Site Planning and Landscape Architecture Notes

Introduction to Site Planning and Landscape Architecture

  • Site planning is the art of arranging settlements and activities on the land and designing the infrastructure to support them.

  • Landscape architecture involves the development and decorative planting of gardens, yards, grounds, parks, and other planned green outdoor spaces.

  • Landscape gardening enhances nature and creates natural settings for buildings, towns, and cities and is allied to architecture, city planning, and horticulture.

  • Site planning involves arranging structures on the land and shaping spaces between them, linked to architecture and city planning.

  • Land development is the conversion of land.

Why Plan?

  • Environmental study for architectural design:

    • Geology

    • Topography

    • Hydrography

    • Vegetation

    • Wildlife

    • Climate factors

    • Cultural factors

    • Regulation

  • Land is a finite resource.

    • Land use patterns and development.

    • Paul Erhlich and John Holdren: I=PATI = PAT (Impact = Population × Affluence × Technology)

Site Analysis: Geology

  • Soil, rock, and their depth; bearing capacity.

  • Soil Texture Classification:

    • Clay

    • Silty Clay

    • Sandy Clay

    • Clay Loam

    • Loam

    • Sandy Clay Loam

    • Silt Loam

    • Loamy Sand

    • Sand

    • Silt

Site Analysis: Topography

  • Physical, natural, and man-made features.

  • Land forms, slope, water features.

  • Built-up areas.

Site Analysis: Base Map

  • A base map is used for locational reference and provides a framework on which users overlay or mash up their operational layers, perform tasks, and visualize geographic information.

  • The basemap serves as a foundation for all subsequent operations and mapping.

  • Basemaps provide the context and a framework for working with information geographically.

  • Examples of basemaps: Bing Maps (Aerial, Hybrid, Road), Topographic, Parcels, Zoning, Floodplains, Imagery, Streets, Wetlands, Land cover, Oceans, OpenStreetMap, Soils, Survey control, Composite overlay

Site Analysis: Thematic Map

  • Shows a theme within a geographic area (vector-based spatial data).

  • Example: Coronavirus UK Map

Site Analysis: Hydrography

  • Hydrography is the science that measures and describes the physical features of bodies of water and the land areas adjacent to those bodies of water.

  • Surveying with multibeam echo sounders is the primary method of obtaining hydrographic data.

  • Resources: BlueNomads.org, Spatial Data Download | DIVA-GIS (diva-gis.org).

  • Phil Constitution: all minerals, all waters belong to the state.

Site Analysis: Vegetation

  • Vegetation life-form reflects environmental conditions.

  • Plant Types and Habitats:

    • Tree: Forest

    • Shrub: Meadow (open areas)

    • Flower / Herb: Wetland / Bog, Tundra / Barren (alpine areas)

Site Analysis: Climate Factors

  • Sun, air temperature, precipitation, wind & humidity.

  • Tools: Suncalc, sollumis.com, Shadow calculator, Dry tools, Psychromoist, Clear Sky.

Site Analysis: Regulatory Factors

  • National level:

    • National Building Code

    • HULRB = design

    • Republic Acts

  • Local level:

    • Ordinances