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Assignment 1

The assignment for the Urban Design Studio course (ARC 402) focuses on a comprehensive site/contextual analysis of a designated area, emphasizing historical, physical, social, economic, environmental, infrastructure, and governance layers. Students are required to conduct desktop research, site visits, and use GIS software for documentation, with grading based on depth of analysis and presentation quality. Deliverables include multiple A-3 sheets and models, with a submission deadline of April 28, 2025.

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2 views

Assignment 1

The assignment for the Urban Design Studio course (ARC 402) focuses on a comprehensive site/contextual analysis of a designated area, emphasizing historical, physical, social, economic, environmental, infrastructure, and governance layers. Students are required to conduct desktop research, site visits, and use GIS software for documentation, with grading based on depth of analysis and presentation quality. Deliverables include multiple A-3 sheets and models, with a submission deadline of April 28, 2025.

Uploaded by

samar ahmad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Course Title: Urban Design Studio


Course Code: ARC 402

Assignment 1. Total Marks: 10

SITE/ CONTEXUAL ANALYSIS

A comprehensive site analysis requires an informed study of Historical and Existing


context considering all layers mentioned below

1. Historical / Cultural Layer

 Historical evolution and heritage sites


 Architectural styles and cultural identity
 Preservation status and regulations
 Intangible cultural aspects
 Character: Historical /modern/contemporary/mixed

2. Physical / Spatial Layer

 Land use and zoning patterns


 Built environment (buildings, infrastructure, streets)
 Topography and natural features
 Density and scale of development
 Open spaces & landscape
 Treatment of edges and borders
 Landscape islands
 Integration of planting scheme into the overall proposal.
 Screening garbage and loading areas.
 Networks
 A hierarchy of Networks.
 Vehicular and pedestrian networks.
 Accessibility (roads, pedestrian paths, transit routes)
 Easy navigation (e.g. public transit, walking, cycling, etc.).
 Signage
 Site Circulation
 Efficient circulation in or around the site
 A hierarchy of primary, secondary and tertiary routes.
 Pedestrian walkways for the users to traverse the site with ease and
safely.
 Universal design elements
 Emergency access routes.
 Parking
 Parking to meet and/or exceed current requirements for standard
parking, barrier free parking, loading and un loading , and bicycle
spaces.
 Appropriate buffers and landscape screening.
 Pedestrian routes to, from and through parking areas.
 Form & visual quality
 The massing and height of buildings adjacent to and opposite one
another.
 Corner buildings treatments
 Variation of building heights and architectural elements and its
impact of the urban form.
 Building facades

3. Social Layer

 Demographics (age, ethnicity, income, education)


 Community interactions and social networks
 Social equity and inclusiveness
 Pedestrian realm
 landmarks, edges, nodes
 streetscapes
 Scale gathering spaces
 Signature spaces
 Interactive artistic experiences – urban art
 Bus stops/ shuttle services
 Addressed needs of families with children and disabled
 Barrier-free space

 Safety & Security


 Building entrances visible and accessible.
 Pedestrian access and visible sight lines.
 Adequate lighting for day time (natural) and night time (electrical).
 Unobstructed fire and emergency routes..
 Safety from high-speed vehicles
 Safety measures for all modes of transportation.

 Compatible Design
 Pedestrian and vehicular linkages should be designed in integration
not conflict.
 Human-scale development, internally and externally
 A sense of ease to navigate to the site from other parts of the city,
from the site towards the other parts of the city and through the site.
 Landscape features

4. Economic Layer

 Economic activities and employment opportunities


 Commercial hubs and markets
 Property values and rents
 Investment and development trends
 Informal economic activities

5. Environmental Layer

 Air and water quality


 Vegetation and biodiversity
 Urban heat island effects
 Waste management and pollution sources
 Sustainability initiatives

6. Infrastructure and Services Layer

 Utilities (water, electricity, sewage)


 Public services (schools, healthcare, emergency services)
 Communication networks
 Resilience to disasters or climate change
 Building typologies
 Amenities
 Utility Supplies; electricity, drainage

7. Governance and Policy Layer

 Planning regulations and zoning laws


 Governance structures and stakeholders
 Urban policies affecting the site
 Community participation and civic engagement

Moreover, the followings must be taken into consideration


1. Comprehensive descriptions of site features and views supported by
photographic images and sketches
2. the bylaws and zoning
3. Activity mapping, understanding the existing activities, time specific and
others, peak hours on and around the site
4. Solar studies, the possible orientations of the building, and open spaces.
5. Awareness of the local, situational context: built, socio-economic, and
cultural leading to inform a meaningful design.
6. Factual details about the environment, the climate, the character
7. On-scale documentation of contours/water bodies if any on the site through
sections /sketches /photographs.
8. Decisions about the catchment areas and the outreach of the proposed
activity, how strong a magnet it is?, and will its impact /pull be at the
neighborhood, city, regional, national, or international level?

METHOD

The class is divided into 7 groups. Each group critically analyzes the given site (almost
patch of 1 kilometer of Park Road, Chak shahzad

The evidence-based analysis includes the 3 phases of research

1. Desktop research

2. Multiple Site visits

3. Using ARC GIS and other software for meticulous and real-time documentation

GRADING CRITERIA
 Depth of Site analysis (20%)
 Detailed analysis of context covering all the aspects mentioned above (50%)
 Less verbose and more visual in the form of photographs and sketches (10%)
 Concise yet comprehensive presentation (10%)
 Clarity and depth of insights in the conclusion (10%)

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. This assignment will ensure that students have adequate knowledge of multiple
Urban layers.
2. How multiple layers are interconnected and important to make an informed
decision
3. In-depth appreciation of site and surroundings at macro and micro level

DELIVERABLE
 Multiple A-3 sheets
 Mixed media (manual/digital)
 Block Models
 Participation of all group members is mandatory

Submission is due on or before April 28, 2025, at 08:30 am.

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