DESIGN 6 DISCUSSION

SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN, GREEN ARCHITECTURE

& SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

SITE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

1. Dimensioned plan drawn to scale that indicates details of the proposed land
development, including the site layout, positioning of buildings and structures,
property access, building designs and landscaping
2. Plan which reflects full details of the intended development, including the relative
location of existing buildings and structures, the location of engineering services,
access to the land, parking, existing developments and features that will/must be
retained, areas for landscaping, and any other required information or details as
may be determined by a municipality and as may be defined in a Town-planning
Scheme or Land Use Scheme

Purpose of Site Development Planning

Illustrate the intended design, arrangement and uses of the land to be improved.
Second, they describe the proposal's physical, social and economic effects on
the community. The plans may be in either or both narrative and graphic form, as
appropriate.

Importance of Site Development Planning

The site plan serves as a common operating picture and project roadmap for the
development team. Capturing all major earthwork, site engineering, and construction
elements on a single plan helps keep the efforts of the engineers, architects, general
contractors, and developers aligned.
It also is a critical tool to help with project budgeting. As a site is laid out graphically,
engineering and construction requirements are identified, enabling a developer to
better predict and plan for costs ahead of time.

Things you must include in Site development Planning

1. Property Lines and Setbacks

 The infrastructure and buildings in your immediate vicinity have a significant
impact on your design. Make sure your strategy includes all of those
measurements. What happens surrounding the property determines issues like
zoning, building height, and fire concerns.

You cannot encroach on a neighbouring property owner’s property, which is why

property lines must be included in your development site plan. Property lines are
marked around the perimeter of the property.

2. Distance Between Buildings and Property Lines

Understanding your site goes beyond staying inside your own property lines.
Surrounding infrastructure and buildings play an important role in shaping your
design. Make sure to include all those dimensions on your plan because issues
like the following are determined by what goes on around the site:

• Building height
• Zoning
• Building usage
• Fire hazards

3. Existing and Proposed Conditions

Fence lines, utility lines, and electricity lines must all be depicted on your site
design. It also informs you if other city officials, such as inspectors, are required
to be present during the construction of your project.

Proposed adjustments must be included in order for plans to be approved and

permissions to be obtained. For other sorts of plot designs, depicting
modifications to the land is typical for marketing, money raising, and informing
individuals who may be impacted by the changes. 

In addition, the plot layout should incorporate wells, septic tanks, drain fields,
swimming pools, retaining walls, patios, decks, and other permanent
improvements.

4. Easements

The feature of a property that is shared by someone else for a specific purpose is
an easement. Easements come in a variety of forms, but they all allow others to
access or utilize the property. Utility easements are extremely prevalent. They
permit utility companies to construct, maintain, and repair utilities on the land.
 There are also easement setbacks, which are the distances required from
easements for buildings and other developments. Infringing on an easement can
have substantial legal and financial ramifications. Indicate the precise location
and dimensions of any easement.

5. Construction Limits and Lay Down Areas

This document describes the areas of the property where construction is taking
place. It will also show the locations near the construction site where construction
materials and equipment will be housed.

6. Existing Structures

The footprints of commercial buildings, homes, garages and other structures

demonstrate current use as well as whether or not there is room for expansion.

When applying for permits, some municipalities ask you to include distances
between structures as well as distances to surrounding streets and property
boundaries.

7. Parking Areas, Driveways, and Walkways

When evaluating commercial project designs, municipal officials want to know if

there is enough parking for the land or the building’s intended purpose. The
parking area size and the number of parking spaces should be given.
Understand the local codes so that the parking lot you propose complies with
them.

Because of the high amount of runoff produced by neighbouring waterways,

drain fields, agricultural land, and wetlands, officials must additionally assess a
planned parking space.

Parking lots, roads, and pathways, when depicted for educational reasons, show
visitors where to park and how to get to the building.

