SITE ANALYSIS

BY
NORHAYATI BT YUSUF
POLITEKNIK SULTAN HAJI AHMAD SHAH

WHAT IS SITE ANALYSIS

Inventory of site elements
Information about the properties of
the site, from topography to climate
to wind pattern and vegetation
Analyze the features and incorporate
them into the design

LOCATION
Where is the site located?
How is the site approached?
What is the name of the street, the
road etc on which the site is located?
How far away is the major junction?
How far is the nearest city or other
points of interests

Orientation
Sun orientation
Wind Direction
The placement of the building on the site and
arrangement of spaces and openings should
consider sun path and wind direction
Large openings should not facing directly the East
and West as to avoid direct sunlight and
concentration of heat. The lesser surface area / or
building facade exposed to the sun, lesser will be the
conductive heating
Placing openings parallel to the wind orientation
creates cool interior

Wind Orietation
To design a climatologically responsive
building, it is important to consider the
direction of the wind so that it can be
channelized through the interiors
Consider the placement & size of openings
for optimum ventilation
The wind direction may vary from place to
place inside the site itself, thus check the
direction from a few different places
especially if it is a large site

Soil Type and Condition

Sandy soil, clayey soil etc, all have
different properties, which affect the
design of the building.
Soil type and conditions determine
the building structure, types of
column, sizes and types of
foundation

Topography
Topography refers to the slope and level of the land
whether the land is flat and plain, or whether it is
sloping?
The exact slope can be interpreted from a detailed
Contour map.
The placement of of the building should consider
contour locations and spacing of contours
Buildings designed or placed along with the contours
reduce unnecessary cutting and filling of soil.
Also, during the site visit, it is important to check out
the stability of the slopes whether the slopes are
solid enough to permit construction on it.

Vegetation and natural

features
Good design integrates vegetation and natural features into the
design
The vegetation - consist of trees, flora and fauna present on the
site
Vegetation and natural features should me marked onto the site
plan so that it will assist during the design stage:
i. Location of trees
ii. Type of trees
iii. Size of the trees - diameter or spread of the branches
iv.Heights of the trees
Natural features
i. rock formations
ii. swamps
iii. River, pond etc

Precipitation &
Hydrology
The amount of rainfall the time period during which
the rainfall occurs
The average annual rainfall, often measured in mm,
gives the idea about the precipitation throughout the
year
Identify if the site is flooded during rainy season
identify ponds, lakes, rivers etc in or around the site.
The location and size of these water elements should
be studied so that they can be integrated into the
design scheme.
The presence of water elements will reduce the
overall temperatures

Hidrology
The water table refers to the level
below the soil at which water is
present.
The water table may be very shallow
for areas close to water bodies (lake,
pond, river).
A shallow water table will affect the
stability of foundations and
additional precautions will have to be
taken.

Facilities
Important facilities to be considered
while planning the zoning in the site:
i. water supply
ii. drainage connection
iii. waste disposal
lv.electricity supply

Site Context
the surrounding landuse
Existing buildings around the site
The incompatible land use - may lead to
creation of issues in the design. For
example, if there is a school right next to
the site, the noise disturbance will have to
be factored in while designing.
The height and setbacks of adjacent
buildings are important in affecting the flow
of air and also sunlight.

Prominent Vision lines / Visual

linkages
Views:
i. The views to the site
ii. The views from the site
Views are important factors to be considered
important spaces such as living room, dining
Should be facing nice views
If views are incompatible, creations of views
should be considered such as gardens, ponds
etc

Locally available
resources
Sustainable design consider
materials available in and around the
site that can be used in the design
Reducing the transportation energy
&costs.