Site Considerations

 Site
Planning
Defined
 Site planning is a broad term that embraces interaction of sites.

Location of buildings
in functional relation
to each other, shape
and topography of
site, and environment
Provision within the
Determination of
site of suitable land use to
circulation related to complement the
existing or proposed buildings
streets and walks
SITE
PLANNING
 The site plan is a complex thing, and
any underestimation of its importance
risks the success of a project.
 The site plan is shaped:
By the By the cost of By the
By local location of the the land, the habits,
housing site with relative cost incomes,
respect to of various
customs, and
By climate employment, forms of
economic transportation construction, composition
conditions, , utilities, and and the cost of the
and laws social of utilities and families to
institutions maintenance be housed
 The site The area, shape, and topography of the site
plan is
influenced The number of dwelling units proposed
by:
The orientation and spacing of the buildings

The method of waste collection and disposal

The landscape development and the preservation of

existing trees
“ All these factors must be correlated to produce a
simple, economical pattern of land use in which the
land and the buildings are integrated and so
organized as to serve the needs of the families to be
housed.
”
Natural characteristics

Orientation

Circulation

Parking

Utilities
Natural characteristics

Contains the major constraints related to grades

and soil conditions.

Availability of potable water, energy supplies and

adequate municipal services for waste disposal are
not included in this discussion although they
certainly act as constraints to site development.
Orientation

An important consideration for aesthetic and

practical reasons.

Despite controlled atmospheres within the

dwelling unit, proper attention to placement
and orientation can add greatly to the
efficiency and comfort of the inhabitants.
Circulation

Parking

Increasing in importance as integral parts of site

design for residential communities, including the
higher-density urban communities because of the
trend toward heavier reliance on the private
automobile.
Utilities

The location of utilities is also receiving increased

attention commensurate with the rise of energy
consumption.

Placement of equipment, lines, and generating

facilities is of aesthetic concern and relates directly
to reliability of service as affected by storm
conditions.
“
”
 A Site and Its
Immediate
Neighborhood
Initial site selection involves many factors, an important
one being location with respect to the general
neighborhood.

There are no hard and fast rules regarding mixtures of

land uses. Where rules have been formulated, they exist
to protect residential areas from the nuisances commonly
associated with nonresidential uses.
A more realistic approach to mixing is to evaluate each
proposed use on its merits.

For example, a nonresidential area is not a priori an

acceptable or nonacceptable neighbor to a housing
site. The compatibility or noncompatibility of the two
uses should be carefully examined.

If they conflict, a generous buffer between the two is

called for. If they do not conflict, there is no cause for
alarm.
 Smoke
Noise Nuisance
Factors

Traffic
Noise Generally sources of noise are easy to predict.
Large playgrounds or other public recreation
places, commercial and industrial complexes,
and transportation facilities are the most
common ones.

Buffers of open space and sound absorbent plant

materials can help to control such noises.
In the case of smoke and other annoying
atmospheric pollutants, two choices are Smoke
open:

Not to build housing

on a site which is
downwind of a known To force the offender to
air-pollution source install air-pollution
control devices
 Traffic hazards are associated with high speed, heavy
circulation, and dangerous roads and intersections.
Techniques such as:

Locating dwelling units to focus on internal

site spaces

Using structures or plants to protect the

vulnerable edges

Traffic
Separating the pedestrian paths and vehicular
roadway systems
The planner is faced with a more complex problem if
the site is conceived as a neighborhood focal point or if
it is to incorporate shops and other community services.

In these cases, loss of privacy can be

prevented by designing separate
public and private areas and laying
out communal paths and gathering
places so that they are at adequate
distances from dwelling units.
In extreme cases, when it is almost impossible to
regulate these neighborhood nuisances or to
abandon a site in favor of a better location, the only
alternative may be to erect a physical barrier that
insulates the housing site from its surroundings.

Even this alternative is ineffective against air

pollution.
 Site Size
and Shape
There are no meaningful maximums or minimums
in the abstract that can be applied to the size of a
housing site.

It is the choice of what is built upon the land and its

relationship to the total community that
determines site size suitability.
There are no abstract optimums for the shape of a
parcel land.

In practice, the minimum width of a site is set either

directly by zoning (40ft, 50ft,etc.) or indirectly by
setback requirements from lot lines.
 Special Considerations
for Large Sites
 It is necessary to distinguish between
composite sites and single sites.

Composite Sites

• Consist of numbers of parcels that are usually sold and

developed as separate projects that may or may not be
part of a coordinated design.

Single Sites

• Planned and built according to a coordinated site plan.

