Introduction

In architecture, site analysis is a crucial part of the design process. It is a skill introduced to students in architectural education and is applied well into professional life. So, architecture students and professionals alike need to have a solid approach when analysing a site, especially when facing tight deadlines.

Analysing a site involves reflecting on many factors and it can become overwhelming quite easily, without a proper structure. To simplify the process, we have compiled all the key considerations in one place. Thus, giving you a single reference to work from, so you don’t miss anything.

Ultimately, the goal of site analysis is to inform a design that best suits and responds to the site. To do this, you need to be able to gather relevant information, interpret it critically, and communicate it clearly.

This guide brings these elements together by exploring the what, why, and how of site analysis. It walks you through the process step by step and includes a checklist you can use on site, along with additional resources for further reference.

What is Architectural Site Analysis?

An architectural site analysis is the process of evaluating a site location, size, topography, zoning, traffic conditions, climate and more. The analysis also considers any future developments, or changes to the site’s surroundings, legal factors such as a change of road designations, changing cultural patterns, or other significant building developments within the area.

Site analysis is conducted in the initial stages of a project. In architecture school, this would typically be after you are given a project brief and either have selected a site or are in the process of selecting one.

In a professional setting, it usually takes place during Stage 1 (Preparation and Briefing) of the RIBA Plan of Work. In this stage, feasibility studies are carried out and depending on the project, can include varying levels of site analysis. Once the project receives the green light, detailed site information including full site surveys are sourced.

There are many types of surveys that can be carried out to better understand a site. Some of which include:

• Full Structural Building Survey
• Contextual survey 
• Measured survey
• Topographical survey
• Geological/Geotechnical survey
• Ecological survey
• Arboriculture survey
• Flood risk survey
• Asbestos survey
• Heritage or Listed Building Survey
• Utility Survey

Now, let’s see why this analysis is so important.

Why do you carry out an architectural site analysis?

Prior to starting any design, your client will want to know whether construction on the site is viable. Hence the feasibility studies. Carrying out an extensive site analysis [or context analysis] will assess whether development is financially feasible and establish parameters to implement the best design that responds to the physical and environmental features of the site.

The purpose of this analysis is to inform us about a site before the start of our design process so that our initial design thinking about our building can best respond to the site conditions.

Understanding the context of a site is key to enabling the designer to weave the new design, in with the existing fabric of the site. It allows us to understand the existing opportunities, or problems in a site, and make informed decisions on how to respond to our findings. This response could be that the designed building reflects the surrounding context and is designed to be in sympathy, or, perhaps to turn away or eliminate certain unwanted site conditions.

Making sure the architecture site analysis is thorough

It is important when carrying out a site analysis, that we endeavour to research as much as possible and collect all available data that relates to the site and our design. A poorly executed site analysis can lead to a sub-standard design due to the designer not having all available information to respond to and develop solutions for. You can never know too much about the site.

We also know that time is of the essence and so it is important to know what to look for. 

What kind of information are we collecting?

Our analysis data can be split into two main categories. Hard data and soft data.

Hard data looks at more concrete elements such as site boundaries, site areas, utility locations, contours, dimensions, site features, climate and legal information. While soft data looks at human and sensory information which requires opinions on things like the best views on site or observations on where people tend to gather.

Early site investigations should look at hard data. From this, we are able to establish which elements we consider having a negative impact on the site or proposed design and which conditions have a more positive influence. This allows us to create a hierarchy and gives a more systematic approach to understanding our data and developing the design.

The general categories of data we will be looking at as we carry out our architectural site analysis are:

Hard Data (Quantitative / Measurable)

This is information that is objective, physical, and verifiable.

• Location
• Neighbourhood Context
• Zoning and Site Parameters
• Legal and Regulatory Information
• Natural Physical Features
• Built (Man-made) Features
• Circulation and Access
• Utilities and Infrastructure
• Climate and Environmental Conditions

Soft Data (Qualitative / Experiential)

This is information based on observation, perception, and human factors.

• Sensory Factors (views, sounds, smells, textures)
• Human and Cultural Context

Later in this guide, we provide an in-depth checklist that you can take to the site to make sure nothing is overlooked.

How do we carry out a successful site analysis?

It is better to have a clear structure when it comes to site analysis in order to ensure you have covered all bases and gathered the right information needed to help you in designing your building. The quality of this information matters greatly.

In this section we will guide you through how to go about analysing your site.

Desktop Study

Before you visit the site, there is a lot of information you can gain from a desktop study. By carrying out thorough research prior to your visit to site, you will arrive well informed and possibly have identified specific things that you want to check or look out for on your site visit.

