BArch Bachelor of Architecture Urban Planning and Site Design 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In site planning, what does 'solar access easement' protect?
- A property owner's right to install solar panels
- A property owner's right to receive unobstructed sunlight for solar energy or passive heating (Correct answer)
- Public access along a solar farm perimeter
- The reflectivity of adjacent buildings
Correct answer: A property owner's right to receive unobstructed sunlight for solar energy or passive heating
A solar access easement is a legal agreement preventing neighboring properties from erecting structures that would shade solar collectors or passive solar features on the benefited property.
Question 2: What is the purpose of a 'bioswale' in site design?
- To create a visual screen along a property edge
- To slow, filter, and infiltrate stormwater runoff through a planted channel (Correct answer)
- To provide habitat for wetland birds
- To channel utility lines underground
Correct answer: To slow, filter, and infiltrate stormwater runoff through a planted channel
A bioswale is a vegetated, gently sloped channel that conveys stormwater while filtering pollutants, removing sediment, and promoting infiltration into the ground.
Question 3: In urban design, what is 'new urbanism'?
- Urban renewal through demolition of historic neighborhoods
- A planning movement promoting compact, walkable, transit-connected neighborhoods modeled on traditional town design (Correct answer)
- The use of high-technology smart building systems in cities
- A zoning approach that concentrates all density in a central business district
Correct answer: A planning movement promoting compact, walkable, transit-connected neighborhoods modeled on traditional town design
New Urbanism advocates for compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with well-defined public space, diverse housing types, and connections to transit, countering suburban sprawl.
Question 4: What does a 'hardscape' refer to in landscape architecture?
- Hard rock used in retaining walls
- The non-living, constructed elements of a landscape such as paving, walls, and paths (Correct answer)
- Drought-resistant planting
- The compacted subgrade beneath a lawn
Correct answer: The non-living, constructed elements of a landscape such as paving, walls, and paths
Hardscape encompasses all constructed landscape elements — paving, retaining walls, patios, stairs, and structures — as opposed to softscape (plants, soil, water features).
Question 5: What is 'ADA accessibility' compliance most concerned with in site design?
- Providing emergency backup power to all exterior lighting
- Ensuring persons with disabilities have equal access through accessible routes, ramps, and parking (Correct answer)
- Meeting minimum green space requirements per lot
- Limiting impervious surface coverage on a site
Correct answer: Ensuring persons with disabilities have equal access through accessible routes, ramps, and parking
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) site compliance requires accessible parking, curb cuts, walkway widths, slopes, and tactile surfaces to ensure equal access for people with disabilities.
Question 6: In landscape grading, what does a 2% minimum slope away from a building accomplish?
- It satisfies ADA accessible route requirements
- It directs surface water away from the foundation to prevent water infiltration and foundation damage (Correct answer)
- It allows for future building additions
- It satisfies the setback requirement for landscape planting
Correct answer: It directs surface water away from the foundation to prevent water infiltration and foundation damage
A 2% (or steeper) grade sloping away from the building foundation ensures rainwater sheds away from the structure, preventing ponding and water infiltration into the basement or crawlspace.
BArch Bachelor of Architecture Urban Planning and Site Design 2
In site planning, what does 'solar access easement' protect?