lecture 2 - site analysis - commercial-institutional interiors vdis10009
TRANSCRIPT
What is involved in a site analysis? The purpose of the site analysis is to record and evaluate informa;on on the site and its surroundings, and to use this evalua;on in the design response. Site analysis is more than just collec;ng informa;on about the site. The site analysis should iden;fy issues that will influence the design of a development in order to make a considered response to both site opportuni;es and constraints, to provide a good quality living environment, and respect, acknowledge and improve the character of the area.
The site analysis – ge3ng it right
The site analysis should provide the basis for the design response. A site analysis is not a jus;fica;on for a preconceived design. A good site analysis will be a combina;on of facts and influences for development of an appropriate design response.
Site Survey
Start with a site survey, documen;ng the physical features of the site and surroundings, no;ng par;cular aspects which will be important to acknowledge in developing your design. These could include habitable room windows, decks/balconies or private open space areas on adjacent sites, through to issues of neighbourhood character can influence your design response.
Site Context Plan
The site context plan shows the type of design constraints and opportuni;es which will drive an effec;ve design response. Photographs and sketches can be used to communicate the ideas and observa;ons. Each site warrants its own inves;ga;ons.
SITE ANALYSIS -‐ THINGS TO CONSIDER The site visit is one of the first things in the design process. AQer the comple;on of a site visit, a detailed site analysis has to be done so as to really grasp the features of the site, which will be very important during the design. Here are some of the points one must pay aSen;on during the site visit as well as during the site analysis and study.
LocaGon This is the first thing that one needs to look at. 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 junc;on?
OrientaGon
The orienta;on of the site plays a very important role in si;ng of the building. This, when combined with the wind direc;on and sun path, would give a good idea as to how the design should be oriented so as to op;mise the design. The orienta;on along with the sunpath will also determine the placement of rooms inside buildings.
Temperature & Sun path The sun path direc;on tells one which will be the side from which the maximum heat will be coming, especially in the aQernoons. In warmer climates, the design will try to reduce the amount of incident sunlight so as to reduce the heat intake to a minimum. The lesser surface area of the building which is exposed to the sun, lesser will be the conduc;ve hea;ng. In colder climates, the design will try to maximise the amount of sunlight incident on the building so as to have maximum warmth as possible.
Wind DirecGon Most of the loca;ons will have a general major direc;on from which the wind comes. However, this will not always hold true and will vary from loca;on to loca;on. If we are to design a climatologically responsive building, it will be important to consider the direc;on of the wind so that it can be channelised through the interiors. This will play a major role in placement & size of openings.
Topography This refers to the slope and level of the land – whether the land is flat and plain, or whether it is sloping? From a design point of view, a sloping site will be more challenging. If a site is sloping, the exact slope can be interpreted from a detailed Contour map. The contour loca;ons and spacing of contours will play a big role in the si;ng of the building.
Soil Type & CondiGon Soils vary from place to place. Their proper;es also vary according to the type of soil. Sandy soil, clayey soil, laterite etc, all have different proper;es, which affect the design of the building. This is very important from a structural point of view while designing buildings. The safe load bearing capacity of the soil is to be found out aQer which the structural system and the founda;ons will be designed accordingly.
VegetaGon & Natural Features Any good design will integrate vegeta;on into the design, highlight & accentuate it to create a harmonious whole. It will consist of all the trees, flora and fauna present on the site. These should be marked onto the site plan so that it will assist during the design stage. Along with trees and vegeta;on, other natural features like rock forma;ons, swamps, marshes etc. are also to be iden;fied.
PrecipitaGon & Hydrology The amount of rainfall that the site receives and the ;me period during which the rainfall occurs are to be inves;gated. This is measured as average annual rainfall throughout the year. Hydrology refers to things related to water. During the site visit, we need to iden;fy water bodies present in and around the site like ponds, lakes, rivers etc. The loca;on and size of these water bodies should be studied so that they can be integrated into the design scheme.
Surrounding Landuses & Buildings One also needs to pay aSen;on to the surrounding landuses and building around the site. If the landuses are incompa;ble, it may lead to crea;on 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. Also, the height and setbacks of adjacent buildings are important in affec;ng the flow of air and also sunlight.
Prominent Vision lines / Visual linkages This becomes a very important element in the design process. The views to the site as well as the views from the site are to be carefully considered while designing.
Locally Available Resources
One also needs to find out what the locally available resources are. What materials are available in and around the site, which can be used in the design. This is especially relevant today when the design has to be as sustainable as possible, by reducing the transporta;on energy & costs.
Planning a site visit Site visits are important in order to get an understanding of how the space is used and detect any maSers that are not present in the documenta;on. Ini;al site visits are generally carried out in an occupied space, where staff operate their business as usual. Site visits should be done in a professional manner in order to maximise the informa;on gained and to minimise disrup;on on site.
Survey the exisGng space Site visits are important in order to get an understanding of how the space is used and detect any maSers that are not present in the documenta;on. Ini;al site visits are generally carried out in an occupied space, where staff operate their business as usual. Site visits should be done in a professional manner in order to maximise the informa;on gained and to minimise disrup;on on site.
