Site Boundaries

Every project begins with the site. Before a single massing study or floor plan, designers need to understand where the property begins and ends, what setbacks apply, and how the building envelope can take shape. Drawing and editing these boundaries is often a tedious process, yet it is one of the most important foundations of early-phase design.

How it works in Arcol

With Site Boundaries, you can define parcels directly inside your model. Draw parcel lines, snap them to existing geometry, adjust them as needed, and lock them in place. The site boundaries become an active constraint that informs every move you make. Heights, setbacks, and context all respect the parcel from the start, so compliance is built in.

Why it’s interesting

• Interactive and flexible: Boundaries can be drawn, moved, and resized in seconds.
• Tied to real design logic: Once set, site boundaries influence envelopes, massing, and zoning calculations automatically.
• Visual and collaborative: Stakeholders can see exactly how the project relates to the parcel lines without relying on external maps or CAD exports.

The impact

• Fewer errors: No need to reimport site geometry or risk misalignment across tools.
• Faster starts: Set up a project with clear site limits in minutes rather than hours.
• Smarter decisions: With boundaries driving envelopes, every design option stays grounded in real-world constraints.

Site boundaries may feel like a setup step, but they are the framework for everything that follows. By making them fast, dynamic, and fully integrated into the design process, Arcol ensures that projects start with clarity and stay aligned as they grow.

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