LARE Section 2 key terms

A measured drawing that shows existing site conditions, including boundaries, buildings, roads, utilities, and topography, at a stated scale; it is the foundation for inventory and design drawings.

A field survey that measures ground elevations and the location of natural and built features, producing contour lines and spot elevations used to evaluate slope, drainage, and construction constraints.

The vertical distance between adjacent contour lines on a topographic map; a smaller interval reveals finer landform detail but can clutter a drawing at small scales.

A fixed point of known elevation used as a reference for survey measurements and construction layout; it should be stable, easy to identify, and tied to a documented vertical datum.

A mapped inventory of soil types, drainage, depth, and limitations published by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; it helps evaluate foundations, septic systems, stormwater infiltration, and planting suitability.

Soil that forms under saturated, oxygen-poor conditions and shows characteristic color patterns and redox features; its presence is a primary indicator in wetland delineation and regulated site planning.

A map prepared by FEMA that delineates special flood hazard areas and base flood elevations; it affects flood insurance rates, building regulations, and where development may be restricted or elevated.

A legal right held by one party to use another person's land for a specific purpose, such as utility lines or access; recorded easements limit where structures, trees, and paving may be placed.

A strip of land dedicated or acquired for a road, utility, or public access, usually including the pavement and adjacent shoulders; its width constrains curb cuts, planting, and setbacks on abutting parcels.

A local law that regulates land use, density, height, setbacks, and other development standards by district; it defines what may be built and often triggers site plan review.

A direct field visit used to observe existing conditions, verify mapped data, and record features, sounds, smells, and human activity that maps and databases may omit.

The area of land, water, and sky visible from a selected viewpoint, shaped by topography, vegetation, and structures; it is mapped to protect scenery or position development sensitively.

The compass direction in which a slope faces; aspect influences solar exposure, soil moisture, snowmelt, and plant selection, and is commonly mapped during site inventory.

Geographic Information System software stores, analyzes, and displays spatial data as layered maps; landscape architects use it to query site conditions, calculate areas, and build analysis drawings.

A synthesis technique that converts inventory data into site features that support the program or limit development, usually presented as paired maps or lists for discussion.

A method that rates land units for a proposed use by combining factors such as slope, soils, drainage, access, and proximity; results guide where activities and buildings should be located.

A technique of stacking transparent maps of individual site factors to reveal combined conditions; associated with Ian McHarg, it is a precursor to GIS suitability modeling.

Mapping of gradient and direction across a site, often grouped into categories such as zero to five percent, five to ten percent, and over fifteen percent; it identifies buildable areas and erosion risk.

A single drawing that combines key inventory and analysis layers to show overall opportunities, constraints, and recommended land uses, often used to brief clients and reviewers.

A loose diagram of circles or blobs representing spaces and their desired relationships; used early in programming and planning before room sizes and building shapes are fixed.

The maximum amount of development or use a site can absorb without unacceptable environmental, infrastructural, or social impacts; it helps test whether a proposed program fits the land.

Study of how pedestrians, vehicles, bicycles, and service traffic move to, from, and within a site; it identifies conflicts, desire lines, and connections needed for safe access.

A written and graphic statement of the client's needs, activities, space sizes, relationships, and performance requirements that the design must satisfy; it guides all later planning and design decisions.

A grid that rates the desired proximity between pairs of spaces or activities; it translates program relationships into planning diagrams and helps compare layout options.

A method of breaking a project into user activities and recording the space, equipment, timing, and locational needs of each; it links observed behavior to program requirements.

The proportion of a building's total floor area that is usable for its primary function, after subtracting circulation, walls, shafts, and mechanical space; it affects space planning and cost estimates.

A long-range document that guides future land use, circulation, open space, and development phasing for a site or district; it is broader and less detailed than a site plan.

The early design phase that tests program organization, massing, circulation, and site relationships through diagrams and preliminary drawings, before design development and construction documents.

The minimum distance required by zoning between a property line and a building or other improvement; it shapes the buildable envelope and the landscape space along streets and edges.

The ratio of total building floor area to the area of its lot; zoning uses it to control density and building bulk, independent of how height is distributed.

The percentage of a site covered by roofs, pavement, or other surfaces that prevent infiltration; it is regulated for stormwater management and affects runoff, water quality, and planting area.

A schedule and diagram showing the sequence in which a project will be built, including temporary conditions and funding stages; it coordinates construction, operations, and client expectations over time.

A drawn bar that shows the relationship between map distance and real distance and remains accurate when a drawing is enlarged or reduced; scaled drawings should include one.

A symbol on a plan that indicates the direction of true north or project north; it orients the viewer and is essential for reading solar, wind, and slope information.

A cut-through drawing that shows the vertical relationship of ground, structures, water, and vegetation along a marked line; it explains grade changes and spatial proportions.

A three-dimensional projection that keeps parallel lines parallel and allows measurement along axes; it shows site structure and building mass without the distortion of perspective.

An intensive, collaborative workshop in which designers, stakeholders, and the public develop and review design options within a short, focused period, often used to build consensus.

A formal or informal process in which drawings are evaluated against program, code, and client criteria by reviewers, often leading to revisions before approval or construction.

A realistic image that shows a proposed site or building from a human viewpoint, using vanishing points to convey depth and atmosphere for client and public communication.

A key on a map or drawing that explains symbols, colors, and line types; it must be complete and consistent so viewers can interpret the graphic without guessing.