One of the most desirable attributes of a site is variety.
It follows that one of the least desirable characteristics
is monotony.

Monotony can have a deadening effect. Even though

great care may have been taken to develop a diversity
of housing types and site details, a large site often
seems monotonous just by virtue of size alone.
To counteract this, several
design techniques are possible.
The shape of a site can be
adjusted. The massiveness of a
large site is camouflaged
somewhat if its shape is
irregular or narrow. This serves
to prohibit size development
which looks the same from all
directions.
The visual field can also be
broken up by exploiting a site’s
natural amenities, such as rock
outcroppings, water courses,
varied topography, or attractive
vegetation.

Where such amenities are

lacking, it is imperative to avoid
layouts whereby the whole site
may be seen at a single glance.
Allowance for visual breaks and contrast
is a vital factor in site design.

Even when building designs must be

repeated to hold down costs, as is
necessary in the case of low-rent
housing, scattering the units throughout
a community rather than grouping them
together can relieve the tedious
sameness produced by masses of
identical buildings.
Topography and
Climate
Topography and climate play a most important part in determining the
appropriateness of the location and design of a site.

Gently rolling land offers greater opportunities for variety in

site planning and architectural design than does flat land.

Grade changes permit more imaginative determinations

of building-to-building relationships, automobile storage,
and outdoor passive and active recreation areas than do
site lacking in irregularities.
A high site generally has more
inherent possibilities for a broad
vista than a low site does.

A high site that can be seen from a

distance has a definite
psychological attraction.

From a practical standpoint, high

ground is also appealing because
liquid wastes and unpleasant odors
do not collect there and because it
is relatively secure from floods.
However, low land sites are not always a
second choice.

Those bordering water are often very

desirable. Usually, a substantial expensive
drainage systems, and landfill, for
example is required to make such land
suitable for building.

The cost of these improvements are

usually offset by the advantages a water
site provides – spectacular views, sports
and recreation, permanent privacy on at
least one side.
A low site can also be desirable in areas of
climate extremes, for hollows tend to be
protected from both excessive heat and cold.

This factor is becoming less and less important

since local climatic conditions can be influenced
artificially through the use of vegetation,
structural barriers, manmade topography, and
central heating and cooling systems.

With technological advances, the livability of

low land versus high land is becoming more and
more a simple question of taste.
Buildable Qualities
vegetation
slopes

soils

Three factors of major concern

soils
At specific sites, soils are examined by engineering
surveys. They are tested for drainage, water table
level, and load-bearing capacities – all of which
should affect both the type and location of buildings
on any given site.

A knowledge of soil conditions or test borings is

necessary. Soils not well suited to the growth of
plant materials can be treated or covered or
replaced with others that are.
 slopes
Slopes are conducive to imaginative site planning.
Gentle slopes are preferable to very rugged terrain
for most residential building purposes.

Besides aiding in drainage they are less costly to

build on than steep slopes. The latter require
elaborate footings and a great deal of earth moving
to create usable ground areas.
The value of vegetation as an aspect of site quality cannot
be overestimated. There is no question that trees and
shrubs enhance the livability of housing areas.

If an undeveloped site contains healthy and attractive

vegetation, it should be preserved. If a site lacks
vegetation, planting should be undertaken at the earliest
possible date.

vegetation
Topography
Topography is an important element in determining the
acceptability or value of a site. It greatly affects the layout of
buildings and how they can be placed upon it and it affects
the cost of foundations and utility lines.

The best type of topography for housing is generally

considered to be level or gently rolling terrain with slopes less
than 10 to 20 percent. For single-family detached housing,
the lot size should be increased in relation to the slope. It
should also be high ground with good drainage.
Housing Site
1. A gently sloping site is preferable to
one presenting serious topographical
difficulties.
1. A gently sloping site is preferable to
one presenting serious topographical
difficulties.
2. Sites containing soft ground, heavy
uncompacted fill, or outcroppings of rock
should be avoided.
3. Choose a site where heavy duty road
construction will not be required.

4. Sites remote from public roads and utilities are

less desirable than those where these facilities are
immediately available.
No site should be given even tentative consideration
unless the amount of buildable area it contains is
known.

If the site includes steeply sloping land, at least a

sketch topography should be available.

Data on soil conditions, particularly where there are

areas of poor bearing due to natural conditions or to
artificial fill, should also be obtained.
Unbuildable areas of poor-bearing soil may
often be used for parking or recreation areas,
and thus need not cause a serious loss of
useful area.

Land that is unbuildable because it is so steep

that construction cost becomes excessive is
ordinarily of little use for other purposes, but
all land may be of value to the project in giving
more light and air to the houses.