Let's first clear up a major confusion most students have:

Site Inventory is about what exists — raw facts and conditions.
Site Analysis is about what you do with that information — how those facts influence your design.

We’ll break down each site factor with this clarity, so you know exactly what to put in your college sheets, for real projects, or competitions.

The Ultimate Site Analysis Checklist: Key Factors Every Architect Should Consider

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A thorough site analysis isn’t just a checklist,  it’s the foundation of contextual and meaningful architecture. As you walk the land, ask not just "What can I build here?" but also, "What does this place want to become?"

This checklist is your compass, but your curiosity is your guide.

The Ultimate Site Analysis Checklist

Understand Site Inventory vs Site Analysis Like a Pro

Before your concept takes shape on tracing paper or Revit, you need to listen to the site — not just observe it. Site visits are more than tick-box surveys; they are immersive experiences that teach you how a space behaves.

But first&nbsp;let's clear a major confusion most students have:

&nbsp; Site Inventory is about what exists, raw facts and conditions.&nbsp;&nbsp; Site Analysis is about what you do with that information and how those facts influence your design.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In this blog, we’ll break down each site factor with this clarity, so you know exactly what to put in your <a href="https://www.kaarwan.com/masterclass/architectural-presentation-sheet-design-photoshop?id=34&amp;utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=%23%3Cblog_the-ultimate-site-analysis-checklist%3E&amp;utm_term=seo">college sheets</a>, real projects, or competitions.

Pro Tip: Walk the neighbourhood on foot, to discover cultural changes, amenities and <a href="https://www.kaarwan.com/resources?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=%23%3Cblog_the-ultimate-site-analysis-checklist%3E&amp;utm_term=seo">hidden treasures</a>. Ask how people move in and out. Take photos from the terraces of nearby buildings for visual context, which helps in orientation and massing studies.

Pro Tip: Spend a full day on-site or return multiple times in different seasons — you'll notice shadows, glare, or heat zones that pure data won’t show.

Illustration showing topography contours being seamlessly imported from Autocad (2d/3d) into Revit, enabling smart, collaborative modelling workflows in architecture and civil design.

Source:<a href="https://www.kaarwan.com/course/advance-revit-bim-certification-course?id=36&amp;utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=%23%3Cblog_the-ultimate-site-analysis-checklist%3E&amp;utm_term=seo"> Revit workspace </a>snipshot Pragya@Kaarwan&nbsp;

Student Tip: Don’t just say "site is sloped". Ask: What will you do with it?

Source: Pragya@Kaarwan, Revit Interface

(Explore how Revit simplifies working with contours, trees snap intelligently to terrain, and building pads with cut-and-fill calculations are just a few clicks away.)

Pro Tip: If it's a campus project, can you create recharge pits that work with soil type and slope? Link your structure to the land.

Student Tip: Sketch a preserve vs prune plan, treat trees as design allies, not obstacles. Explore how you can propose as per your project category.

6. <a href="https://www.kaarwan.com/blog/architecture/legal-and-regulatory-considerations-adaptive-reuse-projects?id=1185&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=%23%3Cblog_the-ultimate-site-analysis-checklist%3E&amp;utm_term=seo">Legal </a>and Zoning Rules

Pro Tip: For <a href="https://www.kaarwan.com/masterclass/architectural-presentation-sheet-design-photoshop?id=34&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=%23%3Cblog_the-ultimate-site-analysis-checklist%3E&amp;utm_term=seo">student work</a>, explain how your design follows or bends the rules with justification.

<a href="https://www.kaarwan.com/masterclass/learn-site-analysis-climate-study-for-easy-design-concepts?id=9&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=%23%3Cblog_the-ultimate-site-analysis-checklist%3E&amp;utm_term=seo">Student Tip</a>: A good design respects, reflects, and revives local culture.

The Ultimate Site Analysis Checklist: Key Factors Every Architect Should Consider

Ar. Pragya Laungani

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Ar. Pragya Laungani

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