Site analysis

Site analysis is a preliminary phase of architectural and urban design processes dedicated to the study of the climatic, geographical, historical, legal, and infrastructural context of a specific site.

The result of this analytic process is a summary, usually a graphical sketch, which sets in relation the relevant environmental information with the morphology of the site in terms of parcel, topography, and built environment. This result is then used as a starting point for the development of environment-related strategies during the design process.

A number of graphical tools for site analysis have been developed to assist designers in this task. Examples of traditional climate-related site analysis tools are the Sundial, the Sun Path Diagram, the Radiation Square, the Wind Rose, and the Wind Square. These conventional methods of site analysis are efficient in simple sites with irrelevant close obstructions, where the analysis can be reduced to the parcel at the ground level or even exclusively to its center point. More elaborated techniques, like Volumetric Site Analysis, can instead be used to study more intricate and obstructed sites like those of high and dense urban settings.

As described by Edward T. White the site design process is divided up into three sections; research phase, phase, and synthesis phase. These three phases are divided into the eight chronological steps in the design process.

Numerous elements go into a given site analysis. These elements include location, neighborhood context, site and zoning, legal elements, natural physical features, man-made features, circulation, utilities, sensory, human and cultural, and climate components. The following elements typically are considered in most sites:

...
Wikipedia