes up through
two opposing plates;
Transform boundary: two plates slide by
each other (San Andreas fault).
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 20
Landform
Rocks: any aggregate of minerals in a solid state Denudation: shaping of the earths surface by
(lithosphere) ages from now to billions of weather, erosion, mass-wasting, etc.
years old. Weathering:
Rock Categories: Mechanical (disintegration) i.e.. Frost heaves;
Sedimentary (shale, limestone); Chemical (decomposition) i.e.. Changing rock
Formed by sedimentation (transporting by compounds (mechanical simply rearranges).
stream) and makes up 75% of lithosphere. Erosion: materials are transported from one place
Igneous (lava, granite); to another by stream, ice, water, wind, etc.
Formed by the solidification of magma and Mass-wasting: materials settling through gravity
makes up 18% of lithosphere. and angle of repose (depends on mass and
Metamorphic (slate, marble). coarseness of material) i.e.. slump, mudflows.
Formed by a combination of the other two and
makes up 7% of lithosphere.
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 21
Landform
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 22
Landform
Topography: two dimensional drawing illustrating Slope: the inclination of terrain defined either by
surface configuration and relief features ratio, percentage or degree inclination.
pertaining to a specific area of land. Ratio: the ratio between the horizontal and vertical
Contour interval: the vertical dimension datum, i.e.. 40:20 or 2:1.
between the contour elevation (usually Percentage: attained by dividing the vertical datum
uniform); by the horizontal datum and getting a decimal
Developed in Holland in 1730 but utilized for percentage (multiply by 100).
practical use in the 19th century.
V G
Existing contour is a dashed line;
Proposed contour is a solid line;
H
Contour elevation always placed on the uphill; G=V/H x 100
Every 5 or 10 interval is a heavier line Degree: is the angle the hypotenuse makes with
Hypsometric: above sea-level; the horizontal.
Bathymetric: below sea-level.
Site Analysis: Architectural Pre-design 2007 Mark A. Comeau, AIA All Rights Reserved 23
Access
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Access
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Utilities
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Utilities
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Landscaping
Pictures: Shrubs:
Ornamental shrubs
Use pictures from magazines, i.e. Better Homes &
Foundation fronting shrubs
Gardens, Martha (Stewart), etc.; Hedge and avenue shrubs
Or use illustrations from a book or by you;
Flowers:
Description: Vine flowers
Perennials
Write a brief description of each plant, including: Annuals
Common and botanical name Bush flowers
Type of plant Natural (wild) flowers
Landscape use
Hardy conditions (preferred exposure, soil conditions, Ground and wall covers:
moisture, etc.) Creeping ground covers
Climbing vines
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