INVENTORY

Any brief can be divided into

these main categories.

X
Multiple assistant softwares
can also tell you the effect
your design would have, were it
to be build.

Apart from your BIM SOFTWARES

LIKE REVIT, THERE ARE ALSO MANY
OTHERS THAT CAN indicate if the
thermal levels of the building
or the air quality inside it are
ideal.

Here are a few:

https://www.capterra.com/sustai
nability-software/
Sources – site analysis by
ed white
Site analysis by james a
lagro
Sources – site analysis by
ed white
Site analysis by james a
lagro
The Solar has multiple factors playing
into the design of your building. Starting
with :

the SUN PATH/SUN ORIENTATION – decides

the altitude and hence forth the angle
for the inlet of heat and light into the
site.

It also helps you decide various factors

towards your design; the orientation of
the building, the openings on your façade,
etc.

To help you with that, you can utilize the

following links:

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/ind
ia/nashik

http://suncalc.net/#/20.0045,73.7579,
18/2019.06.14/12:35
ANOTHER METHOD TO ASSIST YOUR INTIAL
DESIGN PHASES (WITH RESPECT TO MASSING,
ORIENTATION AND THE THE HEIGHTS OF THE
BUILDING, AND ALSO THE EFECT OF THAT
TOWARDS YOUR SITE) CAN BE ACHIEVED BY THE
USE OF THE 3D MODELLING SOFTWARE CALLED
SKETCHUP.

IT GIVES YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE SUN PATH

AT YOUR LATITUDE, ACROSS THE DAY, THROUGH
DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEARS (AN IN THE
LATER VERSIONS, ALSO FOR THE CITY AND TIME
ZONE YOUR SITE IS LOCATED IN).
Following The Solar radiation,
another important decision factor
is the wind.
The kinds of winds the site
experiences and the duration of it
across the seasons play an
important role as the structure you
design is constant, inspite of the
changing seasons and the weather it
influences.

It also helps you decide various

factors towards your design; the
orientation of the building, the
openings on your façade, etc.

To help you with finding the kinds

and direction of the wind in your
city/site:

https://www.windfinder.com/#3/20.55
05/71.8945
THE RAINFALL/SNOWFALL AND ITS FREQUENCY IN THE REGION YOUR
SITE IS LOCATED, HELPS YOU DECIDE IF IT IS A MAJOR FACTOR TO
INFLUENCE YOUR DESIGN.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE APPS FOR BOTH ANDROID AND IOS PHONES
THAT ASSIST YOU WITH THIS.

EG. https://www.rainviewer.com/
Sources – site analysis by
ed white
Site analysis by james a
lagro
THE NATURAL LAND CONTOURS OF YOUR
SITE TELLS A LOT ABOUT THE SITE ITSELF.
THE FORMATION OF THE CONTOURS, THE
HIGHEST AND LOWEST POINTS TO THE
SITE, ALL TELL about how disturbed or
not your site is.

To help you with the closest to exact

contours of your site:

https://cad-earth.com/
Levels w.r.t Valley and Surface View
sea lvl ridges water points
run-off
Road lvl Visible
areas
Slope direction Drainage
and gradient patterns
w.r.t road
Hydrology directly relates to topography

Land undulations and properties of site

will effect the water flow – which makes it
important to study.
Rate of Local
Waterbodies/ Ecological
runoff Impacts w.r.t
w.r.t site catchment
areas Formed site
w.r.t site
Increased Increased
flow and area of
Severity catchments
of floods w.r.t site
w.r.t site
Local Local
vegetation terrestrial,
w.r.t site riparian,
aquatic
environments
w.r.t site
Soil type Soil
and suitability
properties for
excavation
w.r.t site
Natural hazards –
if it falls under
earthquake prone
areas/landslides/
floodplains
Vegetation relates to the
local ecology of the area