It may be necessary to obtain an OS (Ordnance Survey) map of the site. From this, and from client information you can clarify the location of site boundaries.

Here is a list of things to look into before you go to site:

Location and Context

• Site location (regional and city context)
• Site boundaries, area, dimensions 
• Aerial photographs and maps (Google and Bing have really useful and quite different aerial images)
• Existing buildings and approximate heights 
• Building footprints and density
• Urban grain (maps, 3D builds ups of your site if it is a popular one)
• Architectural character (via Google Street View or similar tools)

Planning and Legal Information

• Current ownership, zoning, land use designation, and surrounding land uses
• Brownfield or greenfield classification
• Planning policies, constraints, and local development plans 
• Rights of way, rights of access, Town and Country Planning restrictions, is the site in a green belt?
• Location in a conservation area or proximity to listed buildings 
• Development control parameters (height, setbacks, etc.)
• Regulatory requirements (building regulations, health & safety)
• Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) on any trees on site
• Inclusion within future urban development plans

 Site History and Environmental Risk

• Historical use of the site (maps)
• Potential contamination from previous uses
• Archaeological constraints – anything you can use to inform your design. Any tunnels, disused mines, archaeological interests under the site could curtail development.
• Previous developments or site alterations

Natural Physical

• Topography and contour maps
• Geological maps to discover predominant types of soil or rock on the site
• Hydrology (rivers, groundwater, flood risk area maps)
• Vegetation and ecology (native/foreign species, habitats)

Climate and Environmental

• Climate data (temperature, rainfall, wind patterns)
• Sun path and solar orientation
• Air quality and pollution data
• Noise levels
• Seasonal variations and extreme weather patterns

Connectivity

• Road networks
• Public transport routes and stops
• Distances and travel times between the site and other locations of importance
• Parking regulations and restrictions

Utilities

• Availability and location of water, electricity, gas, sewerage, and telecommunications. This includes both underground and above ground. Record distances, depths, and materials.

• Proximity and connection potential to existing infrastructure

Socio-Economic and Cultural

• Population density (census data)
• Demographics (age, employment, income)
• Land use patterns
• Economic activity in the area
• Crime statistics (public data)
• Local community resources (e.g. newspapers, community archives)

Some information is not freely available, but a client or their legal representative should be able to clarify any issues regarding rights of way, rights of light, legal easements, and any rights of tenants. And if you are a student, you should have access to these resources through your institution.

There are many more things to look at, and each site is very different, but hopefully this will give you a starting point for getting the best out of your site visit.

In the next section we will look at what you need to take and look out for when visiting the site.

Visiting The Site

Depending on the project you will want to consider taking the following items with you when you go to look at a potential site, or proposed site for your design project. You may need to visit the site multiple times and so preparing a site kit that you can keep ready in your desk or office can help save you time and ensure you capture all the information you need. You can use either digital or physical tools for recording your observations, as per your preference.

Architecture Site Analysis Checklist

To help with collecting information, we have made a checklist that is a starting point for analysing the site and gathering data. The checklist is not exhaustive, which means you can add to the checklist every time you come across a new issue or factor relating to a site.

We suggest you use the checklist to guide your observations and check off items as you go, so you don’t overlook anything important. There are intentional overlaps with the desktop study list as certain factors require further investigation on site. But it does primarily focus on observations and measurements that can be made directly on site.

Remember that the goal of site analysis is to gather enough information to design a building. You don’t need to capture every tiny detail. Focus on what matters for your project’s scope and goals and be smart with your time.

Here is what our checklist looks like, based on the categories established earlier:

Location and Context

• Site location details (road names, address, major landmarks etc)
• Site boundary and dimensions
• Current context – adjacent buildings, car parking, roads
• Access to the site – car parking, bus routes, train stations, cycle routes, pedestrian walkways
• Access to site for construction – will there be any obstacles or restrictions that could affect the construction process?
• Existing and proposed building uses in the neighbourhood
• Condition of surrounding buildings
• Exterior spaces and their use
• Any activities in the neighbourhood that may create strong vehicle or pedestrian traffic
• Existing vehicle movement patterns, major and minor roads, bus routes and stops.
• Street lighting
• Vernacular context, materials, architectural features, fenestration, landscaping, parking, building heights
• Nearby historical buildings, or buildings of particular significance
• Sun and shade patterns caused by adjacent buildings during the year
• Building context – what style, period, state of repair are the surrounding buildings? Is it in a historical/heritage/conservation area? Will your design need to reflect the existing style?
• Surfaces and materials around the site

