Study Guide Ch. 7 Entering The Design Phase

Question 1

Environmental Impact Studies

Answer 1

(or a less comprehensive review known as an environmental impact assessment or EIA) generally address the extent of impact that a proposed development will have on a site and its environmental resources.

Will also provide recommendations for site monitoring and suggest strategies for mitigation

Note that an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required for any and every project, and they are used for both public and private projects

Question 2

Environmental Impact Statement required

Answer 2

often required only for those projects that are expected to have significant (negative) environmental impacts and are thus intended to inform decisionmakers (such as plan reviewers or other public agency staff) and the public of the impacts of a proposed development and describe to them any reasonable alternatives that would avoid or minimize adverse impacts or enhance the quality of the human environment

Question 3

An EIS, therefore, must contain the following information:

Answer 3

Description (including maps) of the area(s) to be affected by a proposed development
An inventory and analysis of the site’s resources
Detailed studies of the environmental consequences of development. Note that this forms the basis for comparisons to any proposed development alternatives and/or mitigation
Description of development alternatives and/or mitigation, including the impacts of those alternatives and/or mitigation

Question 4

Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)

Answer 4

Note has a similar name to an EIS, but exists for a different purpose.

is a report prepared for a real estate holding that identifies potential or existing environmental contamination liabilities on a site, and it often entails historical research to determine if past site uses would have caused a release of hazardous substances and determine if any environmental issues (e.g. soil contamination) still exist at the site.

Question 5

Feasibility Studies

Answer 5

typically examine a proposed project’s costs and benefits and are used for both public- and private-sector projects

Feasibility studies thus include elements from the pre-design (inventory and analysis) and design phases.

Question 6

A feasibility study provides critical information, including:

Answer 6

- Market analysis (for private sector projects)
- Development yield of a site (taking into account physical and regulatory constraints)
- Regulatory permits and approvals required for project approval
- Estimated project timeline (including political obstacles/incentives that can be expected)
- Budget/ funding mechanisms available for project funding
- Initial design concepts

Question 7

Conceptual Design Phase

Answer 7

follows—and is directly informed by—the process of site inventory and analysis

concept design is the first time in a project where a designer begins to determine “what goes where” on the site.

Note that sites with fewer significant biophysical or cultural features are often the most challenging to design not only because the lack of site character makes it challenging to create a unique sense of place, but also because relatively featureless sites allow for a broad range of design solutions without providing a coherent or definitive framework to differentiate between these options. Conversely, sites with significant natural or cultural features have the greatest potential to inspire context-sensitive plans that ‘‘fit’’ the site and often allow the landscape architect to devote their time to refining a design concept

Question 8

Conceptual Design Process

Answer 8

As the initial phase of the design process, concept design is the ideal time to explore, evaluate, and compare various design solutions for a project and site

Given that concept plans are relatively basic in character, exploring alternative design concepts does not require a substantial time investment during the concept design phase. Adaptation and revision are an inherent part of adjusting the program to the site and in response to the client and other stakeholder’s feedback, as well as any zoning and development/regulatory standards. Although the concept design process may initially focus on the development of alternatives, it is ultimately one that proceeds toward more specific or detailed decisions

Question 9

Steps through which a concept design should proceed

Answer 9

Step 1: Delineate primary and secondary conservation areas.

Step 2: In the remaining site areas, delineate the locations that are suitable for development.

Step 3: Within the areas suitable for development, delineate the development ‘‘pods,’’ considering their accessibility.

Step 4: Locate the primary and secondary circulation systems, considering the sizes and shapes of the remaining developable areas

Question 10

Concept Evaluation and Refinement

Answer 10

To proceed to later phases in the design process, concept designs must be refined, and the landscape architect can begin to adjust large-scale gestures across the site in response to numerous criteria, and these would have been identified through the site analysis process.

The transition from site analysis to concept design, therefore, requires the landscape architect to determine the relevance of site features and their spatial relationships to the proposed program and the project goals and objectives.

Moreover, site planning requires one to understand how arranging and articulating project components (e.g. new buildings, primary circulation paths) will affect the site’s resources and character both now and in the future.

