Overview of Site Analysis
Site analysis is the time when you are really getting to know your site. You will need to explore a variety of different areas and aspects and ask a lot of questions. This analysis paired with your vision, goals, and site observations will help inform your design choices for your project. It is suggested that you be as thorough as possible in the process of your site analysis. Please note that your site analysis will also provide much of the info and overlap with the proceeding steps in your project (ie: contours, sectors, etc.)
Here are some examples of what questions to ask while you are conducting your site analysis.
- A form Neal’s permaculture consulting company Regenera uses for new clients.
- A google doc with all the different questions/categories listed.
When you have completed your site analysis you should organize all your findings into a document, notebook, spreadsheet, etc so that you can easily refer back to it during your design process and for your presentation.
Overview of Making Your Base Map
How to Make a Base Map
Methods of Mapping (see videos for more details)
- Electronically (Rhino or sketch up)
- Physically (eyeball or with levels)
What are you looking for in a base map?
- The size
- The shape
- Scale (ie: 1cm=10m)
- Legend/Key
- Boundaries (legal or other)
- Orientation (where is north?)
- Key Permanent Features or Vegetation (depending on how much is already there, you could do a separate overlay for this)
How To draw a base map to scale
Estimated time to complete
6 min
Key Takeaways
- Take Notes
Tips for Mapping in the Field (easy, step-by-step guide on how to manually map your piece of land)
1) Measure out 10 meters exactly and mark the start and end point on a piece of flat(ish) ground
2) Start with toes at the first point and walk to the other point using a natural step and count your steps to get to the other side
3) Repeat Step 2 at least three times to get an average number of steps it takes for you to walk 10 meters
4) Using this number, I can take a notebook to the site, and first walk the boundaries, counting my steps between each corner. I jot down my number of steps and convert to meters later using the following formula:
Distance in Meters = (Number of Steps taken over distance of interest / Number of steps in 10 meters) X 10
5) Then I can also count my steps from a corner or border of the land in towards a unique landmark. So I can determine that the house’s southern corner is 87 steps from the southern corner of the land.
6) Or even a triangulation. Start at a Corner and count steps as you walk the boarder and note that. Then from the border, walk directly perpendicular to the border towards a unique landmark and then you have two measurements to place each boarder.