Soil properties and water

flow plays an important role
to understand local
vegetation properties
Types of flora Location Function Size and To be
– fruit on the And condition retained
beading/crops site aesthetic or not
or others value And if retained – it
doesn’t need to be
isolated; can also
be integrated in
design)
Types of flora Location Function Size and To be
– fruit on the And condition retained
beading/crops site aesthetic or not
or others value And if retained – it
doesn’t need to be
isolated; can also
be integrated in
design)
Boundaries
Immediate
w.r.t immediate
land use
plots
Proximity Sizes and Passing
w.r.t site capacity through
the site
Can it be
If yes, what are Are they above integrated in
the laws related /below ground design
Existing Any important
Structures public bldg. or
within site transport
systems
Existing
Structures
within site
To be Laws, ease
retained of rights
or not related to
it if any
Open spaces/ Utilities
markets w.r.t and
site services
Service Main
areas/ access
parking lots w.r.t site
Types of Traffic User and Infrastructu
circulation – mapping activity re for
pedestrian/ mapping circulation –
vehicular Time volume footpaths/
Streets/
Road Cycle paths
patterns
Types of Traffic User and Infrastructu
circulation – mapping activity re for
pedestrian/ mapping circulation –
vehicular Time volume footpaths/
Streets/
Road Cycle paths
patterns
Land use as
per Zoning
regulations
and building
authorities
Setbacks AS PER
TYPOLOGY AND
THE REGULATING
CONTROL BODIES
Check far and fsi consumed by the
architect for the given plot

Far – ratio of Fsi – ratio of total

building’s total floor built area to total
area to total area of area of site
site
(This gives an
indication to the
height achieved.)
Dp – zoning Bye laws for Ratio of
regulations the type of built to site
the bldg. area
Parking and
driveway req.
as per the
type of bldg.
ZONING
REGULATIONS
AND LAND USE
LAWS IS
DIRECTLY
Land use and
building types
around –
residential,
commercial,
industrial etc.
Land use intensity –
Shading/ Noise Views Easement
dense/scarce – can
solar access levels and rights
be determined
vistas
through height, no
of stories, amount
of traffic and
activity around
Easement
rights
THESE ARE BASIC RIGHTS THAT EACH
OF US HAVE OVER ANOTHER LAND
LIKE RIGHT OF WAY, RIGHT OF SOLAR
ACCESS ETC

Access Utility Solar

If your adjoining site is Provide physical access Protect solar

not connected directly to to install, replace, and access to
the road and is maintain adjacent
accessible via your site, utility system property
you have to provide that infrastructure, such as
space. power lines or
underground piping.
Height and Proportion of Materials and Roof form Building
width openings and colours age and
their details importance

Architectural character is
not just style or defined
from an era. One can
understand it by observing
different aspects
Important bldg. Walkways/nodes/ Any important
or landmark intersections activity that it
nearby that are famous? has generated?

These define the activities

that you would see around
that place and if they are
older, how public spaces
have been treated
Any important Any particular Any native vegetation
cultural activity natural feature that needs be
that has been kept nearby which has preserved or bought
intact? been preserved? back?
(Or if not, has been
generated by the
building)
What are the views
outside and within
the site

Were they Were they very

retained or unique and
blocked out provided only to
some part of the
site?
Any surroundings that
affect in terms of noise
and has been prevented
through some design
feature?
It sometimes is..

And is expected to be identified by

the designer!
Here are some examples of
briefs which have given,
hidden and sometimes with no
challenge!
In the Bauhaus design competition,
they’ve given the understanding
philosophies to come up with design
solutions as a challenge.
Here, in the brief itself they’ve mentioned
the challenge related to design.
Sources-
shelter design
competition

The challenge is slightly

visible in the title
Sources-
shelter design
competition

It is further detailed out to tell what

initially started as a gathering place
during disasters can also be transformed
to community spaces
Sources-
shelter design
competition

Here they further talk about materials

and sustainability being one of the
challenges which should be considered.
Example – urban forests
and edges

Here, there is not just one challenge to

work on, but many to integrate and
therefore focus on multiple aspects
Sources- laka
competitions

Here, they have asked students to come up

with design ideas which can be
architectural, product based etc. but goes
beyond the conventional design thinking!
Sources- laka
competitions

Its on you to identify and read between the

lines. Read the title. ‘architecture that
reacts’ itself might be a challenge here!
Also remember, the
challenges can be ..

either focused on a Or it can be focused on

particular thing multiple facets
Example

Understanding one aspect to come up

with design solutions.

focused on a
particular thing
Example – urban forests
and edges

multiple facets
One thing to understand is
that, every brief will have
all these challenges

Its on you to be involved

with your brief to decode
all these given points!