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Site conditions must be assessed before the design process can begin. The results of a full site analysis will greatly impact the building design in an architectural project.
Why? How?
This article will provide the answers to these questions and more.
Table of Contents
1. Why is a Site Analysis Necessary?
2. Why is a Site Analysis Necessary?
3. Elements of a Site Analysis
4. 3 Steps of a Site Analysis
A site analysis is an in-depth process that analyzes the site location and its current and future conditions to make architectural design decisions.
An architectural and engineering firm conducts a site analysis before any major designs are finalized.
This analysis is presented in the form of a diagram showing the major topographical, environmental, and regulatory factors.
A thorough site analysis is a critical part of project design through a construction feasibility study. It provides valuable insight into a project’s feasibility and ways to improve its outcome before investments are made.
Let’s look deeper at the many reasons why a site analysis can’t be skipped.
Many factors influence the decisions made during a project design. However, without all the information in hand, decision-making can be difficult.
A site analysis gives engineers and architects the information they need to make sound decisions.
Related: An Overview of Architecture Design Considerations
A site analysis provides a deep understanding of the site’s physical, cultural, and regulatory context. With this knowledge, architects can make design, placement, and orientation decisions based on the information discovered.
Certain constraints and opportunities revealed during a site analysis can significantly influence the design process.
Basically, a site analysis is a good way to figure out what can and can’t be done architecturally based on the evaluation of the construction site itself.
Without this crucial step, some opportunities presented by the site could be missed.
By understanding the site’s specific characteristics, architects can optimize design solutions to best fit its unique attributes. This ensures that the project leverages its strengths and mitigates its weaknesses.
Design functionality and efficiency are important aspects of a project’s success. They address issues like accessibility, circulation, and utility placement.
The environment of a site will play an important role in the project, whether you prioritize it or not.
A site analysis will allow you to design a project efficiently while reducing environmental impact.
Analyzing environmental factors such as climate, topography, and vegetation helps design energy-efficient and sustainable buildings.
It also ensures the building design is harmonious with its natural surroundings.
The site’s ecology and hydrology will determine the design parameters, which will minimize environmental impact, preserve natural habitats, and integrate sustainable practices.
Things like wind direction and sun path can affect the decisions on window placement.
Could a man-made lagoon harm or help the natural habitat? Can planting trees help to adjust the site’s microclimate to conserve energy expenditures?
These questions could be answered with a site analysis.
Related: An Overview of Steel Sustainability
The perfect site could have one zoning regulation that makes completing your project very difficult, if not impossible.
Compliance with local zoning laws, building codes, and other regulations is not an option. It is a necessity. A site analysis will list the regulations to follow to avoid any legal issues and delays.
A site analysis can also streamline the permitting process, which can be tedious in certain areas.
The diagram can be presented to the regulatory board to effectively demonstrate that the project adheres to all necessary regulations and considerations in a visual manner.
There are risks involved in any project, but conducting a site analysis can help reduce them.
A site analysis can identify potential hazards such as:
Design adjustments can be made to mitigate these risks.
Understanding site-specific challenges helps architects assess the project’s feasibility early on, avoiding costly changes down the road.
Ultimately, a building is designed for people to use. By ignoring this aspect of the design process, you’re missing a key ingredient of project success.
A site analysis will provide a glimpse into the human side of the site to help designers meet their demands as well.
The site’s demographic and social context allows for designs that cater to the needs and preferences of the intended users.
Your design must respect and integrate with the local community and cultural heritage. Studying the information in the site analysis can help ensure that your design is culturally and socially appropriate.
Every project owner has a budget, and staying within that budget requires collaboration among every team member.
A detailed site analysis can provide insight into the best way to save money and increase value.
Accurate cost estimation and management can be tricky, but a site analysis can reduce the risk of unforeseen expenses.
When you increase the value of the project by maximizing its potential, you ensure that it effectively meets market demands and user needs.
A site analysis allows designers to take advantage of value engineering.
A project must be structurally sound but also pleasing to the eye. The site analysis can aid in this endeavor.
Every architect aims to create aesthetically pleasing designs that enhance the site’s natural beauty, and they will agree that having a site analysis to refer to is helpful.
Communities appreciate spaces that create a strong sense of place, contributing to the area’s identity and character, which a site analysis can help ensure.
A site analysis consists of multiple elements that come together to form a very useful diagram.
At its most basic, the site analysis begins with the site’s address, including its latitude and longitude geographical location.
