Design Foundation Professor Tango

Site Analysisand Context

bibliography

• Site Analysis / Edward T. White (recommended class text)

definition

context, contextual:

the whole situation, background or environment relevant to some event or product. In our case, the product is the building.

derivation of the word is to weave together

consequence triangle

wallsfloorsceilings structuremechanicallighting

owners workers

customersvisitorsrenters

maintenance

context

elements of context / site analysis

elements of context / site analysis

• location• contours• zoning• noise• traffic• utilities• drainage• neighborhood• pedestrians• demographics

• property shape

• property size

• setbacks

• easements

• climate

• views

• vegetation

• man-made features

hard datausually relates to physical site data which involves

no judgments

• site location

• dimensions

• contours

• on site features

• climate

• zoning

• vegetation

soft datasensory and human aspects of the site that usually

involve value judgments

• views from the site• views to the site• best approaches to the site• existence of odors• existence of noise• existence of human activity• type of neighborhood• demographics

elements of context / site analysis

Media: Thinking Paper

Format: Hand drawings / no instruments Equal size / scale base drawings of site

Color: Appropriate color to hierarchal element. General color uniformity across drawing set.

Lettering: Uniformity and hierarchy in lettering

Climate

Climate

Climate

Climate

Wind

Wind

Wind

Special Regional Conditions

Marilee Thomas of Beaver City, NE took this photograph of her daughter Audra about two miles from a Furnas County tornado in April 1989.

This photograph is from a special edition of NEBRASKAland Magazine, entitled "WEATHER AND CLIMATE OF NEBRASKA" published in January 1996 with content prepared by the UNL Geoscience Climatology faculty

and graduate students.

Sun

Website: http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/alt-az-us

Sun Altitude and Azimuth

Watt hours per sq. meter per day

Solar Resource for Flat Plate Solar Collectors

3d model of site analysis

3d model of site analysis + building

Library Site

Site

Base Model

l ibr ar y Design Foundation IV- DFN 2004 Spring Semester 2011 – Professor Tango

Project 2: Virginia - Highlands Neighborhood Branch Library Duration: 12 classes ____________________________________________________________________________________

Project Description During this project we will be working on specific weekly exercises in the design process. It is important to understand their relationship to one another pedagogically. 1. We begin with research collection and presentation, then move on to analysis of program and site. Program analysis will incorporate the design tools of matrix, bubble and zoning diagrams. Site analysis will rely on data collection and graphic representation of data collection. These two elements will provide the foundation for graphic reaction proposals. 2. Our understanding of the site program and cultural understanding of what the library represents will be used to generate a conceptual premise. This is a statement about what we believe this library project needs to be about. We will then attempt to model that concept. These models will emphasis the organizational, perceptual and symbolic characteristics of the concept in an attempt to metaphorically merge them into a design process. You may choose to represent your conceptual idea via an object or thing that best embodies your ideas about this library and then model that. Note that this “parti model” is not necessarily a modeling of an object but rather its organizational principles. 3. The next task is to ground our understanding of the concept, rational functional necessities, energy saving technologies, specific site conditions. and cultural understanding of building type. We will express this in schematic plans, massing and study models. 4. Schematic design is refined, moving into the phase of design development. This project will concentrate on several key factors in the design process. 1. The understanding of complex site constraints. In this instance understanding the necessity to modulate the various scales of urban fabric surrounding this site. 2. The creation of meaning in architecture through the integration of a concept that guides the

design process from beginning to end. 3. Formal and spatial ordering systems 4. The demonstration and application of various energy saving technologies seamlessly woven into the design. 5. The recognition of the significance of material selection and detail articulation that adds both meaning and quality into the design and construction. 6. Recognizing how a public building stands as a monument in a neighborhood without overpowering its neighbors. As with all projects in studio, process and continued design development will be very important to a successful outcome and grade. Abundance of hand sketches and quick study models is the minimum expectation and the building blocks that will result in an outstanding design solution.

SITE