Sam Dunlap's overview of Analyses and Assessment phase of the Design process

1. Site Analysis & Assessment
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2. Now that you’re done with your goals
articulation, you should have…
List of desired elements and species
Problems, qualities, issues, likes
Ideas for how to support and heal the land and
surrounding ecosystems
Design criteria to meet your values and goals
A list of questions and topics to guide your
analysis and assessment
What do I need to know about the site to make
these goals a reality?

3. Guidelines
A&A connects the goals to the site
It’s about patterns and relationships
(remember: patterns to details)
When we analyze, we break the site up
into smaller, decipherable components so
we can understand the relationships that
exist between them
The “What?”

4. When we assess, we assign value
Assessment
The “So What?”
What are the implications for design?

5. Bubble diagrams
Fat markers, big movements (patterns)
Circles and arrows
Reasonably messy
Words and pictures
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6. A&A is a summary of the current reality
It’s ok to have design directions, but don’t
get lost in them
Note them and return to the here and now
and the implications for design

7. Distinguish between
observations (factual, neutral)
--> interpretations (assigning value
based on your background/perspective
and your goals)

8. The Path Forward
Start collecting info (maps, historical
documents, soils info, climate data,
legal info, info from neighbors and
community)

9. Undirected observation and
interpretation
Now that you have your goals, go back
and notice what you notice
Connect back to your first impressions
Can incorporate sector and flow analysis,
or these can be part of your thematic
observations

10. Thematic Observation
Sector analysis
Flow analysis
Scale of
Permanence

11. Scale of Permanence
Climate
Landform
Water
Legal Issues
Access & Circulation
Vegetation & Wildlife
Microclimates
Buildings & Infrastructure
Zones of Use
Soil
Aesthetics

12. Overlay for each aspect of the s.o.p.
(except climate)
The goals determine the question you
are asking and what you are looking for
S.O.P. guiding questions
Use words and pictures

13. Set time limits for each aspect
Hold back on design, we’re buildin’
momentum here
If you get stuck, return to the goals
On each overlay: summarize the 3-5 most
important points
A&A Summary: summarize all the most
important data from all aspects of the s.o.p.
onto one overlay, using words and pictures

14. Landform
Qu ic kTime ™ and a
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are n eed ed to se e th i s pi cture.

15. Water
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16. Access & circulation
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17. Vegetation & wildlife
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18. microclimate
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19. Soils
Qu ic kTime ™ and a
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are n eed ed to se e th i s pi cture.

20. Zones of Use, Aesthetics
Q ic kTime ™ a nd a
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are n eed ed to se e th is p i cture.

21. A&A summary
Q ic kTime ™ a nd a
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22. Recap
Patterns to details
Patterns inherent in the goals
Patterns inherent in the site
Next, we begin weaving them together
The goals guide the A&A
Analyze: break the site up into its
components
Assess: assign value, interpret

23. Undirected observation
Sector and Flow Analyses
Thematic observation guided by the
scale of permanence
Distinguish observations from
interpretations

24. A&A Summary
combination of the most important or influential
observations and interpretations from all aspects
of the s.o.p.
summarizes the current reality on the site and its
implications for design in relation to the goals
lays foundation for decisions in design phase
The more thorough the A&A, the smoother
the design phase
…The A&A discovers the design