| Layer | Source | What it settles |
|---|---|---|
| Zoning & overlays | City zoning portal / municipal code | Use, setbacks, height, FAR, parking |
| Parcel & ownership | County assessor / GIS | Boundaries, easements, lot area |
| Flood risk | FEMA flood maps | Zone, base flood elevation |
| Soils | USDA Web Soil Survey | Bearing hints, drainage class |
| Climate | NOAA climate normals | Temperatures, rain, design conditions |
| Topography | USGS / county LiDAR | Slopes, drainage paths |
| Site history | Historic aerials, Sanborn maps | Prior structures, fills, contamination clues |
The systematic study of everything that will shape the design before design begins (climate, zoning, context, physical ground and sensory character) synthesized into diagrams and conclusions the parti must answer to.
Six layers: regional/climate, zoning & legal, neighborhood context, physical site, sensory observation, synthesis documents. The generator above scales them to your project type and depth.
Zoom levels: region (climate, ecology, corridors), neighborhood (uses, circulation, character) and parcel (topography, soils, sun, wind, easements).
Most factual layers are public records: zoning portals, FEMA, USDA soils, NOAA normals, USGS topo, historic aerials. Save the visit for light, sound, views and approach.
Base plan, north arrow, sun path, winds, access, noise, views, topography, setbacks, buildable envelope, one layer per idea.