8. Nearby Street Names/Ground Signs

When featured on real estate and other marketing plans, street names assist
potential customers or buyers in locating the property and determining the
location’s desirability. It is critical to understand how traffic moves through and
around your website. It will demonstrate the impact your building will have on on-
site traffic. Therefore, street names with stop signs, traffic lights, and highway
signage must be used for zoning, building, and development plans.
 9. Fire Hydrants

Access to the location is critical for occupants as well as emergency responders.

Fire hydrants must be included on the development site plan when you submit it
to the city for new construction.

10. Permanent Bodies of Water

Shorelines, ponds, rivers, and wetlands define a property and influence how it
can be developed — if it can be developed at all.

11. Landscape Features

When promoting a home, depicting green zones, woodland regions, and other
landscape characteristics makes it more appealing.

Local officials may analyse how a proposed development or change to a property

would affect the natural surroundings. This is frequent in locations with
tight landscapes or natural area rules.

Landscaping, both existing and projected, as well as erosion and runoff

measures, should be considered. A good site plan will include both the
measurement and the sort of landscape element.

12. Potential Hazards

Underground storage tanks and pipelines are among the dangers. The
notification of these and related hazards is required in the majority of
municipalities.

GREEN ARCHITECTURE

Green building, also called sustainable building or green construction, is the concept
of creating structures and processes that are environmentally responsible and
resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle from siting to design, construction,
operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction.

Its main goals are to preserve resources like raw materials, energy and water, fight
 against global warming (greenhouse gases emission), minimize waste and other
pollutions, and maximize the whole life-cycle performance. Sustainable building also
aims to bring comfort and health to occupants by the use of materials of high sanitary
and environmental quality, both for the actual construction and for the insulation.

Fundamental Principle are linked to Green Building

• Minimize resource consumption (energy and water efficiency)

• Maximize resource reuse
• Use renewable or recyclable resources
• Protect the natural environment
• Create a healthy, non-toxic environment

Green Technologies Buildings

The philosophy of sustainable architecture is embodied in various practices that aim

to reduce the negative impact of a building on its environment and to take care of the
quality of life of users and neighboring communities.

Its implementation is manifested by a set of choices of techniques, management

methods, materials and the internal organization of functions and spaces, in order to
control the energy consumption and the living environment of users.

Sustainable construction technologies used in green construction include

• Biodegradable materials
• Solar power for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)
• Green insulation and lighting, smart appliances, cool roofs
• Sustainable resource sourcing
• Low-energy house and zero-energy building design
• Water efficiency technologies
• Electrochromic smart glass
• Self-powered buildings

Green Architecture Benefits

Sustainable construction aims at reaching a high level of performance in terms of the

environmental, economic and societal impacts of the concerned buildings:
 1. Environmental

As the priority is given to local, renewable, bio-sourced and recyclable

materials, and the design is based on the use of renewable energies
(geothermal, aerothermal, solar, wood) and the preservation of resources
(energy and water efficiency, better insulation), the first advantage of
sustainable building is the protection of the environment.

2. Economic

According to a World Green Building Council report, savings in a sustainable

building can be very significant: from 25 to 35% energy savings, and up to
39% water savings compared to a conventional building. Besides, green
building boosts the real estate market and allows to reduce operating costs.

3. Social

Green buildings help improve the quality of life, by enhancing occupants’

health, well-being and comfort (thermal and acoustic insulation, better energy
and lighting management). Moreover, it minimizes strain on local infrastructure.

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

The World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainability as

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.

When applying this complex concept to architecture, it then refers to design that creates
healthy living environments while aiming to minimize negative environmental impacts,
energy consumption, and use of human resources.

Sustainable architecture is reflected in a building’s materials, construction methods,

resource use and design in general. The design must also facilitate sustainable
operation during the building life cycle, including its ultimate disposal. While it has to be
functional and aesthetically superior, the space has to be constructed with the mind-set
of achieving long-term energy and resource efficiency.

