What is site analysis in architecture?

Site analysis in architecture is the process of researching and analyzing the project location. It includes historical, geographical, climatic, accessibility, sociological, and other related analyses. Site analysis is the first step for viable building design.

The success of architecture depends on its aesthetics or functional workability and the fluent relation with its site and surrounding context. Site analysis helps the architect to produce contextual architecture. It also helps them make many design decisions during the design process like entry, approach, mass generation, form, public & private space relationship, and so on.

Site analysis is not only important for the architects. The stakeholder or client also needs site analysis to evaluate the feasibility of their project or investment in the project. It also helps them make many business strategic decisions. It helps them in decision-making before large investments.

What is the purpose of site analysis?

The main purpose of site analysis in architecture is to understand the site or location very deeply. As much as you can gather knowledge or understand the site, you will produce more site-responsive design solutions.

Contextuality is one of the important criteria for evaluating architecture. To produce contextual architecture, you need to understand the norms of the site and its surroundings, you need to understand the historical aspect of the location, the current architectural style, changes in the architectural style over time, the climate and weather of the location, microclimatic factors of the site, accessibility of the site, rules regulation of the local government, culture of the human of that location, etc. Site analysis provides us all this information which helps us make our design more contextual.

Site analysis shows us the problems related to the site and gives us direction on the way we can solve these. Here site analysis helps us produce more efficient and site-centric design. Most of the time we achieve our concept from the site analysis. We can find our concept from the context, surroundings, or site-related problems.

How to do a site analysis

Before knowing the steps of site analysis, we need to know some points so that we don’t miss any point. We need to gather knowledge as much as possible on these points. These are:

Geography: Here we collect data on the geographical location of the site, its boundaries, and any important geographical landmarks.

Geological: At this point, we want to know the topographical data of the site. Is it a contoured site or flat?

Site and zoning: Know the dimensions of the site. Also, identify what the site is zoned for, commercial or residential, especially if it is in an urban area.

Neighborhood: Now we look beyond the site. We examine the neighborhood or the site context. Note down the surrounding built environment: their height, distance from your site, and any shadow analysis of these buildings if they project onto your site. Specify the types of buildings—are they public or private? What are they being used for? Consider the noise and dust levels of the site and surrounding area. Inquire about any governmental or private planning that could impact your site.

Natural and artificial features: Identify the natural and artificial features of the site. You need to identify if there are any trees or other vegetation, rivers, ponds, rocks, or man-made structures. Also, identify the specific locations of these features if they exist on the site and note their sizes.

Rules regulation: Often, you have to be aware of the rules and restrictions of the local government of the site. Identify if there are any height restrictions, typological restrictions, setbacks, structural or any other restrictions.

Accessibility: How accessible the site is, is a concerning issue at this point. Also, consider its connection with important places in the surroundings.

Service lines: Do any utility lines go through the site? If not, identify how far they are and their depth.

Climate: Collect all the climatic data available to you. This includes average rainfall, snowfall, relative humidity, climatic zone, minimum temperature, maximum temperature, wind direction, and sun path. Collect this information according to the season and month of the year.

Culture and Human: Give a close look at the culture of that location and architectural style. Analyze the functional habits of the people in that location. Collect data about human density. This will help you understand human behavior in the location.

Steps of the site analysis

We did our site analysis through three steps. These are:

Research: First, you have to start researching your site. It can also be called a desktop study. Google is the most used full tool. You could identify the geo-location by Google map; you also can look at the historical situation by this. Google Earth tools help you evaluate 3d mapping.

In this step, you will do the desktop study for each of the points we discussed previously. You will collect all available data related to these points.

Site survey: After research, you need to go on a physical site survey. Because first of all, necessary data are not available online. A site survey is most important for understanding the context of the site. You need to take photographs and draw sketches according to your needs. Note down important points.

Overall, you have to experience the whole survey. Try to connect the people and the environment. This gives you some realization which helps you in the design phase later on.

Synthesis: The data you have collected from research and site surveys needs to be synthesized and analyzed. Because the data needs to be applicable, relevant, and easily digestible in the design process. Some information is more important than others. So, it needs to be prioritized and filtered. Otherwise, it just makes jargon of unnecessary data. You will analyze data through the lens of the design process. That’s how you can filter those data which gives you important design parameters.

How to present: Typically, site analysis is presented in the form of simple diagrams. It can be represented either in one diagram where all information is incorporated or in separate diagrams for each type of information. Both ways are suitable for representation. You can choose one of the ways according to your needs.

In the case of a single diagram, special consideration needs to be given to the readability of information. It shouldn’t become a jargon of too much information. It should contain all the necessary information.