On Diagraming

In an attempt to harness some inspiration from the site I have been looking at various methods of site diagramming and analysis. I have chosen a few diagrams that I feel exhibit different approaches to understanding the essences of a site, and processes of gathering and distilling information. 

Smout Allen,  Pamphlet Archtiecture: Augmented Landscapse

Smout Allen’s approach is highly analytic, composed of many layers of esoteric information. The diagrams are abstract palimpsests of metrics, mechanisms, systems, and landscape. I find the results are compelling if not a bit cryptic. 

In comparison to Smout Allens, these diagrams are more accessible in terms of clarity of information being conveyed. Systems of green space, site adjacency, site history, and character of place are presented in a fairly straight forward manner. What these diagrams lack in conveyance of an abstruse sense of place, they make for in clarity.


Reflecting on the diagrams has allowed me to begin to draw relationships and extract information, insinuations, and feelings about the project that are not readily apparent upon first glancing at the diagram. These dormant relationships are what I need to tap into while I am experiencing my site.