With any site planning, be it a single residence or a large scale development, one of the most important stages is the site analysis.  This identifies all of the potential restrictions and also the benefits of a raw piece of land.  From here, schematic designing can begin.  These drawings and color renderings are an important phase of the design process.  This is the time for the Client to explore the different options for their project.  

Typically, multiple options and ideas are combined to form a Master Plan, which is used as the baseline for the entire project.  In a residential application, this level of detail is in some cases enough information to be used as a guideline for performing the actual work. In most cases, it is the roadmap that leads to more detailed design for construction purposes.