The Relationship Between Building, Site, and Surroundings

The relationships between a building, its site, and their surroundings are some of the most important factors which inform a design, and which contribute to the success of a building in its day to day use. An in-depth understanding of the entire site, from the soil, to the flora and fauna, to the infrastructural connections is critical in the design process, and can elevate a building from simply sufficing, to excelling in its purpose and impact.

A successful building cannot be designed in a vacuum. The understanding of a site and its surroundings (or genius loci in architectural language) are fundamental to the design of a building, and must be studied thoroughly to achieve a truly successful design. This process of studying and understanding the locus will inform the site strategy, which will in turn help to inform the concept and parti. It is important to become familiar with the area, to learn its intricacies. Each individual site, no matter how generic it may seem, has unique nuances and quirks that other sites do not have.

We must learn about the cultural history of the area, the local vernacular, and even political factors that might be at play. We study local flora and fauna, and search for Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). Are there hedges which are home to protected birds, or waterways which are home to protected otters? Is that tree you want to cut down for the view beyond actually a protected native species? We find out the soil types in the area, as well as the geology of the bedrock and morphology of any water courses which may be nearby. We study the local climate, including wind, rain, sun, flooding, access in the snow, all while remembering varying sun paths and seasonal changes throughout the year. As well as all of these considerations, we must consider views and orientations. Which way should the house face? The answer is not always “parallel to the road”, nor is it always “directly south for the sun”.

If working with an existing building, what is the history of the building? When was it built, and who built it? Why was it built? These questions may seem banal and simplistic, but they can reveal a huge amount about the building and in turn give the design and parti great depth and strength. Does the material palette of the local vernacular inform the design and the technology we implement to construct the project? Remember that “vernacular” does not mean “whitewashed thatch cottages”, or “slate-roofed bungalow”; it means a design which is based on local needs, availability of local materials, and which is sympathetic to local tradition and history. A building can have a vernacular language, materiality, or form without resembling a 1900s farm cottage.

Iconic architects such as Peter Zumthor, Alvaro Siza, and Alvar Aalto are all known to have spent extended amounts of time on site before beginning to design new projects. Minute details are meticulously documented and studied over an long period of time, with the architects often walking through the site multiple times, sitting in the site for hours on end making notes and observing, and even waiting for the seasons to change to return repeat the process. While this level of intensity is not always practical, it speaks to the care and detail required in effective site studies, which in turn will unquestionably elevate the quality of the design beyond simple geometry on a plan.