P AR AM E T E R S OF SI T E

SEL E CT IO N A N D A NA LY S I S
CHOOSING A SITE ON WHICH TO LOCATE A NEW
HOME IS NOT A SIMPLE TASK. COUNTLESS
FACTORS – NATURAL, MAN-MADE, SOCIAL AND
ECONOMIC – MUST BE EXAMINED. WHERE WE
CHOOSE TO BUILD AND HOW WE BUILD ON A
SITE HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE LOCAL AND
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTS, ONGOING COSTS
(UTILITY BILLS, MAINTENANCE) AND OUR
PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING.
WITH TODAY’S RAPID GROWTH, DWINDLING
RESOURCES AND INCREASING POLLUTION
THREATS, CONCERN FOR HUMAN AND
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ARE CAUSING US TO
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR BUILDING
PRACTICES, STARTING WITH THE BUILDING
SITE.
WHETHER SELECTING A SITE OR WORKING WITH
AN EXISTING SITE, AND WHETHER THE SITE IS
URBAN, SUBURBAN OR RURAL, THERE ARE MANY
ASPECTS THAT CAN BE EXAMINED WITH
RESPECT TO HOW “GREEN”, THAT IS HOW
HEALTHY FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET, THE
HOME ON THAT SITE CAN POTENTIALLY BE.
SITE ANALYSIS FOR CONSTRUCTION
•SITE ANALYSIS IS VERY IMPORTANT BEFORE WE INITIATE
OUR CONSTRUCTION. DETAILED STUDY OF SITE AND ITS
SURROUNDINGS WILL HELP JUSTIFY OUR DESIGN
PROPOSAL. DETAILED STUDY OF THE SITE AND
SURROUNDING AREAS OF THE SITE HELPS IN DESIGNING
THE PROJECT EFFICIENTLY.
1. LOCATION
•SELECTING A BUILDING SITE CLOSE TO WORK,
SCHOOLS, SHOPPING, ETC. WILL MINIMIZE TRAVEL
DISTANCES AND TIME. SHORT DISTANCES,
SIDEWALKS, BIKE PATHS AND BUS STOPS WILL
ALLOW FOR HEALTHIER MODES OF
TRANSPORTATION AND THE AVOIDANCE OF
EXCESSIVE COSTLY, POLLUTING AUTOMOBILE TRIPS.
•AVOIDING ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE
AREAS HELPS PROTECT SOME OF THE FEATURES
THAT MAKES MANY AREAS SO SPECIAL – OUR
CREEKS, LAKES, AQUIFER, TREE-COVERED HILLS,
WILDLIFE, NATIVE WILDFLOWERS & PLANTS.
•FLAT TO MODERATELY SLOPED SITES ARE
PREFERABLE TO STEEPLY SLOPED LOTS, AS SOIL
EROSION, LOSS OF HILLSIDE VEGETATION AND
DAMAGE TO WATERWAYS ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO
AVOID WHEN BUILDING ON STEEP SLOPES.
 2. DESIGN FOR THE
CLIMATE, FLORA, FAUNA
& SOILS
•THE CHOSEN BUILDING SITE CAN GREATLY AFFECT THE
COMFORT AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE HOME
BUILT UPON IT. A SOUTH-FACING SLOPE OR GOOD
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE ON A LOT WHICH ALLOWS FOR
THE LONG SIDES OF THE BUILDING TO FACE NORTH AND
SOUTH WILL FACILITATE THE UTILIZATION OF OUR
PREVAILING SUMMER BREEZES AND DESIRABLE
WINTER SOLAR HEAT GAIN.
•EXAMINATION OF A PARTICULAR SITE’S UNIQUE
CHARACTERISTICS IS IMPORTANT. THE TOP OF A HILL MAY
BE TOO WINDY, DRYING AND EXPOSED TO THE HOT SUN. A
VALLEY MAY BE TOO DAMP, WINDLESS, FOGGY OR SUBJECT
TO FLOODING. LOCATION AND TYPE OF TREES SHOULD BE
EVALUATED FOR SUMMER SHADING ASSISTANCE, SUMMER
BREEZE CHANNELING OR BLOCKING, WINTER WIND
BLOCKING, AND WINTER SOLAR HEAT GAIN PENETRATION.
