Landscape Design Raleigh

How To Analyze The Landscape Of A Place

For the following preliminary site analysis, I studied a built environment, The Court of Carolina at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. An in-depth analysis of an undeveloped site's suitability for building may require the services of a landscape architect and/or another professional.

Focusing on the following aspects during my observation of the site gave me an idea of the site's suitability for its purpose: building relationships and orientation; access points and functions of buildings; road, parking, and service access for vehicles; suitability of ground soil; paths, accessibility, and pedestrian volume patterns; places where water spreads (ridges) and collects (swales); site's relation to the sun and microclimate.

I began my analysis by observing the physical attributes of the site. I accomplished this by walking around the Court and writing down my observations. I also used Google Earth and topographic survey data from Wake County's website to study the ridges, swales, and soils. To figure out places where water spreads and collects without a topography map, it is best to observe the site during a rain shower. I examined the relationship between the site's ecology and man-made structures by observing the site at different times of day and in different weather situations. Lastly, I did Internet research to find out how the landscape of the site has changed, and how its use has been redefined over time.

I summarized my site analysis by looking at the significance of the court in three ways: cultural significance, ecological significance, and experiential significance, which deals with the overall feel of a place.

The Cultural Significance of the Court of Carolina is that it is the original heart of North Carolina State University's campus. From the late 1880s to the 1970s, places of interest situated in close proximity to the court included the university's first dormitories, classrooms, Riddick Football Stadium, Thompson Gymnasium, Leazar Dining Hall, and Hillsborough Street. Therefore, it may be highly regarded as a public space by alumni and tenured professors rather than current students. On rare occasions, the site has shown potential as a versatile gathering space. Shortly after World War II, the court was occupied by quonset classrooms. In 2004, thousands of people flocked to the space for a Kerry/Edwards campaign rally. Since 2007, the Court has been home to Art to Wear, a popular annual fashion show featuring creations from College of Design and College of Textiles students.

The Court of Carolina once held a tree from each of the 100 counties in North Carolina until 1996, when Hurricane Fran uprooted and destroyed most of them. Hydrology is an ecological issue in the Court. Drainage mechanisms are placed within the swales, paths are formed upon ridges, and water is absorbed by a dark, crumbly soil called Mantachie. The minimally planted crest of the Southeast facing slope is bathed in sunlight year round, while the foot of the Court is partially shaded. Birds, bugs, and squirrels can be seen. The Court is perceived by many on the notoriously brick paved campus as a great natural space, though irony lies in the fact that space is indeed, designed by man. Besides the brick pathways, the grounds of the Court have been virtually untouched by development for decades.

Tall, gnarled trees border the lower edges of the court, providing private nooks for students to study in the shade. Classroom buildings flanking the site and high pedestrian circulation during the day create an "eyes on the court" experience in which no part of the space feels unsafe. The highest point of the site affords an iconic view of the North Carolina State University Bell Tower while the lowest point gives one a Jeffersonian view of the 1911 building. Student memorials and senior class gifts are ingrained within the site as seating areas. The experiential significance of The Court of Carolina can be summed up in one word, "history".

Bridgette Holley James A. LaGro Jr., "Site Inventory and Analysis". Site Analysis: Linking Program and Concept in Land Planning and Design. North Carolina State University New Student Orientation, "Court of Carolina" Wikipedia, "North Carolina State University". Google Earth. Wake County Government imaps.