03 - Ar161 Ecological Considerations

03 – Site Analysis
Ecological Considerations
AR161 – Planning 1
ARCH. CERVANTES
Site Analysis - Ecological Considerations
WHAT IS ECOLOGY?
noun
1. the branch of biology that deals with the
relations of organisms to one another and to their
physical surroundings.
2. the political movement that seeks to protect the
environment, especially from pollution.
SITE ANALYSIS involves the study of the site in terms of the
following :
Natural factors :
1. Geology
2. Geomorphology – physiographic form, landforms,
soils, drainage, topography and slopes, and soil erosion
3. Hydrology – surface and ground water
4. Vegetation – plant ecology
5. Wildlife – habitats
6. Climate – solar orientation, wind, and humidity.
Geology
Igneous Rocks –
rocks produced by
crystallization from
a liquid.
Geology
Sedimentary Rocks – when
igneous rocks are exposed
to surface and weathering
reduces them to particles,
these particles are moved
by erosional process and
deposited in layers into
rivers and oceans .
Geology
Metamorphosed Rocks –
when sedimentary rocks
are pushed to deeper
levels of the earth, they
transform into
metamorphosed rocks due
to changes in pressure and
temperature.
Geomorphology
-is that branch of Geology that deals with the origin,
nature and distribution of landforms.
Physiography – refers to the description of landforms.