•A LOT THAT ALLOWS FOR PLACEMENT OF THE HOUSE
ON A RELATIVELY FLAT AREA AND IN A NATURAL
CLEARING WILL MINIMIZE DISRUPTION OF THE
NATURAL VEGETATION. THIS WILL AVOID EROSION,
DISCOURAGE GROWTH OF INVASIVE EXOTIC
VEGETATION, AND BE LESS EXPENSIVE THAN
MASSIVE RECONSTRUCTION.
•MINIMIZING DISRUPTION OF NATURAL DRAINAGE
PATTERNS IS GENERALLY LESS EXPENSIVE UP FRONT
AND AVOIDS COSTLY MAINTENANCE OF ELABORATE
CONSTRUCTED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS. WHEN NATIVE
TREES AND VEGETATION MUST BE REMOVED, THEY CAN
OFTEN BE REPLANTED ELSEWHERE ON OR OFF THE SITE.
RESPECTING EXISTING WILDLIFE TRAILS AND HABITAT
WILL ENHANCE WILDLIFE OBSERVATION ENJOYMENT.
3. MINIMIZATION OF
RAW MATERIALS
•ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO MINIMIZE THE USE OF RAW
MATERIALS IS TO SELECT A SITE THAT ALREADY HAS A
HOME ON IT, AND REMODEL AS NECESSARY. AT TIMES IT
MAKES SENSE TO MOVE AN EXISTING HOME TO A NEW SITE.
SOME SITES MAY OFFER SOURCES OF USABLE BUILDING
MATERIALS SUCH AS WOOD, STONE, CLAY AND SAND
WHICH, IF CAREFULLY AND THOUGHTFULLY CONSIDERED,
CAN BE A SOUND ALTERNATIVE TO IMPORTATION.
•ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT (AND
COST) OF BUILDING MATERIALS REQUIRED IS TO KEEP
THE SIZE OF THE HOME REASONABLE. WITH THOUGHTFUL
DESIGN A SMALL HOME CAN BE VERY COMFORTABLE,
FUNCTIONAL AND RESPECTFUL OF PRIVACY. SMALLER,
MORE AFFORDABLE LOTS SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED.
 4. SOCIAL/
PSYCHOLOGICAL/
FUNCTIONAL
•MAXIMUM USE OF PATIOS, DECKS, NATURAL CLEARINGS,
OR OTHER OUTDOOR ROOMS CAN RESULT IN THE NEED
FOR LESS INDOOR SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE
CONSTRUCTED THEN HEATED AND COOLED, NOT TO
MENTION THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS
OF BEING OUTDOORS.
•A PROSPECTIVE BUILDING SITE SHOULD BE EXAMINED
FOR EXISTING TREE GROUPINGS, LANDFORMS OR
STRUCTURES THAT WILL AID IN CREATING PLEASANT,
USABLE OUTDOOR SPACES. OFF SITE CONDITIONS WHICH
MAY AFFECT OUTDOOR LIVABILITY OR INDOOR LIVING
WITH OPEN WINDOWS (SUCH AS TRAFFIC NOISE, ODORS
OR POLLUTION) SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BEFORE
SELECTING A SITE.
•MANY SITE SELECTION AND HOME DESIGN DECISIONS THAT
ARE GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT ALSO HAVE DIRECT
POSITIVE BENEFITS ON THE OCCUPANTS’ HEALTH, WELL-
BEING AND BUDGET. HELPING TO PRESERVE OUR
ENVIRONMENT THROUGH MORE THOUGHTFUL SITE
SELECTION AND HOME DESIGN IS ONE VERY IMPORTANT
STEP TOWARD A CONTINUED HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE.
5. CLIMATOLOGY FACTOR
CLIMATE CAN BE SUBDIVIDED INTO TWO MAJOR DIVISIONS:

•MICRO CLIMATE
•MACRO CLIMATE
•WE HAVE TO STUDY THE MICRO CLIMATE AND MACRO
CLIMATE OF THE PLACE IN ORDER TO DESIGN A BIO-
CLIMATIC STRUCTURE. WE HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED
BIO-CLIMATIC ARCHITECTURE. YOU MUST GIVE A READ
BEFORE ADVANCING FURTHER. IT WILL GIVE YOU A CLEAR
IDEA OF THE BIO CLIMATIC ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED
WHILE DESIGNING.
•MICRO CLIMATE- THE CLIMATE OF A VERY
SMALL OR RESTRICTED AREA, ESPECIALLY
WHEN THIS DIFFERS FROM THE CLIMATE OF THE
SURROUNDING AREA.
•MACRO CLIMATE- THE OVERALL CLIMATE OF A
REGION USUALLY A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC AREA