INTRODUCTION TO SITE PLANNING

INTRODUCTION

SITE PLAN

A site plan usually shows a building footprint, travel ways, parking, drainage facilities, sanitary sewer lines, water lines, trails, lighting, and landscaping and garden elements.
Such a plan of a site is a "graphic representation of the arrangement of buildings, parking, drives, landscaping and any other structure that is part of a development project.
A site plan is a "set of construction drawings that a builder or contractor uses to make improvements to a property.
Site plans are often prepared by a design consultant who must be either a licensed engineer, architect, landscape architect or land surveyor.

SITE PLANNING

Site planning in architecture and planning refers to the organizational stage of the design process.
It involves the organization of land use zoning, access, circulation, landscape, privacy, security, shelter, land drainage and arranging structures on the land and shaping spaces between them.
Information about slope, soils, hydrology, vegetation, parcel ownership, orientation, etc. are assessed and mapped.
Site planning generally begins by assessing a potential site for development through site analysis.

SITE ANALYSIS

Site analysis is a predesigned research activity which focuses on existing and potential conditions on and around the building site. It is an inventory of the site factors and forces, and how they coexist and interact. The purpose of the analysis is to provide thorough information about the site assets and liabilities prior to starting the design process. Only in this way can concepts be developed that incorporate meaningful responses to the external conditions of the site.

LIE OF THE LAND

Lie of the land is the British phrase that metaphorically means the current state of affairs, how something is organized.
Literally, the lie of the land is the arrangement of features upon the land. In fact, lie of the land and lay of the land mean the same thing

PLOT

In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner(s). A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property (meaning practically the same thing) in other countries.

REGION

An area, especially part of a country or the world having definable characteristics but not always fixed boundaries.

SURVEY

Survey means to examine and record the area and features of (an area of land) so as to construct a map, plan, or description.
There are two primary levels of architectural survey: reconnaissance and intensive/ detail.

Reconnaissance survey : Reconnaissance is preliminary research or a preliminary survey such as checking out the lay-of-the-land before taking a any action on the project.It is done to examine the general character of the area for the purpose of determining the most feasible site for development.
Intensive/ Detail survey :

Chain survey is the simplest method of surveying. In this survey only measurements are taken in the field, and the rest work, such as plotting calculation etc. are done in the office.
Compass surveying is a type of surveying in which the directions of surveying lines are determined with a magnetic compass, and the length of the surveying lines are measured with a tape or chain or laser range finder. The compass is generally used to run a traverse line.
Plane Table Survey is the fast method of surveying. In this type of surveying plotting of the plan and field observations can be done simultaneously. In case of plane table surveying Geometrical conditions of site are manuscript in the map sheet using plane table and alidade after that topographic details are arranged on the map.
Total station survey (TSS) is an electronic/optical instrument used in modern surveying and building construction. The total station is an electronic theodolite (transit) integrated with an electronic distance meter (EDM) to read slope distances from the instrument to a particular point.