Question 11

On-site determinants

Answer 11

- Physical conditions (e.g. site size and shape, steep slopes, microclimatic factors such as wind direction and sun/shade patterns)
- Regulations and standards (e.g. zoning codes, building codes and design guidelines)
- Open space (to protect natural resources and/or buffer developed areas from hazards such as floods and landslides)
- Boundary interface with off-site properties and public infrastructure

Question 12

Off-Site Determinants

Answer 12

- Neighborhood, community, and regional character
- Nuisances (e.g. adjacent highway that produces noise, odors, and undesirable views)
- Number and location of site entrances (adjacent streets or transit stops suggest preferred locations for providing access to the site)
- Presence of significant views

Question 13

Concept Plans

Answer 13

are the first design drawings produced by the landscape architect that are specific to the site. In that sense, they are sometimes preceded by a functional use diagram.

Unlike functional use diagrams, concept plans organize the project’s proposed elements approximately where they are to be located on the site, and they tend to identify three key site elements:

Open space
Circulation
Development pods/activity zones

Note that these elements are drawn in a relatively diagrammatic fashion. Circulation pathways are often portrayed as arrows and/or lines and both open space and development pods are shown as bubbles.

Question 14

Functional Use Diagram

Answer 14

a drawing that illustrates the relationship between project elements (often site program) without being drawn to scale or in relationship to the site.
Note that functional use diagrams are sometimes referred to as "spatial relationship diagrams."

Question 15

Concept Plan scale

Answer 15

Although concept drawings are drawn to scale, detailed information such as specific building dimensions are not addressed at this stage in the design process.
Note also that the scale of the concept plan determines the amount of detail that can be shown effectively, with the plan’s level of detail being a function of the size of the project site.
In other words, concept plans for small sites will focus on smaller scale issues/design considerations than those for larger sites.

Question 16

the following elements appear on concept plans regardless of scale:

Answer 16

Open Space: active and passive recreation areas, conservation areas

Buildings

Landmarks (including specimen trees)

Vehicle Circulation: streets and site entrances, passenger drop-off areas, parking, loading/service areas

Pedestrian Circulation: walkways, crosswalks, site and building entrances, meeting areas/nodes

Other Circulation: bike paths, public transit stations, lines and stops

Utilities (including easements)

Views: prominent/notable views to and from the site

Question 17

When presenting to the public, designers should be aware of the following

Answer 17

- The general public has difficulty understanding plan view drawings, as well as general technical drawings (e.g., construction detailing)
- Photographs and photo-realistic perspective renderings are the most effective way to communicate visual information to a generalist audience
- Technical and specialist language should be avoided whenever possible, as it is difficult for most people to understand
- When using graphics and other visual aids, ensure that they are written in clear language and that information is shown at a size such that it is legible by all members of the audience
- No single presentation style fits all situations. Choose the best format to meet your objectives.

Question 18

Note that in his book Site Analysis, LaGro identifies five factors that should be considered when communicating project information with graphics:

Answer 18

1. Message: In short, what is the message that the graphic is trying to communicate and was this message received by its intended audience.

2. Medium: Clarity is achieved by simplifying the message and by omitting extraneous information. Therefore, what is the correct type of graphic needed to communicate the intended message.

3. Audience: Project graphics should help orient and inform the intended audience, and an audience’s expertise and familiarity with planning and design should determine what—and how—project information is conveyed. This often requires emphasizing the most important information and omitting less important and potentially distracting information.

4. Setting: Setting should be considered when preparing and organizing graphic information. If a presentation will occur in a large meeting room, graphics should likely be projected onto a large screen. In a smaller setting, printed drawings mounted on foam-core presentation boards may be more appropriate and, therefore, effective.

5. Time: The amount of time available to prepare and present the graphic materials can help determine what graphic techniques are most appropriate. Although graphics should always be as simple and clear as possible, if the audience has the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with the work, then more detailed information can be conveyed.

Question 19

Linetypes

Question 20

Schematic design process

Answer 20

refines elements of the concept plan—not only through articulating the buildings, walls, parking lots, pathways, and other ‘‘hard’’ and ‘‘soft’’ spaces within each of the general land use areas established in the concept plan—but also through introducing new drawing types such as sections, elevations, and three-dimensional perspectives that may not have been produced during the concept design phase

Note that plan review requirements of municipal planning agencies vary dramatically across the United States. In certain instances, planners review all aspects of a landscape design for compliance to local and/or state laws. These can include planting, irrigation, grading, hardscape and lighting plans, details and even specifications. Regardless, be aware that—with the exception of a site survey and an Environmental Impact Study—none of the content produced during the site inventory/analysis phase and concept plans is likely to be reviewed as part of a formal plan submittal for permits and/or construction.