Planning and Legal Information

• Rights of way through the site and the dimensions
• Any easements location and dimensions
• Buildable area of the site
• Any building height restrictions

Site History and Environmental Risk

• Visible signs of contamination concerns from previous use
• Are there existing buildings on the site – what is their state of repair? Is there any sign of subsidence or settlement damage?
• Are the existing buildings part of the project? What is their scale?
• Any walls, retaining walls on the site, or other built items
• Materials used in existing structures
• Existing landscaping

 Natural Features

• Topography of the site, valleys, ridges, slopes etc
• Vegetation – landscaping, greenery, shrubs and trees, open spaces
• Blue areas – rivers, ponds, sea
• Site levels. How will this affect your design process? How does the site drainage work, would there be any potential problems with drainage?
• Soil types on site

Climate and Environmental

• Orientation of the site
• What is the weather like at the time of visit? (sunny, cloudy, windy, rainy)?
• Sunlight – Is the site well shaded or exposed? Are there any trees, buildings, or other obstructions
• Wind – Are there any wind tunnels or sheltered areas?
• Temperature – Does the site feel warmer or cooler than surrounding areas (due to shade, materials, or shelter)?

Connectivity

• Circulation – how do visitors/pedestrians/traffic to or near the site flow around or within it.
• Accessibility – current provisions of disabled access to the site and how this will need to be considered.
• Does the existing pedestrian movement need to be preserved?
• What is the vehicle peak load and when?
• Public transport close to the site
• Locations of best access to site for both vehicles and pedestrians
• Travel time to walk across the site
• Busiest times: duration and potential impact on future development

Utilities

• Streetlighting, electrical meters near the site
• Drainage manholes, gully grates on or near the site
• Telecom boxes near the site

Sensory

• Views – where are the best views to and from the site
• What are the views of?
• Mark out the positive and negative views
• Which is the most likely feature aspect?
• Look at views towards the site from different approaches to see how the site would be seen when drawing near to the site. What are the best views of the site, and would these change in the long term?
• Noise, odour, and pollution – is the site in a particularly noisy area? Or near industrial buildings that produce levels of pollution. Is it near a facility that creates smoke?
• What materials and textures are part of the site? Can they be used in your design somehow?

Socio-economic and Cultural

• What activities and patterns can you see on and around the site?
• Negative neighbourhood issues such as vandalism and crime
• What are the attitudes towards the site and the potential build?
• What are the general neighbourhood attitudes about the area?
• What are the cultural, psychological, behavioural, and sociological aspects of the surrounding area?

Take some time to walk around the site as much as possible. Take note of the general topography of the site, and any significant changes in level. Also note any indications of what is underneath the surface, for example, any marsh grasses could suggest that there is a high-water table, if the soil is sticky, it could indicate the subsoil on the site is clay. If there is any rubble on the site, it could suggest there has been previous development or possibly landfill on the land.

Many of these site issues (particularly services) would be picked up on a topographical survey or other professional report, but for the benefit of a student site analysis assignment we think it would be good to demonstrate that you have considered the hazards that could be on or around the site.

Diagramming your findings

The best way to present much of the data you have collected is through diagrams. The style can be more sketch-like or polished. There are varying approaches to expressing the features of the site, some prefer to include as much information as possible on one diagram, while others will produce a number of smaller diagrams to demonstrate particular site conditions or features.

Both options work, but if you decide to present all the data in one drawing, it is important to make sure it doesn’t become muddled and difficult to interpret the information. So, a single diagram demonstrating many of the site conditions will be a larger drawing than numerous individual diagrams demonstrating one site factor. It is also important that the hierarchy of the drawing is clear – using your pen thicknesses to demonstrate the different aspects.

 You can represent data from your site visit in plans, elevations and sections, isometrics, or perspectives. Be sure to choose the best option for the data you are trying to explain. We want to make sure the diagram is simple, and clear, with the data we are presenting graphically bolder than the referent information. You want the emphasis to be on the information you are communicating, for example a path through the site, or the position of trees on the site. If you choose to create a series of drawings, ensure that the site drawing is always the same orientation, and preferably scale, so that the reader can easily understand the drawings.

The following are some examples of diagrams:

Check out The Ultimate Guide To Mastering Architectural Diagrams for more advice on diagramming.

Check out The Ultimate Guide To Mastering Architectural Diagrams for more advice on diagramming.