Landforms – are irregularities on the earth’s surface. They
are derived from volcanic, glacial, or erosional processes.
Geomorphology
• When designing a piece of property for
architectural, landscape architectural and
engineering usage, it is essential for the designer to
first confront the nature of the land, particularly its
form, its slopes, and its inherent capabilities for
surface and subsurface discharge of water, for
supporting vertical and horizontal structures, and for
resisting erosion.
Geomorphology
•This exercise requires four basic geomorphologic
information such as:
–Soil Properties – Composition and Soil Texture
–Drainage
–Topography and Slopes
–Soil Erosion
Geomorphology
Geomorphology
•In site planning, it is important to establish the
relationship between soil composition and land uses
(other than agriculture).
•Soil surveys help guide in site selection for
residential, industrial, and other forms of
development that involve surface and subsurface
structures.
Geomorphology
•Several features, or properties, are used to describe
soil for use in site design. Of these ---
1. COMPOSITION
2. TEXTURE
are generally the most meaningful; from them we
can make inferences about bearing capacity, internal
drainage, erodibility, and slope stability.
Geomorphology
•SOIL PROPERTIES
1. COMPOSITION refers to the material that makes up
soil:
–mineral particles,
–organic matter,
–water, and
–air.
Geomorphology - Composition
•MINERAL PARTICLES
–Mineral Particles comprise 50% to 80% of the volume of
the soil and form the all important skeletal structure of
the soil.
–Sand and gravel particles provide for the greatest
stability, usually yield a relatively high bearing capacity.
–Bearing capacity - is a soil’s resistance to penetration
from a weighted object such as a building foundation.
Site Analysis - Ecological Consideratio
Geomorphology –
Composition
•ORGANIC MATTER
–varies radically in soils and usually imposes a limitation
to any building structure. Organic matter is important
only for soil fertility, moisture absorption and retention
and for landscaping.
•WATER
–content varies with particle sizes, local drainage,
topography and climate. Most water occupies the spaces
between particles; only in organic soils do the particles
themselves actually absorb measurable amounts of
water.
•AIR
– is what occupies remaining space that is not occupied
by water. In layers where groundwater is formed by
gravity water in the subsoil and underlying rock, there is
absence of air.
Geomorphology – Texture
TEXTURE - is the term used to describe the
composite sizes of particles in a soil sample.
There are 12 basic terms for texture, at the center of
which is Class LOAM, Sand Loam Clay which is an
intermediate mixture of 40% sand, 40% silt and 20%
clay.
Geomorphology
Geomorphology - Texture
Geomorphology - Texture
Geomorphology – Texture
Geomorphology – Drainage
•GOOD DRAINAGE refers to the soil’s ability to transfer gravity
water downward through:
1. Infiltration - the rate at which water penetrates the soil surface
(usually measured in cm or inches per hour)
2. Permeability - the rate at which water within the soil moves
through a given volume of material (also measured in cm or
inches per hour)
3. Percolation - the rate at which water in a soil pit or pipe within
the soil is taken up by the soil (used mainly in wastewater
absorption tests and measured in inches per hour)
Geomorphology – Drainage
•POOR DRAINAGE - means that gravity water is not
readily transmitted by the soil and soil is frequently or
permanently saturated and may have water standing on
it caused by :
1. The local accumulation of water.
2. A rise in the level of groundwater within the soil column.
3. The size of the particles in the soil being too small to
transmit infiltration water.
Geomorphology – Topography and Slopes
•SLOPE ANALYSIS
– Understanding slope forms for site design requires
understanding of local geologic, soil, hydrologic, and vegetative
conditions.
•SLOPE FORM
– is expressed graphically in terms of a slope profile, a
silhouette of a slope drawn to known proportions with distance
on the horizontal axis and elevation on the vertical axis.
•FOUR BASIC SLOPE FORMS
(that are detectable on contour maps)
•TOPOGRAPHIC MAP
–a map of a portion of the earth that describes the shape
of the earth’s surface by contour lines.
Contours
Imaginary lines that join points of equal elevation on the surface
of the land above or below a reference surface such as the mean
sea level. Contours make it possible to measure the height of
mountains, depth of the ocean bottoms, and steepness of slopes .
•TOPOGRAPHIC MAP
Contour Patterns
UNIFORM SLOPE - these are indicated by parallel
contours which are evenly spaced.
CONVEX SLOPE – shown by parallel contours
spaced at increasingly intervals going
uphill. The closer the contours are at the
lower elevations.
•TOPOGRAPHIC MAP
Contour Patterns
CONCAVE SLOPE - shown by parallel contours
spaced at decreasing intervals going
uphill. The closer the contours are at the
higher elevations.
VALLEYS – are indicated by contours which point
uphill.
•TOPOGRAPHIC MAP
Contour Patterns
RIDGES - are indicated by contours which point
downhill.
SUMMITS – are represented by concentric closed
contours. For both forms, spot elevations
should be included at the highest or lowest
point.
•TOPOGRAPHIC MAP
•SLOPE ANALYSIS
–is an important analytical process made on a topographic
map that makes a proper match between land uses and
slopes and produces an overall pattern of slopes which
helps the site planner in determining the buildable
portions of the site.
•SLOPE ANALYSIS
The process involves breaking down of topography into grades which will
establish the desired patterns for a given land use as in the following example:
Geomorphology – Topo &
DESIRABLE SLOPES
Geomorphology – Erosion
•SOIL EROSION
– When rocks are broken down (weathered) into small
fragments, and carried by wind, water, ice and gravity.
Energy for this process is solar and gravitational
•SOIL EROSION
–PREVENTION : Four factors to consider in forecasting erosion rates:
•SOIL EROSION - PREVENTION
– Vegetation
•Foliage intercepts raindrops
•Organic litter on the ground reduces impact of raindrops
•Roots bind together aggregates of soil particles
•Cover density, deceases soil loss to runoff
– Soil Type
•Intermediate textures like sand will usually yield (erode) first.
•To erode clay, the velocity of the runoff should be high enough to
