Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Conduct site visit and gather contextual research
2 weeks (2–3 hrs/day)
Visit or digitally survey the site, recording physical characteristics, existing built fabric, movement patterns, climate, and social context. Produce annotated photographs or sketches, a site location map, and a research summary identifying the key constraints and opportunities the site presents for design.
Proof required
Submit your site research package: a location map, minimum 12 annotated photographs or sketches from the visit (or digital survey), and a 300-word contextual summary identifying at least three site constraints and three design opportunities.
What gets checked
- Research documents the site through multiple lenses — physical, social, environmental, and movement — not just built fabric
- Annotations explain significance, not just describe what is photographed
- Constraints and opportunities are specific to this site — not generic urban design observations
Common mistakes
- Site research consists only of photographs with no annotation or analysis of what they reveal
- Constraints and opportunities are generic observations applicable to any urban site rather than specific findings
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm site research documents the site across multiple dimensions — physical, social, environmental, movement
- Verify annotations explain significance — not just describe what is photographed
- Check constraints and opportunities are specific to this site, not generic urban observations
Produce site analysis diagrams and analytical drawings
2–3 weeks (3 hrs/day)
Translate your site research into a set of analytical drawings and diagrams: site plan at appropriate scale, section showing topography or building heights, movement and access diagram, environmental analysis (sun path, prevailing wind, noise), and a figure-ground diagram. Each drawing should reveal something specific about the site that words cannot.
Proof required
Submit your site analysis drawing set: site plan, section, movement diagram, environmental analysis, and figure-ground diagram. Each drawing must include a scale bar, north point where applicable, and a one-sentence annotation explaining what it reveals about the site.
What gets checked
- Drawing set covers at least five distinct analytical lenses — not five versions of the same information
- Each drawing includes scale bar and north point where applicable — drawings are readable without verbal explanation
- Annotations explain what the drawing reveals about the design problem, not just what it shows
Common mistakes
- Drawings are produced before analysis is complete — they illustrate existing conditions without analytical overlay
- Drawing set lacks environmental analysis — sun, wind, or noise diagrams absent despite being standard site analysis components
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm drawing set covers at least five distinct analytical lenses
- Verify each drawing includes scale bar and north point where applicable
- Check annotations explain what each drawing reveals about the design problem
Present analysis and receive tutor critique
1 week
Present your site analysis to your tutor or a qualified urban designer or architect. The reviewer challenges your interpretation of the site — are the right constraints identified, are the opportunities architecturally actionable, does the analysis reveal anything original? Document the session and articulate how the analysis informs your design agenda going forward.
Proof required
Submit: (1) the complete site analysis drawing set and research summary; (2) critique documentation — reviewer name and role, date, 200+ words of specific feedback and challenges raised; (3) a 200-word written statement on how your revised analysis informs the design agenda for the site.
What gets checked
- Reviewer is named with professional role — qualified architect or urban designer, or tutor with relevant expertise
- Critique documentation records specific drawing-level challenges — not general approval
- Design agenda statement connects analysis findings directly to design decisions — not a restatement of the site facts
Common mistakes
- No critique session occurred — analysis submitted for review via email without a live discussion
- Design agenda statement describes the site rather than articulating how the analysis informs design intent
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm critique session was live — in-person or video call, not async written feedback
- Verify reviewer name and professional role are documented
- Check design agenda statement connects analysis findings to specific design decisions