SITE TOPOGRAPHY
The response of a building design to its context
includes consideration of the physical characteristics
of its site, especially the surface configuration of the
t errain. On a site plan, however, it is difficult to
describe the vertical aspect of an undulating ground
surface. Contour lines are the graphic convention we
use to convey this information.
~-
A contour line is an imaginary line joining points of
equal elevation on a ground surface. For example, a
15' contour line represents every point that is 15'
above agiven datum or reference point.
-.....,.,..._..._ One way to visualize contour lines is to imagine
that horizontal slices are cut through the land form
at regular intervals, the profile of each cut being
represented by a contour line. The trajectory of
each contour line indicates the shape of the land
formation at that elevation .
. _ _ The contour interval is the difference in elevation
.._
represented by any two adjacent contour lines.
• Contour interval is determined by the scale of a
drawing, the size of the site, and the nature of the
topography. The larger the area and the steeper the
slopes, the greater the interval between contours.
• For large or steeply sloping sites, 10', 25', or 50'
contour intervals may be used.
• For small sites having relatively gradual slopes,
5', 2', or 1' contour intervals may be used.
50/ ARCHITECTURAL GRAPHICS