OVERVIEW Contextual analysis isa predesign research ety wich focuses on the existing. mrinert and potential consitions on and Slwations and theit interactions Property where our project willbe bul The major role of contextual analysis in design i that of informing us about prior concepts #0 that our early thi about our building can incorporate meaningful responses to external com ditions. Typical site asus addressedina contextual aalyis ae site location size, shape, con nage pattern, zoning ard set ies. significant an site featres backs, us (buidings, wees, ete, surrounding wath. \ ters, viewsto and rom \ typveal sues inthis regard are changing Toning paternsaroundour site shifsinthe Gesigration of major and rvincr sees Changing cultural pales in the surround ‘ng neighborhood and the constuction of Signiicant projects neatby that impact on the By ws Vv EDWARD T. WHITE contextval analys/s 6 Excoppt akon fom Site Analysis by Ecward T Whe pageJost a6 a single word oF phase is best Understood when we know something Sbouttssurrcund ng veal content s0s60 Should we be amare a! he contextea sta tion wheve our beading wil be sed Context is defined in the dictionary as the “whole situation, background oF ‘environment relevant tosome event or product.” The derivation of the word ‘meant 10 “weave together” “The saintosthss meaning els us someting aidesgners regarding the need to weeave ‘ur des gas into the evsting labric of te & {onesies presi, eoiems 3d op forum! femustsbvetoraseme off WY between the newcomer to the site iout building) and the steel The notion 9! fi" dows nat necessary imply sbordina tion of eur Bulding to ste Conditions, We , may choose to be ia sympathy wath some Ste conditon where we atempt 1 sav minor dteraton of fe fenlorce ampityard prove on what we find on the ste. We may abo identty ce tai site conditions which we want 16 de- Tibeately alter ehminate, cover up. is {guce or elon. “Weaving” a8 concept & Sopled tothe placement of buildings on Ses shy inelade some aeration of ny the exstng conditens What important 2. itor we mele thee decisions deliver Selvaré nouaisotin eect curb ctne serena scot tether atemptcg so gwar te"onat te ser eny mg Dil stems ol poking sees 7 onajor alteration of sift projec. SITES AS ACTIVE NETWORKS Sometimes as designers we may be tems cd to think of our project site 35 an ined. passive situation, We may consider it as, Simply a piece of ground! where our build ing ril ‘Weshould always remember that a site is never inert but is an ongoing set of very active networks that are in- tertwined in complex relationships. Shadow patterns meve across OU" stein 3 paricularway, Childtenmay iseoursite shortcut fo schoo!, Our site may be vied as an informal playground by neighbor hood children, Theres a uate pulse that bbs and flows through and around the site ‘ver the course ofa day: People may look §3c1085 Our site from their homes fo views bheyond. The contaurs may eareully rote war toa sile edge where it does no darn ge (0 nbighbors. The comer may be used fora bus stop. These ate a lew of the situations that mate any site active. TAs Kinetic view of ste should sensitize us to the importance of te task of siling. avr building We are about to place our build ing within this active network. l seems reasonable 1o assume that if we are to rate our design gracefully nto this network wilhout desroying is postive as Dect, then we must Hist make OUrelveS wate of the nature of the network UnOUg contenual analysis Excemt taken fom Ste Anaysis by Coward T White age 2CONSEQUENCE The ¢ TRIANGLE ‘The “consequence rignt mace tor understanding the network I causes and effets and how they relate to other aspects and issues of at cont our project ‘The consequence triangle focuses on There are three “actors” in the conte: lation of the completed and quencetnangle:the baking the users and ‘occupied building and is based an the the contest. The building includes all the tangle” is a conver busiding, work in the building, mainain the building, are clients, patos Or cus. tomers in the bulding service the building, Hive near the building or simply pas bythe bulging. The context includes all the con ditons tuations, forces and pressures tat consiuted the existing site pri to the ‘onstruction of the iulding 1 we set these three protagonists at the comers of a langle and draw lines repre Seating impacts from each of rer allthe ‘thers and from each of ther to ther ‘elves, we have diagramimed the esserial, messages ofthe consequence tangle. The Clements of the burlsing sect not only ‘each othe: but ao elements nthe conte Sind users In terme af bulding impact on Iselt. the air conditioning system cauces changes in material ord (unitre because ff temperature and humidity diferent Fenestration causes changes in material lighting and furniture because ofthe adi. tance of sunlight Fuiniture location causes changes in the tlocring material due to placement in the space. The consequences Eavsed by the building on the wiers mov Involve environmen! elects on atitde productivity eliciency. sense of worth and tvel-being, sal! turnover level ol learning, Sales volume and cher axpects of human behavior The building aso creates conse quences within the context. These may trclode alteration of wind patiems, com tours and eiainage patterns, surface ab. Sorplion of ra:0/al, existing foliage Shadow patterns. sunlight reflection of ‘windowsand sound ellecions of ullding imtenor and, exterior physical manifesta tions of our design sch 95 the walls, feos, ceiings, structure, mechanical. furitre, Fighting, color landscaping, paving. coors. diction and delivery of a set of conse sce hardware and accessories. The quences of efiects that have been cs inciudealhose people who own the deemed positive and possible. All of the efocts or consequence issues mentioned ‘ere only deal with impacts ‘Gred by our Building on ise, users and context. Ta complete the model we must perform the same operatn for users and context. We can see then, that each of the three actors—building, "users and ‘comext--are acted on by the other twoand et on the ather two. Each ofthe three auses changes in the cther two and Is hanged by the other tro. The network is tn constant motion for the life of the building when we view our design etuation inthis way, it becomes clear thot our design re Sponsibilty should be focused on the lines ot force inthe diagram and not enly onthe Sullding, users and conten themselves, 1 behooves us to not only know some- thing about the compositional charac {ers of buildings, people and contexts ‘but also about how they affect them- selves and each other. Every building project involves some de free of remodeling because a the nevis ble modification of the context at and | around our building. is impossible to place our building on ils site without hanging the existing conditions. We must Getermine mbatia elem reiforce, accem, feduce, modify or elmate The implanting of our buil the site will always eesult modeling of the site. Our goal should 10 alwaysbe to leave ou site beter than wwe found i ro taken fom Site Analysis by Edward 7 Wetie pope 3