The Tools of the Trade 1. Pencil and Pens Its best to bring several. 2. Laser Measuring Unit Two clicks of a buSon give an accurate read on the largest spans of the space. 3. A tape measure Nothing completely replaces a good old fashioned tape measure. 4. ExisGng plan(s) Its best to have some idea of the space even before arriving. Even “known” dimensions need to be verified on site. 5. Camera (or, in most cases, a phone). TAKE MORE PHOTOS THAN YOU THINK YOU NEED. Photo-‐documen;ng the project is an important backup for the recorded measurements
Analyse the Brief and the Drawings
Analyse the client brief together with the site analysis before you move on to designing a concept. Then the designer provides a ‘return brief’, which outlines the design concept and their approach. You need to firstly comprehend the scope of the project and the physical characteris;cs of the site before returning the brief.
The Design Response Use your site analysis as a prompt in developing the design for the site. The ques;ons and answers raised in the site analysis will also provide a useful check at the end of the design process. Your design response should explain how the development will relate to other dwellings on the site, and to the exis;ng neighbourhood character. Key steps in developing your design response: • Decide what features of the site you are able to take advantage of, which enhances your development.
• Develop the detailed plans, taking into account the implica;ons from your site analysis.
• Test your design response against the site analysis. Have you adequately resolved the key issues? How?
Koudenburg & Elsinga designed this contemporary office in 2013 for JWT, a
veteran adver;zing agency with a youthful spirit, located in the bustling hub of Leidse Square in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The interior is burs;ng with eye candy from the colorful murals and sculptural furnishings to the quirky, greenhouse-‐like conference room. This seriously old adver;sing network agency from 1864 has a surprisingly young hot shop mentality. JWT Amsterdam is situated at Leidse Square, one of Amsterdam’s central hubs for restaurants, theatres, bars and clubs. JWT is housed inside the famous Hirsch & Cie building, a former luxury department store in the heart of Amsterdam. The Hirsch & Cie building opened its doors in 1882 and s;ll maintains its grandeur to this day. It’s hard to imagine a greater contrast with the new interior, right above the Apple store.
JWT Amsterdam aims to ‘Seriously Surprise’, and it does, from the moment you enter. Exci;ng things lie in wait around every corner. Whether it’s the upside-‐down castle at recep;on, the greenhouse mee;ng space with huge plants, the architectural tree sculptures, or the drawings from ar;sts such as the Dutch collec;ve Kamp Horst or the Norwegian Anders Rockum. It just doesn’t stop. As a visitor to the space you want to go and explore. Discovering funky Skype units, Amsterdam Canal house cabinets or the profile of Holland’s greatest writer, made out of his Wiki-‐page text. The interior perfectly reflects the agency’s moSo.
On being commissioned, design director Alrik Koudenburg teamed up with design-‐ar;st RJW Elsinga. Together the duo worked on crea;ng a stunning space of nearly 2000sq meters, almost all custom-‐designed. The interior WOW effect, is created with graphics, including logos per department, a variety of unique furniture and specials such as a 2.6m high cardboard bunny to house the office’s many awards. Comple;ng it are classics like the Eames, Friso Kramer, lights by Louis Poulsen, Tom Dixon – and also the fabulous Moroso ‘SoQ Wood sofa’ and Driade ‘Nemo’ face chairs.
The revamped Amsterdam agency is currently experiencing a major upsurge, with staff expanding from 65 to 85 & beyond. The design duo explains how they went about crea;ng the mul;-‐func;onal space: “We wanted to make work feel like play, so we designed a really diverse range of work environments. Open & closed, S / M / L with breakout spaces and touchdown work selngs where 1 / 2 / 4 / 8 or even up to 12 people can work their magic. We didn’t want to apply a singular design-‐concept to the en;re space, as the surprise effect would wear off too soon. Instead, we created a wild mix of inspiring experiences which – in addi;on to achieving the ‘smile’ we were aQer – complements and supports the agency’s approach. This diversity helps to create a homelike environment, which in this case comes with a grand café complete with a chef. Bon appé;t”.
JWT Amsterdam, lead by Ralph Wisbrun and crea;vely by Bas Korsten completely reorganized the agency before their big move. Believing that our complex world calls for a new way of working, they tore down the tradi;onal agency structure and built a new one. With 3 leaner, meaner and more agile departments: Think, Do and Make.
For ‘Think’ Koudenburg & Elsinga created an inspira;onal garden, where one can wonder around and let thoughts flow freely. The space includes a library and a podium overlooking the Leidse Square. ‘Think’ is the place where ideas are invented and plans made, based on strategy, technology and connec;vity. — For ‘Do’ a city setup was created, which func;ons like a busy beehive where JWT staff organize the idea, gelng it done with a team of concept producers, online-‐ / ac;va;on-‐ / and print producers. — ‘Make’ feels like a happy factory, being inside a crea;ve toolbox, where digital craQsmen and women bring the ideas to life. It consists of a studio for (online) design, visualizing, film making, etcetera. The huge CMYK colored robot cabinets (2.80m high) keep everything nice and ;dy.