Evaluating Your Site Visit

So, you have collected all this information and taken a shed load of photos, now you’ve got to evaluate this information and consider the implications to your design process. As well as considering all the points below you also have to integrate the requirements of the brief. You are slowly putting together the pieces of the puzzle in order to come up with a great design.

Your diagrams and data collection will be starting to build a picture of the site, helping you to evaluate what you have found and begin to consider solutions.

When looking at your site and considering your design think about the following:

The Site

• Street patterns
• Street section
• Scale and the hierarchy/form/space
• Land use
• Typologies
• Neighbourhood relationships, formal street variation
• Perspective relationships, views
• Edge conditions, surfaces, and materials
• Natural and man made
• Movement and circulation within and around the site
• Vehicle vs. pedestrian
• Access
• Public space vs. private space
• Open space
• History
• Climate – sun angles and sun shadows
• Negative and positive spaces – we move through negative spaces and dwell in positive spaces
• Site analysis sketch

The Building

Think about how your proposal is going to link in with the site, and how the site will connect with the building. Make a few notes about each of the points below about what you are looking to achieve.

• Massing
• Structure
• Circulation
• Axis
• Symmetry
• Scale and proportion
• Balance
• Regulating lines
• Light quality
• Rhythm and repetition
• Views
• Geometry
• Hierarchy
• Enclosure
• Space/void relationship

During your evaluation of the site, it may be useful to create a model of a particular aspect, or even the site itself. A model may demonstrate something better than a drawing or photograph, particularly three-dimensional situations. Land contours are often demonstrated using a simple site model. This base model could then be used as part of your concept development.

Presenting your Site Analysis

Typically, your site analysis will be included in the initial pages of your portfolio. The sheets will most likely contain architectural drawings such as Site or Location plans, accompanied by diagrams and text. 

It may not be a requirement to present your site analysis information, but in many cases it is. Whether you are putting together a couple of plans with your findings, or a full report, here are some tips and ideas to help you get the information across.

• Give an overview of the site and the information you have found.
• Show some of the key photographs of the site.
• Give more detail about the elements of your site analysis that you feel will be important in your design process.
• Make sure you include images. There are various ways you can do this:
• Sketches from site
• Photographs from site
• Annotated photographs
• Present any relevant data found (climate, sun paths etc). Keep data clear and concise, don’t bore everyone with complicated graphs and tables. Instead, make your own chart or table that picks out the important information.
• Present your sun paths and angles as some sort of annotated drawing. Sketchup can be a useful way of presenting sun path drawings.
• Be sure to show the North Arrow on plans 
• Depending on what has been asked of you, sometimes it is useful to present a couple of overlay drawings showing some initial ideas you have worked on. This will demonstrate your understanding of the site.

The most important thing when presenting your site analysis is to ensure that the information is clear, and the reader can understand what you have found. In our opinion there is no point labouring away on fancy graphics if the information is not clear and difficult to digest.

Be sure to include a variety of scales to show your research. Transport and road networks will be shown better on a master plan scale. 

Here are some examples of synthesised site analysis:

Site Analysis Resources

To help you save time, we have put together some really valuable Site Analysis Complete Pack – First In Architecture. It’s got guides, checklists, symbols, templates, and textures all in one place. This pack has everything you need to analyse, map, and present any site like a pro. 

You can download the Site Analysis Symbols sets individually too. These include all the different types of symbols you will need to enhance your drawings and diagrams. Check them out below:

Example

Here is a Site Analysis diagram we made using our symbols:

We have a Pinterest board dedicated to site analysis graphics and ideas, feel free to check it out when you need some inspiration:

Also, check out our Site analysis playlist on YouTube if you prefer watching videos:

In addition to this, we have come across a great tutorial from Alex over at Visualizing Architecture, which explains his process to create some really cool site analysis visuals. Check it out here:

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to work with existing site conditions will greatly impact your design. The more sites you analyse you will develop your own method of approaching the analysis. This guide has walked you through the full process, from desktop research to site visits, data collection, evaluation, diagramming, and presentation, giving you the tools to tackle any site efficiently.

By following the checklist, prioritising the most important factors for your project, and using the resources we’ve shared, you’ll be able to produce a thorough, professional site analysis. 

The key to successful site analysis is combining systematic research with thoughtful observation. Take what works for your project, make it your own, and keep refining your approach with each site you encounter. With practice, site analysis will become second nature, and you’ll be able to respond to any site confidently.

We hope our guide helps you effectively analyse your sites!

Don’t forget to download this guide as a PDF so you can refer to the checklist and resources anytime.

Thank you for reading :)

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