The diagram will also outline whether the site is in an urban, suburban, or rural setting.
Current zoning regulations, adjacent land uses, restrictions, and opportunities are also included in the site analysis.
The site analysis depicts the legal boundaries of the property lines, including their total area, dimensions, and shape.
The diagram will also include any easements and rights of way that place legal constraints on property usage.
The site’s topography, which includes contours, slopes, and elevation changes, is drawn on the site diagram to help provide a more realistic view of the property. Soil types, bearing capacity, and drainage characteristics are other important design factors that can be found in a site analysis.
The analysis will note the temperature ranges, precipitation, and humidity present at the site. Seasonal sun angles, solar access, and a shadow analysis are other environmental elements noted. The site’s plants, trees, and natural habitats will also be included in the diagram.
If any bodies of water are on the property, such as lakes, rivers, streams, or ponds, the site analysis will include them in the diagram.
If the site is in or near a flood zone, floodplain boundaries and a flood risk assessment will be conducted during a site analysis. Existing drainage patterns will also be marked.
The diagram will include any access to roads, public transportation, or pedestrian paths, as well as the availability and location of utilities.
Electricity, gas, water, sewer, and telecommunications are essential for every project, and including these elements in the design will require knowledge of how to access them.
The site analysis will also include waste management and emergency services available.
Buildings, fences, walls, and other structures on or adjacent to the site will impact the procedures and positioning of the project. Some structures may need to be removed, while others will be incorporated into the project.
Any historical building or heritage site that is a protected structure will be marked on the diagram.
The analysis will include any significant views from and to the site that can be benefited from.
Local building regulations and safety codes must be adhered to.
The person completing a site analysis will contact regional and local planning committees to understand their policies and provide them with the project’s master plans.
This must be done to procure the required permits and follow approval processes.
The demographics of the area’s residents, such as the total population, age distribution, and income levels, can be valuable information gleaned from the site analysis.
Researching the local amenities, public services, and cultural facilities available to the community can provide insight into its needs and values.
Economic activity, employment rates, and market conditions will provide background into the feasibility of the project’s location.
The historical and cultural significance of the site must be known before any action takes place to ensure that you preserve history and respect the community’s culture.
Stakeholder and community involvement in the project can be valuable in gauging public opinion.
The site analysis will explain any sources of noise and their intensity. It will also list sources and levels of air pollution.
Entrances and exits, as well as accessibility for vehicles and pedestrians, are marked on the diagram. Internal circulation paths and external pedestrian and vehicular movement paths are also found on the diagram.
The site’s design language and visual appeal are part of the analysis.
Sounds, smells, and tactile elements can create pleasing sensory experiences for visitors. A site analysis will list these and how to capitalize on those available.
A site analysis will also include a SWOT analysis, which stands for:
The site’s strengths are its positive attributes. The site’s weaknesses are its limitations and negative attributes. Opportunities are external chances for growth or improvement, and threats are external risks or challenges.
Three main steps must be taken to complete a thorough site analysis.
The first step in a site analysis is to gather as much information about the site as possible.
The city and/or county can provide a lot of the basics, such as property records and a site survey (which will show the site boundaries).
They can also provide the legalities of the title, easement, financials, and zoning.
If any environmental reports have been conducted in the past, you may want to gain access to these. Alternatively, you might decide to conduct your own.
It is wise to have a:
A site visit is also in order. You can then note any existing buildings, the location and access to roads, and whether there is already parking.
This site visit will involve taking notes and visual documentation, including measurements and photographs. Many times, a drone is deployed to take aerial photographs or videos of the site conditions.
The surrounding area and external conditions should also be noted, as they could affect property value and future developments.
The research process requires contacting the necessary service providers to discuss gaining access to utilities and to make site plans accordingly.
You will also want to find out if there is nearby transit.
Online research is conducted through Google Street View, Google Earth, and other 3D mapping apps.
After you have completed all your research and gained the necessary information, you can then begin to create a site analysis diagram.
This will turn all the information you gathered into one visual presentation. It may include animations and renderings, along with an information packet that explains the diagram in detail.
From this diagram, you outline the analysis and resulting actions in bullet points according to priority level.
These are then applied during the schematic design phase to create a design harmonious with the site’s unique aspects and surrounding community.
A site analysis is a critical step in project design that delivers the necessary insight to all team members to aid them in making informed decisions.
This step must be done thoroughly and correctly. Rest assured that we at FMP Construction take the site analysis process seriously.
Contact us today to begin your new project.
