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PAN 44: Fitting New Housing Development into the Landscape

ANALYSIS D - LANDFORM

i To further explore the nature of the topography, three cross sections have been drawn to illustrate the relationship of the existing town to the loch, the bypass and the hills and rising ground to the northwest. As is common with landscape sections the vertical scale has been exaggerated by a factor of two, so that the slopes are more easily identified.

ii The location of these sections is identified by section lines on the previous slope analysis plan. The sections show how the existing town nestles into the valley alongside the loch, whereas much of the proposed site for development embraces the exposed hillside. This suggests that new housing would be more suitably located on the lower ground adjacent to the existing settlement, rather than on the steeper higher ground.

iii Characteristic topographical features should be protected or exploited as a reference for proposed ground shaping where appropriate.

ANALYSIS E - LANDSCAPE

i Landscape analysis embraces:

• objective methods which examine intrinsic qualities of the landscape. These demand a technical knowledge and understanding of natural processes and ecological relationships;
• subjective methods which depend on human responses evoked by the aesthetic characteristics of a landscape.

ii Both objective and subjective aspects of landscape are capable of coherent and consistent description and communication - they are not simply a matter of taste.

iii The process of analysis should begin with a desk study of existing material in the form of aerial photographs, relevant technical reports, planning documents and maps which provide a good basic understanding of the landscape prior to a site visit.

iv A field survey should complement and build upon the desk study covering a general familiarisation of the area making consistent judgements regarding character, division of landscape types and quality.

v It should also record condition, artefacts, vegetation, views in and out of the site, the location of services and water courses. These can subsequently be presented in the form of annotated maps, checklists, written descriptions and annotated sketches or photographs. The factors which require to be examined in a landscape analysis are:

• vegetation
• landform
• landscape character
• climate

vi The results of a landscape analysis provide an understanding of site characteristics and their inter-relationship in order to guide site planning and design to make the most of development opportunities and to aid the successful fit of new elements into an existing landscape.

The various elements of desk and field observation can be recorded on a comprehensive plan to assist interpretation Aerial view

ANALYSIS F - COMPUTER IMAGING

i The precedence for using computer imaging in the visual analysis process is now well established with advances in computer technology continuing to streamline a previously laborious system.

ii It is now possible to take a sample three dimensional computer model of a proposed development and to superimpose this onto a computer generated topographical image of the existing site, thus creating a bird's eye view of the final development. By using Ordnance Survey co-ordinates it is possible to directly reference important views identified in the visual analysis to the computer generated topographical image.

iii the application of computer technology allows a number of design solutions to be readily and quickly examined. This is of particular importance in instances where development is proposed in sensitive locations or areas of complex topography.

iv The development of these techniques will facilitate the visualisation of the implications of fitting buildings into the landscape and they should be used whenever possible.

ANALYSIS G - LANDSCAPE CHARACTER

i Landscape character is influenced by physical features and by aesthetic qualities present in the environment. A visual analysis of the landscape will build up an understanding of landscape character. The role of this informed judgement is paramount in the process of site analysis.

ii The following components should be included in a visual analysis:

• Spaces and Visual Sequences:
  The landscape can generally be classified into a series of spaces which relate to the viewer's perception of size relative to height and distance. It is a combination of these spaces, their sequence and interrelationship which must be analysed in three dimensions in order to establish the visual consequences of spatial form. Small scale spaces can later be created for the human scale.
• Aesthetic Qualities:
  The aesthetic characteristics of an area may be composed of a number of recurring dominant elements which can be defined in terms of form, line, colour and texture, as well as the dynamic elements or visual forces. In order to establish a clear understanding of these dominant factors which in turn influence character, it is necessary to systematically record the aesthetic qualities of the landscape at a series of locations, viewing to and from the site.
• Viewpoints:
  Landscape is usually seen from a limited set of viewpoints which relate to the routes along which an observer moves. Lines of sight from these critical, fixed or moving points should be carefully analysed to determine views to enhance and open up and others to screen and close down.
• Variation and Perception:
  Perception of landscape character is influenced by the changing seasons, each bringing variations in patterns of light, sound, smell and feel as well as the more obvious changes in colour, form and texture.

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