Far Eastern University JANUARY 2022

Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

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LECTURE:
PHYSICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CONSIDERATION OF THE SITE
The physical and natural features of the land such as topography, geology, soils, hydrology, climate, natural hazard,
plants and wildlife can serve as major considerations to assess the suitability of site to support particular uses:

 TOPOGRAPHY
o important in land use and site planning decisions because it affects the cost of production, the cost
of land development, the cost of laying networks and infrastructure, the cost of conveyance of
water, drainage and sewerage, and the rate of erosion
o the general intent in developing a site should be to minimize the disturbance of existing landforms
and features while taking advantage of natural ground slopes and microclimate of the site
o Topographic Features:
 Elevation
 Changes in elevation affect both drainage patterns and visibility to and from the
site
 Contour Lines-are imaginary lines joining points of equal elevation above a datum
or bench mark

Figure 1:Choropleth map showing six elevation classes. Each class represents 100 feet (30.5 meters) of elevation change. Source:
The HOK Planning Group (LaGro, 2013)

 Slope
 refers to the gradient or inclination of a surface expressed as the ratio of the
vertical rise to the horizontal run
 defines the relative steepness or flatness of a land surface

Figure 2: Concept of Slope (Serote, 2004)

 Far Eastern University JANUARY 2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
______________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 3: Standard Slope Ranges (Nat'l Land Use Committee)

 The recommended slope ranges for various lands differ from every agency:
o Forest Management Bureau (FMB) recommends 18% and above for
permanent forest;
o housing agencies set 30% slope as the limit for urban and
agricultural use
o 3% slope minimum is required to make drainage and sewage flow
naturall
o Maximum of 7% slope is the limit for road construction

Figure 4: Choropleth map of a slope gradient. Source: The HOK Planning Group.(LaGro, 2013)

 Aspect
o slope’s orientation, or aspect, is the compass direction that the slope
faces
o aspect influences microclimate by affecting the amount of solar
radiation striking the site
 Far Eastern University JANUARY 2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
______________________________________________________________________________________

 GEOLOGY, SOILS AND HYDOLOGY

o Geology
 Surficial geology is concerned with the structure, composition, and stability of the materials
beneath and at earth’s surface while Bedrock geology checks the effect on landforms due
to the different rates of weathering that occur on the soil parent
 Understanding the rock and mineral structure of the earth's crust is vital in identifying the
appropriate land use and determining the intensity of use
 Geologic maps show the age and distribution of rock layers and other geologic materials
 Geomorphology- refers to the different landforms occurring on the surface of the earth,
such as mountains, plains, coastal areas, and the like.
 Mountains are landforms which rise to a height of no less than 300m (1000 ft),
have a narrow summit and steep slopes
 Plains are usually low-lying flat lands with elevations ranging from 0 to 200m.
 Coastal areas are the areas immediately abutting the seashore.
o According to the Philippine Fisheries Code (RA 8550): its geographic
extent may include areas within a landmark limit of one (1) kilometer
landward from the shoreline at high tide to include mangrove swamps,
brackishwater ponds, nipa swamps, estuarine rivers, sandy beaches,
and other areas within a seaward limit of 200 meters isobath to include
coral reefs, algal flats, seagrass beds and other soft bottom areas.
 Swamplands or marshes are wet spongy lands saturated with water, supporting a
natural vegetation predominantly of shrubs, trees and grass.

o Soil
 Soils are the thin upper layer of the surface of the earth composed of a mixture of
fragments of rocks, water, air and organic matter
 knowledge of the physical characteristics of the soil is essential in determining its ability to
provide firm foundations for structures, to filter surface water and to absorb sewage and
wastewater.
 Rocks, or the parent material from which soils are formed can be classified into igneous,
sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
 Igneous rocks -are formed by cooling molten lava.
 Sedimentary rocks -are the hardened mixture of sediments and parts of other rock
materials
 Metamorphic rocks -are formed from pre-existing rocks as a result of heat or
pressure changes in the earth's crust.
 The integrity of a building structure depends ultimately on the stability and under loading of
the soil or rock underlying the foundation. The allowable bearing capacity of a soil is the
maximum unit pressure a foundation is permitted to impose vertically or laterally on the soil
mass.
 The differences between gravel, sand, silt and clay is defined by the size of particles:

