Assignment 2: Urban Analysis

BRIEF:

To begin the design investigation of the North Quincy Transit District a layered and thorough site analysis will be conducted. Analysis of a site goes beyond research and information gathering. It is the synthesis of these facts, measured and arranged, to tell a story about the place you are designing in. In other words; if urban design is a form of place-making, then what can the analysis of the site tell us about the kind of place Quincy is, was, and will be? Of course this cannot be done all in one drawing, rather a careful analysis must be categorized into topics of culture, environment, history, and so on. Instead of having each of you perform your own comprehensive analysis. I will ask each one of you to choose a topic to explore, fist by researching, information gathering, and documenting within and beyond the site boundaries, then secondly taking the knowledge you have gained and revealing what it says about the site through metrics, diagramming, and mapping. By performing this process for each topic, a comprehensive analysis of the site will emerge that can be shared by the whole class for the duration of the studio.

Each student must choose an analysis topic from the following list:

Cultural Geography

Environmental Factors

Regional Analysis

Historic Morphology

Transportation Analysis

Opportunities and Constraints

Land Use

Urban Characteristics


At the end of class two there will be time to discuss the chosen topic with the instructor. In the time between classes 2 and 3 each student will gather as much information on the chosen topic as they can. They are encouraged to begin analyzing this information and be ready to discuss with the class where their research has led them for class 3. Following class three, each student will prepare drawings, diagrams, and photo collages to illustrate their final analysis of the site and present their topics to a panel of reviewers during class 4. If there are any questions or concerns during the assignment, it is encouraged that you inform the instructor at the earliest instance so they may help you work through any possible difficulties.

Schedule of Site Analysis

1/29 Class 2: Research and documentation of Analysis topic

2/5 Class 3: Synthesis of research into measured Analysis

2/12 Class 4: A formal presentation of Findings