Design Procedure: Section 1 Site Analysis

Firstly, Credit for this list must be given to one of my Lecturers while I studied. The tutor shall remain nameless, however he generated this list for us to use for our thesis works, and therefore any credit for it is his. I am merely passing on what I consider a very comprehensive and useful tool for structuring your sketchbook and eventual design around. 
Design Procedure: Section 1 Site Analysis
Designing a building is similar to completing a jigsaw without the picture and not being quite sure how many pieces are required. However, the technique for starting is very similar. Locate the four corners, in our case these can be considered as follows:

The site and its surroundings
The brief
The Budget
The regulations 

 Then it is the designer’s imagination, intuition and experience, which make up the picture
Now we will look at each of these four corner stones in turn, to identify the constraints on the design imposed by each.
The constraints, in layman's terms the do’s and don’ts

The first is the site and it’s surroundings

 There are various factors, which need to be considered, which may, or may not affect the design outcome
Some are tangible/physical and some intangibles/aesthetic

These can be obtained by: -

• A physical survey of the Site,

• By walking around the immediate vicinity of the site

• And by research of the site (deeds, historical documents, local plans)


Site Analysis  

Factor/condition:   Effect on Planning

Soils: 
Surface drainage, planting, removal for paths and buildings, soil may be contaminated

Sub-soils:
Foundations, retaining walls, bearing, type of excavation


Lower strata/mining:
Foundations, retaining walls, bearing, type of excavation
  
Levels and contours:
Placing of buildings, entrances, relationships of adjoining buildings, site & road, steep slopes may be unstable (angle of repose)

Prevailing wind :
Placing of building, shape of building, planting and site layout


Made up ground ,“Basement filling”:
Placing and shape of building, type of excavation & contamination  

Ditches:
Surface water levels, foundations & excavations

Wells and sumps:
Re-use, effects on ground water, layout of building, filling in effects foundations

 Presence of gases:
Sites may be in radon areas so protection will be required, as with sites less than 250m from a landfill site (methane)

Water table:
Foundations, excavations & basement tanking, water may contain chemicals, be sulphate bearing

Trees preservation:
Foundations may be effected by mature trees, site layout, and location of building

Rights of light:
Constraining heights of new building, 25 degrees, distance from boundaries

Rights of way:
May need to be retained, diverted, or closed (compensation) location of buildings on site

 Way leaves:
May need to be retained or moved/re directed, costs for relocation, placing of buildings

Party walls:
May need to be shared, used or new built along side, may require under-pinning, foundations, insurance

 Boundaries:
Entrances, relationships to highways & adjoining sites

 Building lines:
Layout of buildings, setting back of frontages

Services:
Availability, capacity, pumping of sewage

Public transport/roads:
Availability may affect site usage, busy or trunk roads may require service roads to be built

Zoning:
Residential, commercial, industrial, green belt will limit use

Amenity:
 May limit heights; plot ratio’s, facing materials etc.

Road widening:
May effect siting, building line may be moved back, may limit site access

 Service roads:
Required if site is adjacent to major trunk road, will effect location & site entry, may effect siting of building

Railways or canals:
Availability of use, sidings/wharfs, position will effect layout of site & buildings, effects of vibration, noise, water table, excavation, power lines may effect construction, site staff falling in water

 Local authority By-laws:
May effect detailed planning

 Pavement cross-over:
Is it wide enough to use, location will effect design

Local government acts, Planning acts, Building regulations, Environmental health Acts
Will affect siting, design and detailing of the building & site, access roads, fire control, means of escape etc. I cannot provide more information on these topics as they are area, county and country specific. Appropriate considerations and knowledge of those that affect your design are essential, and expect to be quizzed on any areas which the academic team feel you might have infringed on any of the above regulaltions, as they will be keen to test your understanding of such fundamentally important knowledge.

Factories Act:
As above for commercial and industrial buildings

 Petroleum Acts:
May affect particular building types, factories, garages, petrol stations etc.

Views in and out of the site:
May effect location and shape of building to take advantage of a view or block it.

Urban topography
The height, form and materials used on adjacent buildings may inform the design of any new development 

  Adjoining use
Excessive noise, smell etc. will affect the design