Figure 5: Particle Sizes for Clay, Silt, Sand and Gravel (Serote, 2004)
 Far Eastern University JANUARY 2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
______________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 6: Soil Classification and Characteristics (Ching, 2008)

 Hydrogeology -pertains to the subsurface water or aquifer.

 The structure of the subsoil affects the rate of flow (lateral) of the aquifer called
transmissivity; soil texture affects the permeability (vertical flow) or recharge.
 Factors affecting recharge are: rainfall intensity, slope of land, porosity of rock
formation, permeability of rock formation, nature of rock strata, presence of
vegetation and atmospheric humidity
 Far Eastern University JANUARY 2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
______________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 7: Structures of an Aquifer (Serote, 2004)

 Soil Erosion - is the searing away of land surface by running water, wind, ice and other
geologic agents and by physical processes like gravity. Soil erosion by water is measured
by the universal soil-loss equation:
A = RKLSCP
where A computed soil loss per unit area which is a product of the following
factors:
R- rainfall erosivity
K -soil erodibility
L -slope length
S -slope gradient
C- crop management (or vegetative cover)
P- erosion-control practice
 The degree of soil erosion is high when rainfall intensity is high, slope is long, and where
vegetative cover is less, and no erosion control practices such as contour tilling, terracing,
and the like are in place.

o Hydrology
 Water circulates in the environment through precipitation, overland flow, infiltration,
storage, and evapotranspiration
 construction of buildings and paved surfaces that are impervious or nearly impervious can
substantially increase the risks of flooding, erosion, and other ecological impacts
 Far Eastern University JANUARY 2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
______________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 8: Impervious surfaces in a watershed potentially increase stormwater runoff and reduce soil infiltration and groundwater
recharge. Source: Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group.(LaGro, 2013)

 CLIMATE AND MICROCLIMATE

o Macro-climate
 refers to the meteorological conditions and patterns over a large or regional area.
 affected by physical conditions such as mountains,ocean currents, prevailing winds, and
latitude.
 affects the formation of the physiographic region.
o Micro-climate
 refers to the meteorological conditions found within small spaces or local areas
o A site’s expected climatic and microclimatic conditions can influence various site-planning and
design decisions, including the following:
 Building orientation and façade design
 Siting and design of vehicular and pedestrian circulation systems
 Selection and placement of plant materials
 Design of the stormwater management infrastructure

 NATURAL HAZARDS
o Natural hazards include atmospheric, hydrologic, geologic, and wildfire events that, because of their
location, severity, and frequency, have the potential to adversely impact humans, their structures, or
their activities (Organization of American States, 1990).
 Far Eastern University JANUARY 2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
______________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 9: Selected physiographic factors to consider in siting buildings,infrastructure and land uses (LaGro, 2013)

 PLANTS
o Plant materials provide aesthetics as well as functional benefits in conserving energy, framing or
screening views, moderating noise, retarding erosion, and visually connecting a building to its site.
o Trees affect the immediate environment of a building in the following ways:
 Providing Shade, Attenuate Sound and Improve Air Quality
 Far Eastern University JANUARY 2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
______________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 10: Trees providing shades (Ching, 2008)

 Defining Space, Screening Views and Serving as Windbreak

Figure 11: Trees used for defining space, screening views and serving as windbreak (Ching, 2008)

 WILDFLIFE
o The most effective method for protecting species—whether or not they are endangered and
threatened—is to protect their natural habitats
o Conserving wildlife habitats within the built environment has benefits for metacommunities—local
communities of multiple interacting species: e.g. Birds also have significant aesthetic value for avid
bird watchers and casual observers alike.