overcome cohesive forces that bind the particles together.
•Similarly, high velocities would be needed to move masses of
pebbles and particles larger than those of sand.
– Slope Size and Inclination
•The velocity of runoff is closely related to the slope of the
ground over which it flows. Slopes that are both steep and long
produce the greatest erosion because they generate runoff that is
high in velocity and mass.
•Slope also influences the quantity of runoff since long slopes
collect more rainfall and thus generate a larger volume of runoff.
– Frequency and Intensity of Rainfall
• Intensive rainfalls produced by thunderstorms promote the
highest rates of erosion.
• Accordingly, the incidence of storms plus total annual rainfall
can be a reliable measure of the effectiveness of rainfall in
promoting soil erosion..
Hydrology
– HYDROLOGY – the natural science that studies the
Waters of the Earth, their occurrence, circulation and
distribution, their chemical and physical properties, and
their reaction to the living environment including their
relation to all living things.
•Hydrologic cycle – or the planet’s water cycle, described by the
movement of water from the oceans to the atmosphere to the
continents and back to the sea .
Hydrology
Hydrology
Hydrology
Hydrology
Vegetation
– The relevance of Plant Materials in site planning is in
their role in :
1. Climatic control
2. Environmental Engineering
3. Architectural and Aesthetic Uses
Vegetation – Climatic Control
Control
– Solar Radiation
•Earth’s source of light and heat.
•It warms the earth’s surface, is reflected by paving and
other objects, and produces glare.
•Trees are one of the best controls for solar radiation
because:
–They block or filter sunlight;
–They cool the air under their canopies providing natural air
conditioning
Control
– Wind
•helps to control temperature.
•When winds are of low velocity, they may be pleasant,
but when velocity increases, may cause discomfort or
damage.
•Trees help to buffer winds in urban areas caused by
convection and Venturi effects.
Control
– Precipitation
•Plants help to control precipitation reaching the
ground.
•By intercepting rain and slowing it down, they aid in
moisture retention, and in the prevention of soil
erosion.
•They also help soil retain water by providing shade, or
protection from the wind, or by water shedding function
of trees’ roots.
Vegetation – Environmental Engineering
– Air Purification
•Plants clean air through the process of photosynthesis
where they use up carbon dioxide emissions of cars and
trucks and in the process release oxygen into the air.
•Trees also help filter out other pollutants, i.e. sulfur
dioxide, dust, pollen, and smoke.
– Noise
•To understand noise: The sound level of normal
conversation is about 60 decibels; a plane taking off
produces 120 decibels at a distance of 200 ft.
•Sound energy usually spreads out and dissipates in
transmission.
•Sound waves can be absorbed, reflected or deflected.
– Noise
•Plants absorb sound waves through their leaves,
branches, twigs, especially those with thick fleshy leaves
and thin petioles.
•Tree trunks deflect sounds and it has been estimated
that a 100 ft. depth of forest can reduce sound by 21
decibels.
– Glare and Reflection
•Plants reduce glare and reflection caused by sunlight.
•A light source received directly produces primary glare
while reflected light is secondary glare.
•Plants may be used to filter or block glare by use of
plants with the appropriate size, shape, and foliage
density.
– Erosion Control
•Plants are a primary means of preventing erosion from
stormwater runoff and of controlling erosion during
construction.
•Erosion is also minimized by the plants action of
intercepting rain, decreasing splash, and increased
water absorption.
Vegetation – Architectural and Aesthetic Use
– Space Definition
•Plants can help in several ways: as wall elements to form outdoor
spaces, as canopies to provide shade, or as ground covers to
provide color and texture on the base plane.
Vegetation – Architectural and Aesthetic Use
– View Control
• While trees and shrubs can screen out objectionable views,
they can also provide backdrops for sculpture and fountains.
• Additionally, they may provide filtered views of buildings or
spaces, or frame a view, maximizing its effect.
–Mood
• Plants affects peoples’ moods.
Wildlife
– relates closely to habitats provided by plant communities.
–The three groups of habitat elements essential to the different
species of wildlife are:
1. Openland Wildlife – includes birds and mammals commonly
associated with crop fields, meadows, pastures, and non-forested
lands. Habitat elements essential for openland wildlife include:
a. Grain and seed crops
b. Grasses and legumes
c. Wild herbaceous upland plants
d. Hardwood woody plants
Wildlife
2. Woodland Wildlife – These species need various
combinations of:
a. Grasses and legumes
b. Wild herbaceous upland plants
c. Hardwood woody plants
d. Cone-bearing shrubs such as pines.
Wildlife
3. Wetland Wildlife – wetland species include birds and
mammals needing habitats with:
a. Wetland food plants or wild herbaceous plants of moist to
wet sites, excluding submerged or floating aquatic plants;
b. Shallow water development with water impoundments not
deeper than 5 ft.;
c. Excavated ponds with ample supply of water at least one
acre and average 6ft depth.
d. streams.
Climate
–Climates can be generally classified into four types: COLD
COLD,
TEMPERATE, HOT ARID and HOT HUMID.
TEMPERATE HUMID
–In each, a site should be investigated in terms of:
•a. Solar orientation for buildings;
•b. The best facing slopes; and
•c. Wind flows for breezes.
Climate
Climate
Climate
Climate
Natural Factor
–SITE PLANNING CONCEPT USING NATURAL FACTORS:
•PASSIVE COOLING – the technology of cooling spaces through
proper sitting of structure and use of energy-efficient materials,
with the overall objective of energy conservation.
• Solar Orientation
• Altitude
• Topography
• Vegetation
• Water Bodies
• REPORT (Group)
– Compare three existing plazas that you think offers the
best solution to your problem.
– One local and Two International examples
– Submit printed documents in short bond, grey sliding
folder
– This is in relation to your redevelopment of a plaza.
– Due: February 01, 2018

03 - Ar161 Ecological Considerations

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03 – Site Analysis

Physiography – refers to the description of landforms.

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