Advantages of Building on a Sloped Terrain​​

Challenges of Building on a Sloped Terrain

16 Tips for Building on a Sloped Terrain

Client Requirements

As for any design project, start by getting to know your site and your client. It is of utmost importance that you carefully question and consider what your client’s goals and expectations are.

In most cases you will have to develop a brief for your client and the design project. We have already written a really useful post that guides you through this process and also includes 2 handy checklists to make your life a bit easier. You can check it out, right here:
Architectural Design Brief – The Checklist (firstinarchitecture.co.uk)

Site Analysis

You will need to be able to thoroughly analyse your sites for your design projects in order to come up with well-informed design responses. This most definitely holds true for challenging sites such as steep or sloped terrain.

On sloped terrain you will have to work to understand the opportunities and limitations of the landscape. Factors like the soil composition and drainage patterns will need to be considered to avoid issues further down the line.

We have a number of comprehensive posts with lots of great advice and guidance to help you out with your site analysis. These incredible posts will give you in depth information on how to analyse your site, what resources to use and more! Be sure to give them a good read:
Architecture Site Analysis Guide – Data Collection to Presentation (firstinarchitecture.co.uk)
Contextual Surveys – Where to Get Relevant Information (firstinarchitecture.co.uk)

In addition to this, if you would like to, you can purchase our Site Analysis Complete Pack that contains everything you need to become a pro at site analysis. You can find out more here:
Site Analysis Complete Pack – First In Architecture (first-in-architecture.myshopify.com)

Prioritise Access and Safety

It is also very important that you account for health and safety and conduct risk assessments to ensure the well-being of the construction team and to maintain a secure work environment.

Make sure you look for local authority regulations and follow their advice to best respond to the site

 Seek Expert Advice

It can be quite challenging to build on sloped terrain, so it is important that you get all the help and expert advice you can to work on such a site. Collaborate with experienced architects, engineers, and contractors who are well-versed in building on sloped terrain to ensure the project’s success.

You can also seek guidance from specialists like geotechnical engineers and environmental consultants, who can help you design a foundation that ensures your building’s stability and safety.

Drainage

Your sloping site may dictate higher building cost with regard to drainage and sewers, depending on the size of the project. If the sewerage system is uphill from the site, will you need to have pumping systems installed? If the system is downhill, you may need to slow flow down to the sewers.

You will need to consider water runoff from the site and make sure you have sufficient measures in place to deal with surface water. Investigate soakaways and drainage channels to make sure your surface water is dealt with correctly and doesn’t end up flooding your lower floor or the surrounding area.

Light

Consider how you will use light. Does your site benefit from a good aspect? How can you make sure you get light into the building?

Try to bring in natural light to create brighter and more inviting spaces. Think of using skylights, solar tubes, and shading devices to enhance natural light while maintaining control. Also ensure that you strike a good balance between natural and artificial lighting to create spaces that are aesthetic as well as functional.

Views

Think about views and maximise them wherever possible. You can use glazing throughout your design to offer captivating and unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape that your users can enjoy. Think about the positioning and sizing of the windows and openings in your design and how they can be used to frame special views on your site or perhaps even to block unpleasant ones.

Terracing

One benefit to having a steep site is that you can look at designing a stepped building which means lots of opportunity for slimmer rooms with glazing – and again better views.

Investigate change in levels within your building and how these relate to each other and offer views out of the site and beyond. You could be looking over the roofs of the lower parts of the building from the upper. With this in mind think about interesting roof finishes or maybe sedum, green roofs. There is also the opportunity for terraces and outside spaces.

Cut and Fill

Cut and Fill is a key technique for adapting to sloped or uneven terrain. It is the process of carving out a level plinth on a sloping site, in order to build a home that is essentially designed for use on a level site. Any spoil that is cut from the bank is reserved in order for it to be brought back to make up the levels on the lower edge.

Depending on the type of slope you are working with, this can be a more cost-effective solution as you don’t have to cart spoil away from the site. You also do not need that many external materials to be transported to the site.

Stilts

Building on stilts is one way of addressing steeply sloped sites. This avoids the need for expensive foundations and also negates the requirement for tanking. Stilt construction offers improved ventilation, mitigating moisture-related concerns.

The other benefit is that it leaves the ground untouched. It could also be implemented on multiple levels, optimising land use. Additionally, stilt construction can have ecological advantages, as it preserves the natural environment and allows wildlife to thrive beneath the structure.

Cantilevering

You can cantilever your building or parts of your building to create architecturally intriguing structures that complement the slope. This will help you create more space to work with and it can be particularly useful if you wish to preserve the slope. You will be able to create some visually striking structures.

Basements and Retaining Walls

When creating basements on sloped terrain, the walls are often subject to a lot of force from the surrounding banks of land and therefore become retaining walls. They can be useful in managing the grade of slope and preventing erosion.

Structural engineers will need to be involved in the design of these structures, and a detailed design stage is important to ensure good waterproofing.

Another option is stepping the ground by using low level retaining walls, or gabion walls to create those stepped terrace levels in the landscape, as mentioned before.

Modular Construction

You could use prefabricated or modular components to streamline the construction process on sloped terrain. These can be more efficient and cost-effective solutions to address the site’s challenges.

Sustainable Design

Ensure that you integrate sustainability into your design by using eco-friendly materials and incorporating energy-efficient design elements that promote a greener approach to building.

Doing this will not only benefit the environment but also promote the health and wellbeing of the occupants, all the while leading to long run cost savings.

Landscaping

By working with the natural contours and undulations of the sloped landscape you will be able to achieve a more harmonious impact with your design proposals. Explore strategies that focus on preserving and integrating natural elements into the design, such as trees and water features that form part of the site.

If you would like to learn more about how to landscape a sloped or steep, feel free to check out our blog post on:
Landscaping a steep or sloped site – an introduction (firstinarchitecture.co.uk)

Precedent Studies

You will greatly benefit from analysing good precedents that demonstrate strong and successful instances of building on slopes and steep terrain. Studying these will help you gain valuable insights about effective design strategies for building on sloped landscapes.

We have got the perfect guide that will take you through the process of analysing precedents, do check it out:
Architecture Precedent Study and Analysis (firstinarchitecture.co.uk)

Here is our Pinterest board with lots of inspirational projects to get you started:

Comprehensive Checklist for Building on Sloped Terrain for Architects