Sustainable architecture is also referred to as green architecture or environmental

architecture. It challenges architects to produce smart designs and use available
technologies to ensure that structures generate minimal harmful effects to the
ecosystem and the communities.

If you are not from the construction world, it may be difficult to get your head around this
concept so giving an over simplistic example at this stage may be necessary.

Imagine that there is a plot of land that you think is conveniently located for you to build
your house. The problem, however, is that there are 100 trees planted on it and that
these trees are the last of their kind. If sustainability is not a concern, what you’ll
probably do is cut down all the trees to clear the space and use all the lumber to build
your house – not caring if nobody else gets the chance to use the same kind of trees in
the future.

This is the opposite of sustainable architecture. Sustainable architecture means putting

environmental factors into consideration:
• Is there a nearby piece of land you can use instead?
• How can you use some of the wood from the trees without completely depleting
the entire plantation so others can also benefit?
• Could you perhaps still build your house in the space without cutting down all the
trees?

These are just some factors that should be considered when approaching the
sustainable concept in design and construction. Sustainable architecture needs to
recognize the existing natural resources and environmental conditions in the
construction site and how to incorporate these into the build.

Why is sustainable architecture important?

“Buildings and construction account for more than 35% of global final energy use and
nearly 40% of energy-related CO2 emissions.”

-UN Environment, Global Status Report 2017

While metropolises are continuously expanding, the Earth itself is not getting any
bigger. This growth has a huge impact to the environment because the process of
developing new habitats for our communities constantly requires a huge chunk of our
natural resources. The Earth is not an unlimited well that can replenish itself to match
the pace of modernization.

According to the UN Environment Global Status Report 2017, building and construction
account for more than 35% of global final energy use and for nearly 40% of energy-
related CO2 emissions. While these numbers are lower than those in 2010 due to a
higher awareness regarding sustainability, there’s still a long way to go.

Designing a building’s form and appearance can no longer be carried out in isolation.
Building services, fabric and controlled fittings are now all intrinsically linked. A delicate
balance now needs to be made between a building’s form, function and interactions with
its surrounding environment to be considered sustainable development.

In implementing sustainable architecture whether in new or old builds, there are

accompanying environmental, economic and social benefits.

Benefits of Sustainable Architecture

• Conservation and restoration of natural resources
• Reduction in energy consumption and waste
• Protection of ecosystems and environmental biodiversity
• Improvement of air and water quality
• Reduction in long-term costs and dependence on traditional energy sources
• Improvement in productivity of inhabitants
• Upgrade asset & property values
• Competitive advantage
• Improve the living conditions, health and comfort of inhabitants
• Improve air and water quality
• Minimize demand on local utility infrastructure

Characteristic of Sustainable Architecture

• Overall focus on reducing human impact on the environment

• Minimal wasteful, harmful energy consumption thanks to the use of renewable
energy sources, such as solar panels and natural heating, cooling, and
ventilation systems
• Buildings that produce at least as much energy as they consume for a net
zero effect
• Water conservation systems, such as rainwater collection and recycling gray
water
• Seamlessly blending and integrating architecture into the surrounding landscape
• Use of renewable materials, such as bamboo, hemp, cork, flax, and soy
• Replacement of conventional materials like concrete with sustainable
alternatives, such as hempcrete (made from hemp, lime, and water) or
conventional plastics with innovative bioplastics made from algae
• Use of recycled and upcycled materials
• Adaptable, modular spaces, many of which are made from natural materials that
can be easily broken down and repurposed or recycled
• Tiny houses, micro-apartments, and other small structures that help address the
appetite for more sustainable housing and use less land mass and energy
• Alternative housing solutions, such as homes and apartment buildings
constructed from recycled shipping containers as well as floating architecture on
waterways around the world that help address housing shortages in dense
coastal areas
• Incorporation of plants and nature via living walls, tree-covered residential
towers, and green roofs to help cool existing buildings and create
healthy biophilic environments for humans